# Help Making a Goat Sling



## mydakota

About 2 weeks ago I was given a very sick buck goat. I had used him as a stud for my does the previous year and he had been healthy and beautiful.   When he got here this year, he was sickly and pitiful.  I put him into isolation and instead of using him for breeding, I decided to try instead to help him feel better.  At that point, I just thought he needed a comprehensive deworming and a lot of groceries.  (the backstory I had been given supported that theory).  One thing led to another, and it became apparent that he had a whole host of health problems that were going to require more comprehensive care than I could give alone.  I called the owner and discussed this with her.  It was determined in this conversation that a vet really needed to be involved, and she was not going to do that, but that if I wanted to do that, she would relinquish ownership and I could have him.  This is the course we took.  ( I have a lengthy history of fostering for an equine rescue and lots of experience rehabbing horses, but am new to goats having only had them a couple of years)   I called my vet out.  This poor buck had lice, stomach worms, coccidiosis, and severe anemia. The vet said that if I had not called her the day I did, he would have been dead by morning.  That night, he received a blood transfusion from one of my fat, healthy does, and we have since cleaned out the worms, lice, and cocci. His gums have begun to pink up. He is bright, alert, and seems much more comfortable.  However, he still cannot stand up. My vet warned of developing neuropathy, and we have been trying very hard to help him up and massage his legs each day, but he is a big boy, I am NOT a big woman, and we are not getting an adequate job done of this, I am sure.  I think it would be helpful to get him up and supported by a sling for an hour or so each day so that I can massage his legs and try to get his blood flow going again and help him regain his strength and control of his legs.  Have any of you ever made a goat sling? What would your advice be for me?  Have you ever had a goat be down for a long time and what did you do to help him regain his strength?  

This bucks anemia was severe.  My vet said that a normal count would have been 35, and his was 14.  He really was deathly ill.  She also said that it is normal for him to be weak, and that he will probably only regain red blood cells at a rate of 1 to 2 % a day, so it will be a lengthy process.  I am all right with doing supportive therapy for a lengthy period of time, but I really think it is in his best interest to be up each day--if only for  a brief time.  I just have NO idea how to fashion a sling.  This is a big Boer buck, who in his prime was probably 250 lbs.  He is lighter than that now, but still bigger than I am.  I could sure use some suggestions.  Be basic with you info--I am a greenie who is new to goats.  I do have some experience doing supportive care for horses though. 

In the interest of helping him recover his red blood cell count, he is receiving Red Cell, Nutradrench, and B12.  He is also receiving daily probiotics to help him recover from the massive amount of chemicals/antibiotics he received while treating the cocci and worms. 

This is Buckwheat


----------



## mydakota

Buckwheat one year ago.









Buckwheat upon his arrival here this year





Before he went down.  Notice how his butt has wasted away.





He couldn't stay warm, so I bought him a new coat.  He is a mere shadow of the buck he was before.  Last year he gave us 5 beautiful babies.


----------



## Stacykins

My goodness, what happened with the person who owned him before? Do they just not believe in treating a sick animal? How could they let his condition get SO bad that he is like a walking skeleton? The pictures from last year almost look like a completely different goat! I hope with your TLC he pulls though, and I wish I could offer advise on how to make a sling to get him on his feet.


----------



## SheepGirl

We had a ewe with meningeal worm once. She had the ones that affect the spine (not the brain). So what my neighbor did was to take a weigh sling (like this) and tie a heavy duty rope to it and hang her from the rafters, about an inch or so above the ground. Both he and his grown son had to pull her up; she weighed about 160 lbs. Then they would tie the rope to the pen wall (made with wood and securely attached to the concrete floor). I wish I had pictures; this was about 3.5 years ago. Unfortunately the ewe did not survive, but the sling did get her up off her feet for a few hours each day.


----------



## SmallFarmGirl

prayers sent your way


----------



## ksalvagno

Too bad you can't do hydrotherapy. That would be the perfect solution. What about belly straps from a chute? Here is a chute with belly straps: http://lightlivestockequipment.com/chutes.php   Might be more pricey than you want to spend but hopefully will give you some ideas.

It really is wonderful of you to take this boy on. I give you a lot of credit. The previous owner should be shot for letting an animal get that bad. I bet she has lots of animals die on her farm and she thinks nothing of it.


----------



## mydakota

I take in fosters on a pretty regular basis, so this is not new for me.  My husband calls it "her only vice" .  Usually they are horses though.  I am more comfortable when it is a horse, because then I at least feel like I know what I am doing.  I feel a little like I am flying blind here.  I have a good vet though, and will continue to involve her as necessary. The original owner has a herd of Boer does, and a herd of Nigerian Dwarves--none of which look like this guy does.  Her goats do not live on her place, and I think she was unaware of how bad this guy had gotten.  After the vet call in which we did the transfusion, I did call  her and tell her what all he had "in the interest of getting your girls looked after".  So hopefully she is acting on that.  She seemed genuinely surprised at what all was wrong with him.  I am not making excuses for not noticing how pitiful he looked, but she did do the right thing and relinquish him so that I could seek care for him legally.  For that I am grateful.  Since her does all look significantly better, I am assuming he picked at least some of this stuff up while he was out on a breeding lease.  I don't know.  It amazes me what people fail to notice sometimes. 

