# Nubian doeling coughing up white foam-HELP!!



## NubianNerd (Jul 28, 2009)

I was feeding one of my month old doelings some grain, and all of a sudden she started coughing and making a chewing motion. Every time she coughed, white foam came out of her mouth. Sometimes she spat it out, others she kept chewing. She is very distressed and keeps calling for her mom.
What on earth is she doing? How can I help her? What's going on?
Some other factors: her mom just got wormed, it's almost ninety degrees out(at 8 in the morning!), yesterday it hit 105, she doesn't seem dehydrated,and...I don't know what else, I forgot to check her eyelids, but she's too young to have adult worms in her system, right?


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## cmjust0 (Jul 28, 2009)

Right off the bat, I'd say call a vet if you haven't already..  I've heard of goats that foam at the mouth, but I wouldn't take any chances -- especially if she's distressed.  She may have just gotten a little choked up, but it's better safe than sorry.

Two things that come to mind are bloat and acidosis..  

Bloat can cause them to foam, as can acidosis..  Both are bad, but the good news is that sodium bicarb works for both.  If I were you -- while I were waiting for a vet to either come out or call back -- I'd be drenching her with as much baking soda as you can get dissolved into 60cc's of water.  

But that's just me and I'm not a vet!


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## helmstead (Jul 28, 2009)

Golly...

She's choked!  Do chest percussions and hope she doesn't aspirate.  This can kill.


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## cmjust0 (Jul 28, 2009)

I should say...IF THE GOAT'S NOT CHOKED, I'd drench her with baking soda..

Obviously, don't drench her if she's choked..


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## NubianNerd (Jul 28, 2009)

Okay, I just sort of encouraged breathing the same way that you do in newborn kids, by rubbing them all over-I'm sorry, I feel bad, I don't know what chest percussions are. Sounds like you hit them on the chest?
She's stopped with the whole foam thing, but is still a little shaky and not as active as the others. OF course she could be slowing down since the temp just hit 97. 
The foam was sort of mucus-y.


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## helmstead (Jul 28, 2009)

Yep this was a classic choke.  Mine do it occasionally, esp on their alfalfa pellets.

I usually hang them by the hind legs, swing, and yes, rap them smartly on the ribcage.  Also, use a bulb syringe to suck out what mucos you can.

She isn't going to feel well...you're lucky she didn't seize.  Choke can get nasty fast, and it makes you certainly feel helpless.

After a bad choke, I recommend a round of Pen G and Vet Rx to avoid pneumonia.


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## NubianNerd (Jul 28, 2009)

Thank you, I will remember this. Is there any way to present the grain that this won't happen? The funny thing was, today was the first day for grain, I'd been doing alfalfa pellets before this.


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## helmstead (Jul 28, 2009)

If there is a trick, it's not to let them get hungy enough to want to bolt their feed.  I imagine she thought that grain was yummy and bolted it. 

I've had two bucklings that were just prone to choke, no matter how I fed them they bolted the pellets.  One of them had the worst episode I've seen, which lasted 30 mins, and he nearly passed out several times.  Scared me to death, and I'm surprised I didn't lame him swinging him around.  Then I sit on pins and needles for awhile afterward hoping aspiration pneumonia doesn't set it.  Ugh.


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## cmjust0 (Jul 28, 2009)

Apparently I missed the "all of a sudden" part..  For some reason, I had it in my head that this was just something you noticed her doing at feeding time..  :/

Had to go back and re-read the original post, because I was about to say that muscle tremors and dullness are also both classic signs of acidosis..

Sheesh..

Glad Helmstead got it figured out..


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## ksalvagno (Jul 28, 2009)

What about feeding her by herself. Then putting her feed in a very large flat bottomed  bowl that you can put large rocks in. Then put the feed around the rocks. She will be forced to eat slower because the grain is not in a pile and she has to get around the rocks.

What about a shot of Banamine for the choke too? There may be some swelling in the esophagus.


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