# Goat attacked by dog now won't stand. Help please



## plasticpumpkinfarm

The rest of the herd is recovering well- except for one doe. She's about a year and a half old. She sustained several superficial injuries- bite marks to top of neck, upper front leg, also scratched there. A few scratches on her side. no visible injuries to hind legs. She was knocked down- the ground was quite slippery and there was mud on her and on her bell she wears on her collar. The attack happened in the middle of the night and we were unaware of it till feeding time in the morning. When I found her she was standing with the others in their stall. All looking quite shaken. She didn't favor any leg and there was no bleeding. They ate and drank and she laid down and got up several times. Getting up looked painful. Her haunches trembled but she managed it unassisted. I washed and treated all wounds and gave some pain relief,immune support and probos. The next day she had laid down off to the side where the other goats won't bump/step on her and seems to plan on staying there. She eats and drinks well and greets me with her normal meh not the i'm hurt sounding one. I tried helping her stand and at first it seemed like her foreleg hurt her and she didn't want to put weight on it to stand. So I let her rest again today I tried to help her stand and one back leg definitely is bothering her she held it out and won't but any weight on it. I've replaced the hay under her but I can't completely lift her on my own to check the front and back legs at the same time. It's been 3 going on 4 days since the attack happened. The local vet won't see her and the one several hours away is out of state right now. I felt her legs and nothing feels wrong. Any suggestions?Ideas?Thanks!


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## freemotion

Could she be developing an infection that you can't see?  Can you take her temp?

How awful for you!    I've never experienced this with my goats, I can hardly imagine how horrible it was to find them like that.


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## Roll farms

I would probably be giving her some Pen G to help ward off infection and speed healing.
Definitely get her temp taken like Free said. 
If she's not UTD (w/in 6 mos) of her CDT, I'd be giving her tetanus antitoxin.
That and supportive care are all you can do w/out a vet.


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## warthog

I am so sorry to hear this, hope she gets better soon


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## Ariel301

My first two thoughts are--neurological--if she fell, she may have hit her head or her spine and done some damage there. It would be a bit odd for that not to show up right away though. Second--tetanus. I just lost a goat to this, and early symptoms are stiffness in the legs and not wanting to walk. If it's neurological, there's really not anything you can do without a vet. I would check around to see if any store has some tetanus antitoxin available if she's not up to date on her tetanus vaccine (and maybe even if she is, the shot isn't 100% effective, and the only real hope in treating it is getting the antitoxin in her early enough.) 

A shot of antibiotic wouldn't be a bad idea if you haven't already done it. Dog bites can be dirty.

And something else just occurred to me...rabies. If a dog attacked them during the night, and you never caught the dog, it's always a risk. Did any other goats get bite wounds?


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## plasticpumpkinfarm

Thanks everyone.
I will take her temp again tomorrow. It was normal initially but infection takes a while to develop. 
Her last tetanus was over 6 months ago but I'm ordering more and will order pen g too- hopefully it will be here in time. I only have LA200 right now.
Another a young buck was bitten too but he is well on his way to 100% Our other young buck was killed. Our other doe was untouched- not sure how she managed that. Definitely no rabies. We know which dogs it was and did catch them -they woke us a about 2am we just didn't know they had attacked the goats. That was a first for us. I'd estimate the dogs weight at 50 lbs. I'm wondering what type of injury would happen if she was jumped on and knocked down and her hind leg extended out behind her. Could a torn or strained muscle cause her not to stand? I think her front right leg and hind left leg are bothering her. Neither is swollen or feels warm. She just doesn't want to stand on them. I don't think anything is dislocated either especially since she was able to get up and down the first day.


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## ksalvagno

Do you have Banamine? That is a pain reliever/fever reducer that is Rx. Used at 1cc per 100 lbs. It can really help if for nothing else than to make her feel more comfortable.


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## Ariel301

Torn or badly strained muscles could indeed make her not want to get up and be hard to find by feeling. That would be a much better problem to have than the other ones I mentioned, that heals pretty well without much treatment. I would second the Banamine, so she won't be hurting as much.


