# What the heck is wrong with this goat??!!?!?



## dianneS (Jan 2, 2010)

I posted another thread on here about this little goat.  She was premature and tiny when she was born.  Always been small for her age and when the cold weather kicked in, she was staggering around and shaking her head and bawling.  She got over it pretty quick and was right back to normal very soon.  She was just very sensitive to the cold.  http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2704

She has since then adjusted to the cold quite well, and seems perfectly fine.  This morning however, she was at the feed trough with the other goats.  No one touched her or anything, she was just eating and all of a sudden bawled and staggered backward about three feet, stumbled around and fell down bawling!!  I began petting her and making sure she was breathing, checking her all over.  She bawled a few times, stood up, and then wanted to go back to the feet trough like nothing was wrong!  

I took her over to the hay instead and continue to pet her and check her over.  Then she went into her little enclosed pen that only the babies can fit into.  I put some hay in there for her and she began eating it like nothing was wrong!  She's been fine ever since!  

It was like she was possessed by some unseen force the way she flew backward and fell down!  I don't know what the heck could be her problem.  She is still a baby, maybe six months old, but perfectly healthy otherwise.  What the heck is going on with her??


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## ksalvagno (Jan 2, 2010)

With her being premature and having problems, maybe she has some internal damage that just isn't visible on vet inspection. You may not even see anything with xray or CT scan or ultrasound or MRI. She may be one that you just know won't live as long as others. All you can do is keep a watch on her. I wonder if she had a seizure of some sort. Who knows.


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## freemotion (Jan 2, 2010)

Sorry, that is all I have for you..... here's another


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## dianneS (Jan 2, 2010)

I'm wondering if she isn't having some sort of GI spasm or something?  She's screamed like that in the middle of eating grain more than once before, like she was in pain all of a sudden.  She just never reacted that violently before is all.

That's the only thing I can guess.  Maybe I'll just keep her away from grain, feed lots of hay, and see what happens???


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## ksalvagno (Jan 3, 2010)

All you can do is try different things and see what happens. That is great that you are willing to keep her and find ways to keep her healthy. Great job!


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## ThornyRidge (Jan 3, 2010)

just a thought too.. check her mouth and teeth out real good..make sure nothing looks infected/abscessed or broken that could be causing pain..


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## dianneS (Jan 3, 2010)

ThornyRidge said:
			
		

> just a thought too.. check her mouth and teeth out real good..make sure nothing looks infected/abscessed or broken that could be causing pain..


I'll be sure to do that!


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## cmjust0 (Jan 4, 2010)

First thing in my mind is choke..  I've seen goats get choked up on grain before and stagger around as they juuuuuuuust about go down, and when they finally get breathing again...even the tamest of the tame...they get pretty freaked out.  I think they just get scared and have a little adrenaline rush.

Could be a tooth abcess, too I guess..  Or maybe she bit her cheek?  Only thing is, biting a cheek usually don't phase a goat and you only know if/when they get a knot, and tooth problems _generally_ affect older goats and manifest themselves in overall decline of body condition more than any acute sign of pain.


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## dianneS (Jan 4, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> First thing in my mind is choke..  I've seen goats get choked up on grain before and stagger around as they juuuuuuuust about go down, and when they finally get breathing again...even the tamest of the tame...they get pretty freaked out.  I think they just get scared and have a little adrenaline rush.
> 
> Could be a tooth abcess, too I guess..  Or maybe she bit her cheek?  Only thing is, biting a cheek usually don't phase a goat and you only know if/when they get a knot, and tooth problems _generally_ affect older goats and manifest themselves in overall decline of body condition more than any acute sign of pain.


She doesn't seem to have any tooth or mouth problems.  I'm thinking she might have briefly choked too.  That sounds just like what happened to her.  When she fell over backward I grabbed her and she seemed like she wasn't breathing, just for a few seconds though.  That was the first thing I checked her for, to see if she was breathing and I don't think she was, but within a few seconds she was fine!  I bet she choked a bit.  She probably really gobbles her food down fast since she is the first one to get pushed away from the feed by the others.  I hope that's all it is anyway!


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## dianneS (Mar 22, 2010)

It does seem that this little goat does choke from time to time, but I don't understand why?

It happens when she's scarfing down grain too fast, but this morning she even choked on some hay!

Its definitely choking that's going on, and it really scares her, she will sort of fall down, or lay down when it happens and the minute its clear, she cries.

It doesn't happen all the time, but frequently enough that it seems strange.  I just don't quite know what it is that could make this goat pre-disposed to choking, when none of the others do it?


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## cmjust0 (Mar 22, 2010)

Dunno, but we've got one that's a little choky too.  She'll be eating grain and you'll hear her start making little "mm mmm  mmmmm" noises and will sorta back off the feed.  It's common for her to slobber a little after she does that..  A couple of times we've seen her get really agitated like she couldn't breathe for a second, and she'll kinda dart around afterward and be pretty much untouchable until she gets herself worked out.  

Nobody else does it..  Just the weirdo.

That's our clinical diagnosis, too....chronic generalized weirdoism.  

ETA:  I just realized I basically already wrote this, two posts back...    It happens.


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## dianneS (Mar 22, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> Dunno, but we've got one that's a little choky too.  She'll be eating grain and you'll hear her start making little "mm mmm  mmmmm"


My little one makes that mm mmm mmmmm noise too, right before she bawls and nearly falls over!

She's so cute, I just wish this wouldn't happen to her.  Oh well, I guess she's just another wierdo!


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