# *critical* Doe kidded isn't doing good mastitis?



## Horsefly (Jun 4, 2010)

We had a Nubian cross doe kid on Wednesday.  She was doing really good till last night/this morning.  I just got home this afternoon so I don't know exactly how she was acting before.  She didn't want food last night and hasn't eaten today.  She does drink still.  She seems hunched and stands in the corner looking vacant.  When her kid tries to nurse she kicks him off so we have to hold her so he can eat.  One side of the udder is really easy to milk but the other is hard and really big and I can only get a tiny bit of milk (couple tablespoons) out before it quits.  That side is still huge and tight after I milk it.  The milk looks watery to me on that side. The not eating is conserning me, she doesn't want grain or branches or hay.  
It been raining here and everything is falling apart and we have other animal issues so everyone is stressed.  I need to know what to do or give her so I can get supplies before the feed store closes.  The vet is an hour away so if there is something we can do without bringing her in would be best but we can get the vet involved if needed.


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## cmjust0 (Jun 4, 2010)

If it is mastitis, there's a product called ToDay you can get at TSC.  Fias Co Farm's website has a write-up on how to use it.

Consider also the possibilities of ketosis or possibly milk fever, and do some research on those..  Not sure if the symptoms are exactly right, but I'm not sure the depression and anorexia are just right for mastitis either...the big tight bag might just be congestion of the udder.

Lots of possibilities, I guess..


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## aggieterpkatie (Jun 4, 2010)

Does she have a fever?  I would do some warm compresses and massages several times a day.  Definitely keep trying to milk that side out.


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## Horsefly (Jun 4, 2010)

I took her temp and it's 105.0. She will eat a little food if you give her a handful but doesn't eat more than a handful at a time.  I forgot to say before her nose is a little crusty as is one of her eyes.  I'm pretty sure she has mastits.  The milk on the right side is almost clear and has white chunks in it, while on the other side it's thick and white.  Her right side keeps getting bigger and I can hardly get any milk out but I have been trying every time I go out and massage it.  How do you do a warm compress?  Should she get penicilin or something?  We are going to TSC first thing in the morning so I need a list of what to get.  I'm going to get Today and might get some B vitamens.
I took pictures of the milk from each side and will put them up shortly.


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## ksalvagno (Jun 4, 2010)

If you have some Banamine, I would give her some. That temp is high. I would also get her on some type of antibiotic. I'm not sure what the best antibiotic is for mastitis though. I'm sure penicillin would work or LA 200. Hopefully someone else knows a dosage for you.

Good luck with your girl. I hope she will end up ok.


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## Horsefly (Jun 4, 2010)

Here are some pictures:





the right side is even bigger now than when I took the picture.




I started with clean hands a clean udder and a clean bucket and there is dirt all over with the first squirt.  It took me 5 or 6 minutes of massaging and squeezing to get this much out.  See the clearness and chunks.




here is milk from the other side.  Baby had just finished drinking so I couldn't get much out.  We have to pin Blackberry against the wall and hold her so the kid can nurse.
Ksalvagno- what does banamine do?  Can I get it at the feed store?  I think I will try and get penicillin, can anyone help me on a dosage (how much and how to give it)


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## ksalvagno (Jun 5, 2010)

banamine is a pain reliever/fever reducer. You have to get it at the vet.  I know Penicillin is 3cc per 100lbs for alpacas but I don't know the dosage for goats.


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## Horsefly (Jun 5, 2010)

Okay we went to the feed store this morning and $85 later we have kid milk replacer, Dyne goat and sheep high calorie liquid diatary supplement, pen G, and four tubes of Today, along wih 18 gage needles and 6 cc seringes.
Blackberry is doing really really bad now.  She lays down and doesn't swallow hardly at all.  Ther is mucousy drool coming out her mouth and her breathing is raspy.  I listened to her lungs and they sound alittle gurgley.  Her right side of her udder is huge and hard and is now cold.  I have a feeling we are going to end up loosing her.  Her quality isn't worth a big vet bill.
We gave her 6 cc of penicillin an oz of the Dyne and put one tube of Today in her teat as well as massaging and putting warm rags on her udder.  Oh and I gave an assidopholis to her but I don't know if she swallowed it. 
We also took the kid back to the house and are trying to bottle feed him but he won't take it.  He will suck anything but the nipple.  Right now he is sleeping in a crate.
I don't know what to do I feel so horrible and helpless.


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## Lil-patch-of-heaven (Jun 5, 2010)

I wish I had advice for you but I'm too new to goats. Just to say I'm sorry to hear it's going badly for you. 

Is she a "pet" type goat?  When I thought I was going to lose the bottle baby, I was doing all I could for her but honestly, I think she pulled through pretty much because of prayer and because I sat with her and scratched her and talked to her. She really, really looks to me for attention and I think it made a difference. 

I hope the best for you.