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## SDGsoap&dairy

This is exactly the reason it drives me CRAZY when I see loose dogs in our area and why we recently added our first LGD pup.  They'll probably get sick of hearing from me but ever since we got livestock I never hesitate to call the local animal control.  It's good you were able to ID the dogs!

I'm sorry to hear about your doe and hope she gets better!


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## plasticpumpkinfarm

I can't get any banamine as it requires a vet prescription. I do have owe-ese (from molly's herbals @ fiasco farm which I have been using ) and I have some rimadyl left over from when my dog was spayed. But I don't know if goats can have rimadyl or what the dosage would be.
My initial thought was muscle strain & bruising but then she didn't want to get up and I started worrying about what else it could e ie fracture etc.
If it is indeed muscle strain/torn or I guess even if not- Should I leave her lying down? She is up on her brisket not on her side. I've been lifting her as much as I can to replace the hay under her every day. Wouldn't encouraging her to stand strain the muscles more? I don't want her to loose strength from not getting up and I wonder about circulation too. I might be able to manage to get her up onto a bale on hay. Good idea or not? And how long should I leave her there? An hour or two? All day? Or should I just let her lie down till she feels ready? I have noticed she shows an interest in getting up when the grain arrives (I've given her her own dish so she doesn't strain herself).
Also would any supplement/vitamin help her heal faster? They have minerals available 24/7.
Thanks soo much


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## freemotion

How does she do once you lift her up?  Can she stand or move at all, or does she fall if you let go?


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## plasticpumpkinfarm

Well I can only lift her front half or back half at a time.... She did hold her back half up, while I put hay under her, after I lifted her and got her feet under her. But she did not stand and I couldn't get her standing by lifting her front after her back side was up. She doesn't like it tho. And I helped her back down so she was situated right (not with a leg stuck under her etc) She just want to lie there and be served LOL. She eats well and seems to otherwise be in good spirits-in that regard she has improved, she no longer has that look in her eye if you know what I mean.


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## freemotion

Just thinking out loud here, as I've never dealt with anything like this....It is good that she is brighter and eating well.  At this point, I think I'd get some help and see what happens if you get her up and steady her a bit....use the grain to encourage her, too.  Can you get two sturdy people to help?  One on each end and you encouraging her with the grain and rewarding her when she gets up?  She may not know that she can now move.

I did have a pygmy doe go mysteriously 3-legged lame a few years ago (I think my crippled old horse accidentally kicked her while struggling to get up one day) and the vet couldn't find anything wrong ($330 later :/ ).  He then assumed it was either a dislocated hip or torn ligaments and that after 2 weeks with NO improvement, she was permanently lame.  Around the three week point I gave her some of my supplements that are very anti-inflammatory and she put the leg down the next day, and very quickly we could no longer tell which leg it was.  I think she'd gotten into the habit of being lame and never tested to see if it was now ok...or it was stiff and sore when she lay down and she was discouraged by that to not try it.  Healing often takes place with movement (some exceptions!)

So I'd probably want to encourage a tiny bit of movement to see what happens.


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## plasticpumpkinfarm

My husband says he'll be able to lift her I just have to have him not off working to do it  
I tried to help her some more and she is lame in more than one leg- two possibly three. She holds her hind leg very stiff and in an forward tuck in position by her hip, near her knee she hold it bent and if I straighten out her foot I can feel the muscles running up her leg tremble. I have to arrange this leg for her when she lies back down. While I had her rear end up I tried to help her stand- her front leg on the same side tried to bear her weight but trembled a lot and became very stiff.she also started letting me know it hurt.Once I bent it back like she has it laying down she was fine. I can feel and see her tremble. She tries to get up when I'm lifting her but can't. 
How long before I'll if she be able to get up again? I don't want to give up on her too soon but I can't have a goat that can't move.
freemotion- what kind of supplement did you use? what did your vet suggest when he thought it could have been torn ligament or dislocated hip?


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## Emmetts Dairy

Im sorry your girls down...thats terrible!!   

How bout some plain old asprin??  It might help. (1)  325mg per 10 pounds. I might help for pain relief and inflamtion??

Good luck with her...darn dogs!!!


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## Ariel301

I've seen dogs and horses continue to act lame in a healed leg because they were too scared to try it out again after it had hurt. It doesn't sound like the case with this doe though, I'd think all the pulling her around and trying to get her up would annoy her enough to make her try to get away if she was able to. 

