# Goat with weak back legs!!!  Help!!!



## Alison

I have a three one-half year old doe, kidded in March.  Came out this morning and she's weak in her back end.  Temp 101.4, eating, pooping, urinating ok. Gums fine.  Udder fine, in fact I think she's drying up.  Hadn't wormed her for awhile, but did this morning with oral ivermectin.  Gets a little goat/sheep feed at night.  Forages the yard and hay barn during the day.

Had her tested for CAE last year and negative.  Took the buckling another farm for disbud and neuter.  Not sure about their CAE status.  

I'll give her a B shot and worm her again tomorrow.  I'm really hoping its worms or B deficiency.  

Any other thoughts?


----------



## TAH

Alison said:


> I have a three one-half year old doe, kidded in March.  Came out this morning and she's weak in her back end.  Temp 101.4, eating, pooping, urinating ok. Gums fine.  Udder fine, in fact I think she's drying up.  Hadn't wormed her for awhile, but did this morning with oral ivermectin.  Gets a little goat/sheep feed at night.  Forages the yard and hay barn during the day.
> 
> Had her tested for CAE last year and negative.  Took the buckling another farm for disbud and neuter.  Not sure about their CAE status.
> 
> I'll give her a B shot and worm her again tomorrow.  I'm really hoping its worms or B deficiency.
> 
> Any other thoughts?


@Southern by choice @Goat Whisperer @babsbag @OneFineAcre


----------



## Latestarter

Just throwing it out there: Might be minerals in general... maybe copper/selenium deficiency? Aside from hair loss, isn't leg/rear weakness a possible indicator? Does she have access to free choice minerals (for goats specifically, not sheep/goats)? Or she could just be overall weak from nursing and not getting enough protein/nutrients. If she's been nursing and only getting a little bit of feed, the hay and forage may not be enough for her to maintain. How is her overall body condition? 

We now return you to the experienced and more knowledgeable goat owners; tagged above


----------



## Alison

She's got one of those mineral licks.

Anyone use vita ject B and know the dosage?


----------



## Southern by choice

Can you better describe what you mean when you say weak in back legs? Pics are always good.

On a side note you just threw a dewormer at her without knowing what worms you are targeting and no other info. This is VERY bad practice to start. I will expand later.

There are many things that could be going on but without a better understanding it is hard to help. Can she walk normal, ard the legs dragging? Feet? Etc.

Meningeal worm can cause paralysis but a dewormer isn't enough... *EDITED due to ERROR- 
Corrected below*.Other typical goat parasites do not cause this so deworming blindly is a bad idea.

Could be deficiency as well.

Have you checked hooves? Hooves can cause issues of all sorts.


----------



## Alison

She's shaky.  She can walk, but her back is humped and legs are shaky.  Temp is 101.8 just now.  Could it be udder related?  Like mastitis?

What about a B injection?


----------



## Alison

Oh, hooves are ok.


----------



## Alison




----------



## Alison




----------



## Southern by choice

LEt me correct myself... I was putting too many things together I mentioned anti- biotics this is NOT for meningeal worn... it would be for Listeria etc... I am working in the heat... not paying attention to what I typed...
Dex would be for MW.

I just stepped in and headed back out will be in later and check back.


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Whats the weather like? Although the temp is still in the normal range, it would be lower then I would expect here in hot NC! 

Have you looked at her eyelids? A fecal would be better to monitor parasites. 

You say she's drying up, have you been milking her? How often? Have you been trying to dry her off? 

She looks thin, has she been underweight or has she suddenly starting losing it?

I would start upping her calcium. Do you have alfalfa? If you don't have something like a calcium drench, start giving her some TUMS.
It may not be milk fever (hypocalcaemia) but it shouldn't hurt her.


----------



## Alison

Gave her the B injection and she's up running around.  

So, is that something I should routinely give all the animals?  She doesn't eat differently than anyone else, so why would she have the deficiency?


