# 3 month old doeling with paralyzed hind legs



## Warren R (Jul 29, 2012)

All,

I am new to this forum, not brand new to goats.  I have had LaManchas and my wife has lots of fainters.  A few months ago I fell in love with a lot of Nigerian Dwarf Kids online.  I traveled to pick them up, and the doeling of the lot became my baby.  I have never been attached to a goat like this.  I bottle fed her for a few weeks, using milk from one of my La Manchas, but she soon wanted to spend the day running with the others, and readily took hay and feed.  She hasn't had a bottle for nearly 3 weeks now, and has been doing fine.  

I traveled out of town for a family emergency and left my son to care for the animals.  I came back today to find her paralyzed in her hindquarters, and she had clearly spent the night sitting in her own urine in the barn (we leave the door open for the goats to come and go, she loves the little corner under the stairs).  My son said he had given her water from a bottle, since she didnt seem to want to drink from the pan, and that she drank it fine.  He had moved her inside the house, where she contentedly munched hay.  I cleaned her hindquarters - which were a bit red and inflamed, and gave her some probiotic paste which she readily took from my finger.  I set up a towel sling so she didnt keep falling over backward.  She has been munching hay and drinking water just fine, and doesn't seem to be in any pain.  Her droppings appear OK, maybe a bit drier than usual, but she doesn't seem to urinate regularly.  For example, when I was first cleaning her up I laid her across my knee like I had always done when bottle feeding her, and I noticed that with certain movements, urine would dribble out.  I applied a bit of pressure lightly to her bladder area, and a normal looking stream came out.  With a bit more pressure, she seemed uncomfortable.  

I can't see or feel any sign of injury to her spine or hindqurters, and her stomachs felt normal earlier.  Now, several hours later, it feels like she is very full, up high near her haunches (but still ventrally located).  Still no sign of pain or discontent, although she can't get around and sits straight up like a dog when she tried to stand.  Her mucous membrane color seems fine, and her temperature is a little bit warm.  I have searched and searched for likely diagnoses or causes, and can't seem to find anything.  I am so sad about this one, does anyone have any ideas?

She was given CDT shot about two weeks ago, and was dusted with DE and permethrin at the same time, because she had come to the farm with lice (we live high enough in the mountains that the rest of our herd never has had lice). 

Thanks in advance
Warren


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## poorboys (Jul 30, 2012)

could the other goats have head butted her hard against something? sometimes if they are not their babies and they run togather the bigger goats can get very rough. they could have done some internal damage? just guessing here.


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## 20kidsonhill (Jul 30, 2012)

It does sound like an injury to me as well.  Although the meningeal worm will cause paralysis from the hind quarters forward. Transmitted from snaisl in the pasture.  I do not have any experience with this, so I am not sure if they will eat and have an appetite when they are in that kind of condition. 

You can give her 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, mixed in some corn syrup for bloating, since she is not moving around much. 

I would see if she will take a bottle of electolytes, she is dehydrated. You can mix in some corn syrup in the bottle to help her poop not be so dry. 

But ultimatly she would need vet care for an injury to determine if there is any hope for her. 

Look up treatment for meningeal worms. 

Others will know more about that on this forum.


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## elevan (Jul 30, 2012)

Meningeal worm would be my first guess.


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## Roll farms (Jul 30, 2012)

With something this serious, I wouldn't want to take a chance on online diagnosis / guessing.

I would definitely involve a knowledgeable goat vet.

Good luck.


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