# Sudden death in goat



## Mason&lily (Apr 6, 2016)

Sadly one of my does died today. We have no idea why. She has been her normal self, no scours, no loss of appetite. But when my mom went to check on them she found her under a tree just laying there. She picked up and carried her out the field. Then she passed away a few minutes later, does any one have a guess what it could be ?? As of right now we're worming all the goats we have, pulling blood from her and even take fecal samples from all the pens.


----------



## Goat Whisperer (Apr 6, 2016)

Can you get a necropsy done on her?

I am so sorry you lost her


----------



## Hens and Roos (Apr 6, 2016)

sorry for the loss


----------



## OneFineAcre (Apr 6, 2016)

One of your kids or a mature doe?


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 6, 2016)

Sorry for your loss. I hope you can determine what happened and that it's not a threat to your other animals.


----------



## norseofcourse (Apr 6, 2016)

So sorry about your doe. I hope you find out what happened.


----------



## TAH (Apr 6, 2016)

How old was she? I am sorry you lost her.


----------



## Mason&lily (Apr 8, 2016)

To have her examined it would be 350 or more. But she would be two this August.


----------



## samssimonsays (Apr 8, 2016)

If it means figuring out the cause, a necropsy may save you money in treatment and time in testing the others.


----------



## babsbag (Apr 8, 2016)

While I agree with a necropsy that is chunk of $$$. I lost two does and one kid last year. Had the second doe necropsied and it was inconclusive. I had the kid necropsied and it was also inconclusive, but *possibly* a selenium deficiency. And these were done at UC Davis. A necropsy may tell you what it isn't but doesn't always tell you what it is.


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 8, 2016)

The fact that it happened basically overnight and there's no readily identifiable cause would lead me to believe it was a "one off" and not something that would be a herd killer. Might have been genetic, or a heart attack, God only knows, but What Babs said is something to consider... That is a LOT of money with no guarantee it will tell you anything. Obviously any decision is yours to make...


----------



## maritown (Apr 8, 2016)

Wow, so sorry for your loss.  Please let us know if you found out the cause


----------



## TAH (Apr 8, 2016)

Latestarter said:


> God only knows


That is right.


----------



## babsbag (Apr 8, 2016)

Other than an extreme worm load, or cocci (it doesn't always present scours), I can't think of much else that could  go through and wipe out a herd without symptoms. Most contagious diseases present symptoms. 

A mineral deficiency could wreck havoc on a herd but if you would see signs...rough coat, bald tail tips, slow growth in kids, lower birth rates, longer labors, to name a few.

I have had 6 goats die in weird ways in 8 years. One had been sick but no vet could identify it. Started with a swollen jaw and ended with mastitis. Took her three days to die.  The next bloated and literally died in front of me. A field necrospy showed a twisted intestine, her rumen was full of probably 4 days worth of hay. One was a two day old kid, just dead.  The other three were last year. One had freshened three weeks prior and her kids were "off" and she acted depressed. Eating and drinking, but just not herself. I did not have a necropsy done. The next one was a 5 year old doe that was fine at night and dead in the morning. The other was a 4 month old kid that was laying dead in the hay feeder.   

That may seem like a lot of goats to have die but I own 40+ and have 40 kids out in the barn right now as well. It seems that if you own enough goats for long enough stuff happens. Sorry that your doe had to be one of them.


----------



## Southern by choice (Apr 8, 2016)

So sorry for your loss.


----------



## Mason&lily (Apr 9, 2016)

Thank you all , but we think she got into chicken food when she escaped and bloated from it even though she didn't look bloated when they were dragging her to her grave a horrible smell started coming from her and we told our vet and said it sounded like a bad case of bloat.


----------



## Mason&lily (Apr 9, 2016)

But some good news I purchased my first registered Nigerian dwarf doe !!! And what makes it even better she is 4 months pregnant !!!!!


----------



## TAH (Apr 9, 2016)

CONGRATS


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 9, 2016)

Fantastic! You don't have to wait 5 months  (neither do we  pics anticipated )


----------



## Mason&lily (Apr 9, 2016)

Yes i just had a doe give birth a few days ago and was a doe , so I'm really hoping my registered doe ( first freshener) has a girl too so I can keep her too!!


----------



## Mason&lily (Apr 9, 2016)

Her due date is around May 25


----------



## Hens and Roos (Apr 9, 2016)

Congrats on the new addition!


----------



## Mason&lily (Apr 9, 2016)

She is a chocolate brown with white frosted ears and nose , the woman had been trying to sell her for a year but nobody liked her Color!! I think they were crazy. She is so beautiful


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 9, 2016)

One persons coal is another's diamond. Helps to keep the world going 'round


----------



## maritown (Apr 10, 2016)

Congrats!! Pics please


----------

