# Sick pregnant Nubian - HELP!!



## rwbwfarm (Oct 11, 2011)

I acquired an 18 mo. pregnant doe about a month ago (would be about a month along now) that is very sick. She didn't eat much this morning so I've been watching her all day. I've given her Vit E/Sel & probiotics. Tonight, she's gotten worse. She's very pale, sides sucken in, goopy eyes and not at all herself. Big problem is that our closet goat vet is 2 hrs away. Her diet is: timothy mix hay, Blue Seal Dairy Goat pellets, free choice minerals, and a mineral block. I'm debating about seperating her but wonder if that would add to her stress. There's no poisonous weeds/trees where they are and everyone else is fine. She came from a clean herd and is utd on everything. I'm really worried about her & ANY ideas inc. homeopathic would be helpful. Thanks!


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## freemotion (Oct 11, 2011)

What do you mean by pale?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 11, 2011)

How long ago did you add her to your herd? Did you worm her when you got her home? Have you taken her temp?


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## rwbwfarm (Oct 11, 2011)

Her gums - sorry. She was wormed before I brought her home, too.


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## rwbwfarm (Oct 11, 2011)

I've had her about a month, she was wormed before I brought her home & I haven't taken her temp yet - will go do that.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 11, 2011)

What was she wormed with and how much was she given? Gums aren't actually good to go by. You want to look at her eyelids. Press your thumb or finger over their upper lid and press into the eye, then expose the lower lid.


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## rwbwfarm (Oct 11, 2011)

She was wormed with 1 1/2cc of Ivomec. I'll check her eyelids while getting her temp, too.


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## rwbwfarm (Oct 11, 2011)

Her temp is 100 and her eyelids are slightly pale but not horrible. She doesn't want to lay down & keeps resting her head on the fence.


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## rwbwfarm (Oct 11, 2011)

I took her temp again & was a bit over 101. I hear light rumen sounds but she is not happy with her sides being palpated.


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## 20kidsonhill (Oct 11, 2011)

she needs to be wormed again and possibly treated for coccidiosis. Can't help you with the homeopathic, but once you get the worm load under control. Red cell for horses can help her recover from the anemia.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 11, 2011)

I would also get some baking soda into her in case she is bloated.


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## Roll farms (Oct 11, 2011)

Her temp is low, she's at risk for her rumen shutting down if it gets too low / for too long.  The bacteria need a certain temp to 'live'.  It should be between 101.5 - 103 dg.

1.5 cc of ivo would be what I'd use to deworm a 40# goat if it was it given orally.  I'm assuming she weighs more than 40# at 18 mos.  
If she does have a worm load that's made her anemic, it will most likely be barberpole (or possibly brown stomach worm).  Goats need to be given dewormer orally to effectively treat certain worms.  The oral ivomec dosage I use is 1cc per 25#.

I only inject ivomec (at 1cc per 100#) for creepy crawlies or lung worm.

The anemia could be due to dehydration, not worm related.  It's just too hard to swear "Oh, she's got this, do that" w/out a fecal and w/out being able to observe her behavior.


If she were here, based on the lack of 'obvious' symptoms (such as high temp, paralysis or staggering, circling, bloat, blindless, etc), I would treat for 'silent pnuemonia' - I don't know what it *really* is, but that's what a mentor of mine called it whenever one of her goats would go off feed / stand alone / looking hunched up / miserable.  
I use Nuflor, which has to come from a vet.  

I've only had to treat 3 or 4 this way over many years, but I've saved each of them.  It doesn't seem to be contagious b/c we don't have 'outbreaks' of it.  Just one goat occasionally goes off feed / spikes a fever and then gets a below normal temp, stands there looking like they're in misery, and just 'not right'.
Nuflor is a painful injection, but it works.  Use an 18 ga. needle b/c it is thick.

I would also give her a B shot, 5-10cc of Red Cell for 3 days, and probiotics or cultured yogurt daily to help keep the rumen going.  I'd be keeping a close eye on her for bloat, and treat w/ baking soda at the 1st sign.

1st thing tomorrow I'd have a fecal ran - there's no need to stress her immune system and body more by deworming if that's not the problem.  2 hour drive or not, that's what I'd do.  
If you simply can't get to a vet / get Nuflor / have a fecal ran...Tetracycline would be a distant second choice (there's a risk of birth defects), given 1x a day for no less than 7 days.  You could try Pen G but I've never had any luck treating respiratory issues w/ penicillin.
Then I'd give her 1cc per 25# of ivomec orally.   Wait a week, get some Safeguard goat liquid, and deworm her 3 days in a row, 1cc per 10#.  
Wait a week and use the ivomec again.  That sounds like a lot, but it's safe and if she does have barberpole, that's what it will take, at minimum, to get rid of them.

Good luck.  I wish there was a way to *know* what it is for sure.


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## rwbwfarm (Oct 12, 2011)

She seems a touch better this morning but still not eating. Her temp was up a bit to 102. I've given her probiotics & electrolytes and a touch of baking soda last night. No sign of bloat (been there done that with dogs...).
The lady I got her from wormed her so I'm guessing she used a lower dose due to her being pregnant (I would have done a higher dose, too). I hate to stress her more by worming her so will make sure she's out of the woods first.
Just frustrating as it doesn't 'fit' anything. Will def. have a fecal done & see if a more local vet can do something for me. Thank you everyone & will keep updating.


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## Roll farms (Oct 12, 2011)

For what it's worth, I've given ivomec and safeguard to preggos and kids for years without problems.

Please keep us posted, a local vet should be able to run a fecal even if they don't do large animals....


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## rwbwfarm (Oct 12, 2011)

Fecal was neg & I'm waiting to hear about the Nuflor. If they are pitas about it, I can get the tetracycline no problem. She's at least laying down now. Going to give her more probiotics while I'm waiting...


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## jmsim93 (Oct 12, 2011)

Hope she gets better soon!!!


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## austintgraf (Oct 12, 2011)

May I suggest giving her a B-complex shot. The homeopathic thing I never did catch onto but the shot may boost her energy level and give her body a boost in order to fight watever she is having issues with. Red cell, its for horses...i know. But red cell is full of iron and other things that will help her get on her feet and you can gice up to 30cc a day and won't harm her or her baby. Good luck! Oh also consider warming a bucket of water and mixing in a dolup of mollasses in it to encourage her to keep hydrated. The molasses with also give a much needed energy boost. Ans please make sure you worm her.


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## rwbwfarm (Oct 14, 2011)

UPDATE - She's doing a bit better today! She's eating gruel on her own, too. P & P okay which is really good. I did worm her again & am still giving her probiotics/electrolytes/red cell. Gave her a bit of molasses, too. So at least it's going in the right direction . Come on Freckles!!!


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## redtailgal (Oct 14, 2011)




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## RareBreedFancier (Oct 14, 2011)

Glad to hear she's feeling a bit better, hope she's back to normal soon.


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## rwbwfarm (Oct 17, 2011)

UPDATE - She's doing much better !!! She's eating hay/still gruel/water on her own now & acts soooo much better. Thanks to everyone!!!


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## Roll farms (Oct 17, 2011)




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## RareBreedFancier (Oct 17, 2011)

So glad she's doing better.


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