It really sounds like time to call in a vet on this one and get some x-rays. Why won't the vet see her?


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## warthog

This might sound silly, but if this is a muscle/ligament problem, would some good old fashioned muscle rub help????

I've never been in this situation before with a goat, so I don't know, just thinking out loud


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## freemotion

plasticpumpkinfarm said:
			
		

> How long before I'll if she be able to get up again? I don't want to give up on her too soon but I can't have a goat that can't move.
> freemotion- what kind of supplement did you use? what did your vet suggest when he thought it could have been torn ligament or dislocated hip?


I'd certainly give her more time, but.....she needs to move around sometime soon to be healthy.  My vet shrugged and had no advice.  He said that there was no effective treatment for either scenario, but that she could live her life with a mechanical lameness and that the pain should subside over time....she might just be on three legs for the rest of her life.  He had no other suggestions or recommendations.

I gave her big doses of two antioxidants that I take, OPC-3 and ORAC.  If you have something like homemade elderberry anything, (jam, wine, etc, or straight elderberries or juice....I know it is a longshot, but I happen to have all three right now!   but I am aware that I am a bit strange.....) that is also very high in the antioxidants and hence anti-inflammatory.  I dosed her morning and night, and after the third dose she put the leg down and never looked back.  I doubt it would've been so miraculous on day one, or even on day four....but there was no doubt in my mind that it reduced inflammation and made her comfortable enough to TRY bearing weight, and healing followed.

It sounds like your goat is much worse.  Mine obviously had neither ligament tearing nor hip dislocation.  Give your girl more time and if you can get anti-inflammatories into her, I'd do so.  Either medical or natural....my gut leads me to medical at least at first because of the severity and the acuteness, but that has its own problems, so I'd go natural after 2-3 days if possible.

If you know anyone who has some serious show horses, they usually have a vial of Banamine in their medical fridge.  I always did, along with a variety of drugs and prescription supplies.  I did a lot of treatments on the horses myself after a consultation with the vet over the phone....they were 60 miles away and got to know and trust my descriptions.  So you might find someone in the horse industry willing to help you out with that.

Understand that I am really guessing so take this with a large grain of salt....


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## freemotion

warthog said:
			
		

> This might sound silly, but if this is a muscle/ligament problem, would some good old fashioned muscle rub help????
> 
> I've never been in this situation before with a goat, so I don't know, just thinking out loud


As a massage therapist and instructor....not yet.  While it is in the acute phase and there is no diagnosis, more damage could be done.  If there is tearing of the soft tissues or a fracture, massage is contraindicated.  I wish I could give some useful tips, but I can't at this time.

Even as a very experienced therapist, I'd want a diagnosis before working on the area.  If it were my own goat and I had no other recourse, I'd probably do some very careful palpation and movement evaluation...but with extreme caution and with assistance.  I have the added advantage of being married to a man who is also a massage therapist and instructor who specializes in remedial and rehabilitative sports massage.  If we were closer, we'd run right over and observe her, for what its worth. :/  At least give you a hug....


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## Calliopia

One of my girls was down earlier this year after a move. We thing she twisted her leg during transport.   Couldn't put ANY weight on it and wouldn't stand up for grain, treats, anything. She was just completely flat with her head in my lap. It was heartbreaking. 

My phone consult with the vet ended in giving her a good dose of aspirin with a promise of Banamine if she wasn't improving in the morning. (this was at 10:30 at night) 

She was limping around for about a week but keeping her on pain medication seemed to make a HUGE difference in her willingness to try the leg and work out the soreness/stiffness.


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## elevan

I'm sorry I don't have anything useful to add - just wanted to send you a  

I lost one of my first goats to a dog attack.  It was awful.  I hope your girl gets better soon!


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## aggieterpkatie

I don't really have any advice to add either, except to make sure she's staying sternal (not flopping over on her side).  I gave one of my favorite ewes to a nearby sheep breeder when I quit 4-H.  The breeder put her right in with the flock during breeding season (hindsight is 20/20) and the ram broadsided her and rolled her a few times.  She never did get up.    She was alert and eating, but couldn't walk.  I really hope your girl gets up! It's hard feeling like you can't do anything for them.