Here is a head shot from a year ago that I think shows his head/face marking as evidence that it really is the same goat.


----------



## mydakota

That sheep sling looks like it has  promise, and isn't too expensive.  I don't have him in the barn.  He is out back in an isolation pet that only has a calf hutch for shelter--so no rafters.  I could maybe suspend him from a tractor bucket though?


----------



## ksalvagno

mydakota said:
			
		

> That sheep sling looks like it has  promise, and isn't too expensive.  I don't have him in the barn.  He is out back in an isolation pet that only has a calf hutch for shelter--so no rafters.  I could maybe suspend him from a tractor bucket though?


Don't see why not. Whatever works!


----------



## SuburbanFarmChic

I would say there is probably a chance he is also selenium and copper deficient which can have a huge impact on their health. Especially muscle tone.   In what the vet did was there a blood analysis done to see what his mineral levels were?


----------



## mydakota

SuburbanFarmChic said:
			
		

> I would say there is probably a chance he is also selenium and copper deficient which can have a huge impact on their health. Especially muscle tone.   In what the vet did was there a blood analysis done to see what his mineral levels were?


Yes, as well as to determine if he was in or near organ failure.  All of that was remarkably close to normal. If anything had shown up in the blood work to indicate that he would be unable to recover, we would not have proceeded with the transfusion and instead would have euthed.  It all looked much better than either the vet or myself expected it to.  I feed a loose, free choice mineral supplement that is made locally and formulated by a local equine veterinary specialist who also happens to be a meat goat producer.  It is a very good product.  Supposedly, the original owner uses that supplement also, so he had access prior to coming here as well as when he got here.


----------



## coliver

For a sling we took a Cloth firewood lugger (a peace of can-vice that has a leather handle at each end) and use that you just might have to re enforce the handles better.


----------



## mydakota

Okay, I think for now, this is the plan.  We are going to hang the bucket of the tractor over the fence near the opening of the calf hutch.  We are going to suspend a vehicle tow trap (with a nice strong hook on the end) from the bucket.  I am going to fashion a sling from 2 neoprene cinches connected with a cinch hobble. (hope this is still not too big) Then going to unhook the calf hutch from the tethering stakes on the left side and just sort of pop the top on it, get the cinches under Buckwheats girth somehow, and then walk him out and hang him up by the tow strap suspended from the tractor bucket.  Sure hope it is not a train wreck.  Sure hope it does him some good.


----------



## currycomb

and maybe a cinch or breatcollar around his chest and rear to keep him from falling out of the sling.


----------



## KellyHM

I treated an alpaca with severe anemia due to worms once.  She was down for 2 weeks.  We filled up a huge feed tub with water twice a day and put her in it, basically hydro therapy.  At fist she would barely move her legs, but got stronger and stronger every time we did it.  Within a week she was back on her feet and going home.


----------



## mydakota

I am sure that hydrotherapy would help him.  I am just not sure how to safely accomplish that given our winter time temps around here.  We had several days last week that barely made it to 30, and nights in the single digits.  I am afraid I would freeze him to death.


----------



## KellyHM

mydakota said:
			
		

> I am sure that hydrotherapy would help him.  I am just not sure how to safely accomplish that given our winter time temps around here.  We had several days last week that barely made it to 30, and nights in the single digits.  I am afraid I would freeze him to death.


That's true.  I'm in FL so I don't have to worry wbout that as much.


----------



## Solar7762

Hi. I'm new to this forum and actually found it doing a google search for a goat sling. I have received a 5 year old Boer doe from neighbors that kidded 5 weeks ago. She was Hypocalcemic and unfortunately never received calcium. Long-story-short she's been down for at least 3 weeks. When I brought her home, she was 99.8 degrees, about half her normal weight and leaving. She's still extremely weak. But, through my efforts and her fortitude I have her now maintaining a normal temp, eating and drinking on her own and her front legs - which were fixed bent - are now almost able to be fully straightened. I've achieved this in part by resting her over a bale 3 - 4 times a day for about 20 minutes a session, stretching and massaging. But, I need to get her suspended or I think we're not going to be able to progress. As she gains weight, I'm not going to be able to continue to lift her onto the bale. I'd sure like to know if your sling worked and how the sweet Mister is doing. 

Thanks very much.  :/


----------



## Solar7762

I'll try to post a photo. Haven't done this before, so bear with me. This should be Chai over the bale with a niece for company. I have the bottle babies from the farm she came from.


----------



## Solar7762

Wow. It worked. Here's a different view with her daughter in the background. Unfortunately, a sibling was left inside and died during overnight delivery. This is one lucky, survivor doe. I really want to get her through this. (For a chuckle, "Poly", pronounced "Polly", is short for Polypropylene)


----------

