# Update: bottlejaw doeling with barberpole



## Shiloh Acres (Jul 23, 2010)

Just want to post an update, since she is doing great and in searching all over the internet, I found very little information, so if this can ever help someone -- well, I'm very grateful for the help I got here that hopefully saved the doeling's life so I'm more than happy to pass it along. 

Doeling was about 5 months old, I noticed she was getting thin (along with a younger doeling that was also getting dangerously thin). I separated them and fed sweet feed and calf manna, along with loose minerals (and a handful of rabbit alfalfa pellets, which I stopped when I was advised to). It turns out they have heavy barberpole worms, and one doeling progressed to bottlejaw (on a Sunday, when everyone is closed .... Sigh). Both were almost whited-out on the eyelids. The bottlejaw doeling had been lethargic for days. 

Monday morning, the jaw swelling had gone down. I started her on Safeguard 10% suspension, 2.6mL for a 36 pound doeling. I also gave 3mL of Red Cell and Probios (about the size of 2 peas). The other doeling was 30 pounds and got the same, except her Safeguard dosage was 2.2mL. They got that treatment for 3 days, but on the 2nd and 3rd day they got 3mL Safeguard (the 30 pound doeling) and just over that for the 36 pound with bottlejaw (my syringe only measures 3mL. All of this was given orally. I upped the calf manna, cut back on the sweet feed, offered lots of fresh browse, and they are refusing minerals (I'm sure the Red Cell is taking care of that).

I also gave a little "magic" I found mentioned online. One part corn oil, one part molasses, two parts Karo syrup. I only gave a couple ounces between them on Monday and after it was suggested that it probably wasn't doing much, I started just offering a few cc's after giving meds just because the bottlejaw doeling was encouraged to suck down anything in a syringe by having it taste good sometimes. 


I am happy to report that the bottlejaw doeling pepped up within 24 hours. She ran a few paces for browse, and started becoming vocal again. The swelling could be felt very slightly in the jaw-- almost more like loose skin, for two days. In fact, I didn't realize it WAS still a slight swelling until it was gone on Thursday night. On Thursday I finally saw a little pinking to the eyelids. She seems to be on her way back. She is much more active and normal now where before she stood around quietly like a sawhorse (legs spread). 

The other doeling that had not progressed to bottlejaw is even more dramatically improved. She is VERY active and butts the food bucket around, climbs on me, is plumping up again, and eyelids are also pinking a bit. I don't worry about her at all anymore. 

My does were also whited out and thin, though acting normally, so I began the same treatment on them a day later. They are too big for me to easily dose and horned so I mix their meds into 2 oz of the "magic" and they lick the dish clean. 

The little bucks WERE good as far as eyelids, though one was a little thin, but went to white in a day's time. ALSO I'm concerned that they are getting a low dose Safeguard from the doe's milk (both stubbornly refuse to wean!) so I don't want to risk making a bad situation (re: resistance) worse and they are getting the same treatment as well.

I managed to track down 24 Levasole sheep boluses. I plan to continue the Red Cell until I'm satisfied with the bottlejaw girl's condition (she's probably the one to watch in this situation) and then get as close to an accurate weight as I can on all of them (the bucklings and does are too big to weigh) and dose them all at 1-1/2 times the sheep rate. 

I'm also keeping geese on their pasture, hoping that as many of the barberpoles clinging to the grass stalks are getting eaten by THEM 
instead. Now I hope I don't learn that barberpoles can affect geese, 
as these are ones I mean to keep long-term.

So ... That's what I've done (thanks to the folks on here -- I NEVER would have known all that on my own) and the results so far.


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## PJisaMom (Jul 23, 2010)

I'm so glad you've seen some great results thus far!  That's fantastic!

I appreciate the info and will put that in the "good to know" section of my "goating education."

I'm only two weeks or so into this thing we call "goating" and have already had more to deal with than I care to explain, but due to some really kind and caring folks on this board, we are WAY better off than we would have been had I just guessed about stuff that I was reading.  (Special thanks to Roll and CM... awwwww... )

Keep us posted and I hope all continues to go well!


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## ksalvagno (Jul 23, 2010)

Glad to hear your goats are getting better.


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## Roll farms (Jul 23, 2010)




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## Shiloh Acres (Jul 24, 2010)

Thanks everyone!

I'm still new to this too, but really enjoying it. I've had to deal with a few "issues" too LOL -- I don't always post since often someone has already asked the same question. But I'm glad to have the goats. They're such characters, and the milk is particularly of benefit to me, health- wise. Though I don't know if I'll still have milk once this is over. I'm not milking the does since I feel they need to build themselves up. The kids have not weaned anyway, so I MAY be able to pick back up, if they don't taper off too much. 

I certainly don't want to come off as a know-it-all, since all I really didn't know at all what to do!  I'm afraid the vets and feed-store owners wouldn't have helped much either, judging by the advice I got from them. And the county ag agent hasn't even bothered to call me back (regarding soil minerals).

I have to offer special thanks to cmjust, roll, and ksalvagno as well as several others, and donnabelle gor having asked questions I needed answers to. Just hate to mention a list since I'm sure I'm leaving off some who really helped. 

What cmjust said on another post -- maybe paraphrased: goat people are great!


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## cmjust0 (Jul 27, 2010)

Shiloh said:
			
		

> It turns out they have heavy barberpole worms, and one doeling progressed to bottlejaw (on a Sunday, when everyone is closed .... Sigh). Both were almost whited-out on the eyelids. The bottlejaw doeling had been lethargic for days.





			
				Shiloh Acres said:
			
		

> I'm still new to this too, *but really enjoying it.*


And right there it is, folks, laid out in black and white...plain as day...that's what goat addiction looks like.

Note to the lurker:  If you've made your way to this forum because you're thinking about getting goats and you just read that and thought...man...I dunno how anybody could _enjoy_ engaging in a _seemingly perpetual battle_ to bring animals back from the brink of death...GO GET A DOG.

You'll be much, much happier in the long run.

Seriously.


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## jodief100 (Jul 27, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> Note to the lurker:  If you've made your way to this forum because you're thinking about getting goats and you just read that and thought...man...I dunno how anybody could _enjoy_ engaging in a _seemingly perpetual battle_ to bring animals back from the brink of death...GO GET A DOG.
> 
> You'll be much, much happier in the long run.
> 
> Seriously.


Dr. Pinkerton (The Goat Man) has a pamphlet on getting started in goats.  The first paragraph goes something like this. 
If you think you want to get goats, put a cold compress on your forehead and go lie down in a dark room and rest.  Maybe this crazy notion will pass


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## Shiloh Acres (Jul 27, 2010)

LOL!!!


Ok, I deserve that I guess. Actually I think I'm addicted to farming in general. I enjoy goats in spite of barberpoles, chickens in spite of predatrs, growing tomatoes in spite of hornworms, rabbits inspire of endlessly having to cool them down, and on and on. Yup, I'd say I'm addicted. Or seriously out of my mind. 

Funny thing is that I've been pondering your comparing goat ownership to an abusive relationsip on another thread, cmjust, and I think maybe you hitthe nail on the head


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## cmjust0 (Jul 27, 2010)

Enjoying this kinda stuff isn't healthy...I'm convinced that, deep down, it actually points to a character flaw.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jul 27, 2010)

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.

- Confucius


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## Shiloh Acres (Jul 27, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> Enjoying this kinda stuff isn't healthy...I'm convinced that, deep down, it actually points to a character flaw.


LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!



And THANK YOU, N Smith for that quote. I'll happily accept that. I think we all should, since we are apparently sharing the same boat!


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Jul 27, 2010)




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