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## Horsefly (Jun 5, 2010)

My neighbor is an equine vet and we got him to come over and see our goat just now.  He said she is really sick and wouldn't be suprised if she didn't make it.  He told us to keep doing the penicillin but the Today probably won't do much because the teat is so swollen.  He also gave her some banamine and another antibiotic I don't remember what it was.  I'm going to offer more food in an hour.  We can just hope for the best now.
We gave the baby some milk in a bowl and he sucked that up.  I think that that will work better than the bottle.
Any ideas on getting him to stop yelling?  Everytime he is awake and we leave he screams.


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## helmstead (Jun 5, 2010)

Pen G isn't strong enough to treat mastitis...throwing water on a duck's back.  You CAN get Pen Teat Infusions, but IMO still a waste of time.  You'll want Nuflor or Naxel.  I'd also infuse the teat at least twice a day with ToMorrow, not Today...you want it to dry off.

If the doe is that sick, a masectomy might be the best course before it goes gangrene and kills her.  I'd be giving her lactated ringers, drenching her with NutriDrench, injecting Vit B Complex along with the stronger antibiotics.

You might find a dairy cow vet...

Good luck.


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## ksalvagno (Jun 5, 2010)

Any ideas on getting him to stop yelling?  Everytime he is awake and we leave he screams.

Yes, don't leave him. 

I hope your girl pulls through.


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## Horsefly (Jun 5, 2010)

We gave the baby a stuffed animal and a mirror and he seems to have settled down.  Still not eating. 
Blackberry is bad off and I feel awful about it.  We stopped the Today but still gave her the pen G injection.  I have low hopes as to what I will find in the morning.  Unless there is some drastic recovery I think it would be kindest to put her to sleep when the vet comes back tomorrow.  If we did surgery on her her use as a dairy animal would be over and she isn't a papered high quality animal.  It isn't fair to keep letting her suffer.


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## Roll farms (Jun 5, 2010)

I can't really add to the other suggestions, but I wanted to let you know I understand how you feel....I'm sorry.

Hope she pulls through, but if she doesn't, you did your best.


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## HartRice (Jun 6, 2010)

This sounds just like my doe Rosie. Is it like her one side is paralyzed. I was told my doe had listeriosis. She did not make it. Lots of penicillin and lots of vitamin B injections. She continued to get worse and then somewhat better and then worse again. Her doeling is now 4 weeks old and will not take anything for us. But she will eat and drink water and she is chewing her cud. She doesn't cry at all. Actually when Rosie passed she just came out of the pen and didn't look back. I hope your doe pulls through but understand what you are saying to not want her to suffer. Good luck.


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## Horsefly (Jun 6, 2010)

Well Blackberry didnt make it.  I found her when I went out this morning.  She went down really fast, these things happen.  I guess now I need to concentrate on keeping baby alive.  We force fed him 3 or 4 oz of kid replacer around 8 this morning and will feed him again around noon when we get back from church.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jun 6, 2010)

Horsefly said:
			
		

> Well Blackberry didnt make it.  I found her when I went out this morning.  She went down really fast, these things happen.  I guess now I need to concentrate on keeping baby alive.  We force fed him 3 or 4 oz of kid replacer around 8 this morning and will feed him again around noon when we get back from church.


Sorry to hear that.


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## Henrietta23 (Jun 6, 2010)

I'm so sorry!


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## Lil-patch-of-heaven (Jun 6, 2010)

So sorry to hear about Blackberry.


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## glenolam (Jun 7, 2010)

I'm sorry to hear about your doe, and also understand your choice about declining a masectomy or expensive vet bill.

Do you have any other kids?  If so, it might be more useful to keep your buckling with the other kids and keep force feeding him.  If not, keep doing what you're doing and we'll keep you in our thoughts!


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## Horsefly (Jun 7, 2010)

Thanks everyone, this is the first goat we have lost so it was hard.  We have been force feeding baby 3-4 oz 4 times a day.  Is this enough for now?  I don't know what we will do if he never learns to suck.  It takes us at least an hour per feeding, more often an hour and a half.  He is definatly getting bigger and strong.  You can tell by the way he throws his head to get away from the bottle lol.  Any words of encouragement or tips would be wonderful.


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## cmjust0 (Jun 7, 2010)

First, make sure the milk's about 100-105 degrees..  If it's too warm or too cool, the kid will reject it.  

Something I've found to be really helpful is using an old-school thick glass soda bottle..  If you preheat the bottle (just pour it full of hot tap water and let it stand), it will hold the temperature of the milk much longer than a plastic pop bottle, which gives you more time to fight with the kid.

Also, these nipples -- for us, and several others here -- have worked the best.  There's something about them that the kids just seem to feel comfortable with.

Once the kid's on a bottle pretty reliabily, that particular nipple will pop right down over the top of a 20oz soda bottle, too..


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