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## warthog

How's she doing today?


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## freemotion

Yeah, how is she?


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## ChksontheRun

I third that question.  How is she today.  I have been thinking about you all day wondering if she made any progress.....Thoughts are with you!


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## plasticpumpkinfarm

Thanks for your thoughts! 
Well I got her up onto a bale of hay (the bale between her legs so it would support her. She keeps pulling herself forward only using her knees (she doesn't want weight below her knees; one knee in particular seems taunt and really trembles if she does) which leads to her lying down- sometimes with her rear still in the air. I kept putting her back but I can't do that all day (I have toddlers and one on the way and she's pretty heavy). Her hind leg seems the worst - she still holds it up it also feels taunt in comparison to her one good leg. Still no temp nor does any area feel hot or swollen. . I don't want to strain muscles that are strained but i also know not using muscles will make them even worse when you do try. I gently put pressure on her legs all over and she still gives no indication of pain- just when it comes to bearing her weight and her range of movement is tight/easily leads to the trembling. 
Other than that she remains on her stern, eats and drinks well up on the bale or lying down and is good spirits. If she was standing I'd think she was 100%
No elderberry on hand- I have lots of blueberries which are high in antioxidants. Would the aspirin be ground up and diluted? Or could I try tricking her in to just eating them?


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## ChksontheRun

Try putting them in a tiny piece of marshmallo.  I have a friend that uses marshmallos to dose her goats with all kinds of things.  Just a tiny piece.  Enough to hide the aspirin.  That is assuming she likes marshamallos


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## Roll farms

From what I understand, the marshmallow doesn't dissolve right away.  I wouldn't use it to dose anything they need fast, like a pain killer.

I've used liquid ibuprofin for (human kids) on injured or feverish goats before, but don't use it long term as it can cause liver damage.  
A dose or two shouldn't hurt, though.  I've used it for up to 3 days w/out issues.  Use at the rate of 2x the human dose (if a 50# human dose is 3 tsp, you'd use 6 tsp for a 50# goat.)

Aspirin dosage is 1 - 325mg tablet per 10-15# of goat...


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## Emmetts Dairy

I personally use Asprin..as stated 1 325 mg per 10 lbs.  I disolve in hot water and add molasses.  Give orally. She should drink it just fine with the molasses it.  Make sure its pure Asprin.  No Tylenol etc..

I hope she gets better soon!! 

You can also use baby asprin..same dose as above..whatever you have.  

But as stated ibuprophen and tylenol can be rough on thier stomachs and not good for their livers...and can only be used for a couple of days.

So asprin is always better if you have it...

I would not recomend marshmallows either..as stated..it dos'nt dissolve fast enough and your trying to administer pain medication..you dont want to wait for it to break down...in my opinion.


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## MrsCountryChick

I have no experience with a downed goat.... but oddly enough my parents had a cat that happened to be stepped or maybe kicked on by one of the horses & was in aweful shape. No outward signs of injury...no bleeding,etc. But was barely walkin on his hind legs. dragging one leg something aweful. So off to the vet he went....after x-rays the vet was amazed at how bad his condition was. He had a fully crushed hip & back leg. The vet said it was in too many pieces to even surgically repair. The only decisions were to euthanize him or take him home keep him confined (in a dog crate) & let him try to recover on his own. He was a beloved outside cat, so 'wait & see' is what Mom decided to do. Miraculously after a few wks he did start to put weight on it & the ultimate end result was him walking with weight on it, he just had an odd gate. And almost skip/galloped instead of running. But he lived a long & happy life.  It's amazing how just 'time' let his many bone fragments heal. Not that this pertains to a goat, just wanted to add a amazing story of animal healing.


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## ChksontheRun

How is she doing?  Has she started getting up on her own.  Sure hope she is doing better!


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## plasticpumpkinfarm

She still doesn't want to stand on her own. She still pulls herself forward on her front knees and only stands on her one hind leg. Getting her up on that bale is hard enough but then I have to keep adjusting her back every five ten minutes so shes not up very long each day.


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## freemotion

Oh, poo. :/


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