----------



## Alison

The weather has been all over the place.  It was hot, and then it cooled down and rained the past few days.  We had lightening this morning.  I originally thought maybe she was scared and that's why she was shaking.

Yes, she is thin.  I thought that was due to lactating.  Both girls look that way.  The one that lost a baby and I solely milk has more weight on her.

I don't milk this doe.  She had twins, so I just let them at it.  They have seemed less interested and her udder has been smaller the past few weeks.  That's why I thought she was drying up.

She now access to alfalfa in the barn during the day.  I just got a load.  I'll start feeding her more.  Before that it was grass hay and forage around the yard.

You know, they also get into the chicken run and eat the chicken pellets during the day sometimes.  I'm not sure what's in that or whether its bad for goats...  I've started pulling it up so they can't get to it.


----------



## babsbag

Chicken feed can kill a goat. DO NOT let them have it. They all love it, it is like candy but can really throw the rumen off balance. Alfalfa hay or pellets, or a good 16% protein ration  is really necessary for a lactating goat, they need the protein and feeding twins can be just like milking. 

Get them a good loose mineral, not a block. The block can wear down their teeth and they will eat the mineral a lot more than a block. 

I have never given a goat a vitamin B injection, not sure why they would have that deficiency. Here is a good article.

http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/BVitamins06.html

Just a thought....is your chicken feed medicated?


----------



## alsea1

Goats really need a loose mineral that is formulated for goats.
It would be good to contain her so that you know what she is actually eating.
Before I started a shotgun approach to trying to get her back up I would def. have the vet out. A vet could save you a lot of money, time, and possibly the loss of the goat.
I have often him hawed about making the vet call. But have never regretted it.
Now that you have wormed her it would be good to go ahead and have a fecal run. That way you will know if the wormer you used is actually killing off the worms.
Checking for anemia on a dark goat is easy. The skin around the female parts will be pale rather than dark. But if its pale she is really anemic.
She looks like a really nice lil goat. Love her coat color.


----------



## Alison

Thanks for the responses everyone. It's so scary when something happens and it's nice to have some support during all the stress.

Another clue I noticed yesterday evening was she smelled really sweet.  So, I'm thinking ketosis.  I gave her the Nutri-Drench and the Vit B shot.  She's normal and eating this morning.  I've ordered the Keto-Plus as I've read people have better results with that, and she doesn't like that drench.  I've got kept strips coming too.

That Vit-B shot is good to have on hand.  It is water soluble, so I don't think it will hurt anything.  And, it stimulates their appetite.

Since all that happened on a Sunday I don't have a vet available.  Also, there aren't a lot vets around here that really know goats.  It's scary when time is of the essence and you have to make these tough calls on your own.  

Thanks again everyone!  I'll post again if something changes!


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Alison said:


> Thanks for the responses everyone. It's so scary when something happens and it's nice to have some support during all the stress.
> 
> Another clue I noticed yesterday evening was she smelled really sweet.  So, I'm thinking ketosis.  I gave her the Nutri-Drench and the Vit B shot.  She's normal and eating this morning.  I've ordered the Keto-Plus as I've read people have better results with that, and she doesn't like that drench.  I've got kept strips coming too.
> 
> That Vit-B shot is good to have on hand.  It is water soluble, so I don't think it will hurt anything.  And, it stimulates their appetite.
> 
> Since all that happened on a Sunday I don't have a vet available.  Also, there aren't a lot vets around here that really know goats.  It's scary when time is of the essence and you have to make these tough calls on your own.
> 
> Thanks again everyone!  I'll post again if something changes!


Good catch on the smell! I was thinking a calcium issue over ketosis due to the leg trembling. The hard thing is that they both have similar symptoms. 

I would be drenching with some Karo syrup too.


----------



## Alison

what does karo syrup do?


----------



## Latestarter

Provides the extra sugar/energy which is lacking, causing the keytosis. https://fiascofarm.com/goats/ketosis.htm


----------



## Goat Whisperer

Alison said:


> what does karo syrup do?


Sorry! Don't know how I missed this!

LS summed it up.


----------

