# Goats born dead.



## jacca5 (Feb 8, 2010)

This morning my nubian doe gave birth to three. All where born dead was just wondering if there may be something obvious to look for or do for her. The doe by the way seems to be really struggling. She is weak and seems like she has bled more then normal.


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## ksalvagno (Feb 8, 2010)

I would get some B vitamin in her. If you have some Probios, I would give her some of that. If you have Banamine, I would get that into her. Really I would get the vet out. It sounds like she could be in trouble.


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## michickenwrangler (Feb 8, 2010)

Were the kids born excessively late or early? (less than 145 days, more than 155 days gestation)


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## Roll farms (Feb 8, 2010)

She could probably also use some Nutri Drench or Red Cell if you've got it.  
I'd start Penicillin and keep it up until she saw a vet, and if she were mine, she'd see one ASAP.

Were the kids developed?  Mummified?  Starting to decompose?  
(Sorry to be graphic but these things all help knowing what happened.)
Was her labor long / extremely strenuous?

What's her temp?


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## Ariel301 (Feb 9, 2010)

How sad!

I just went through this with one of my does. She went a week overdue, acted funny for a month almost--everything said she was ready to kid except her udder never filled. I went away for the day on Saturday and came back to dead triplets, which were not fully developed--they were perfect, no defects I could find, but just way behind where they should have been. Gracee also bled a lot, she was standing in a pool of blood when I found her, and is still dripping a little today, the third day after delivering. It's not a lot, just a little dripping blood when she pees. She's pretty weak and sore and stiff still, but is eating and drinking well. She also had contractions for a full day after delivering, which was strange I think. We're not entirely sure what went wrong with her as we can't get a necropsy on the kids, but I think she just wasn't up to having three kids at her old age and somewhat less than perfect condition-she's fairly thin. 

If you can get to a vet, I would do so. Give her vitamin B and Penicillin, and Nutri Drench or even warm water with some molasses or corn syrup. Red Cell would also probably be good; I don't have access to it so I am giving Gracee some children's iron tablets to help her rebuild the lost blood.


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## jacca5 (Feb 9, 2010)

The kids looked to be in perfect condition except one was very small but that happens to me alot when there are three. As for her labor I was not home at the time so I am not sure how long it was or how hard having the three dead one was on her. She was neither overdue or early by any remarkable time. I gave her antibiotics and b12 yesterday right after finding her. She was put into a stall and given alfalfa hay and water which she ate well. What worries me the most is the bleeding and the weakness in her back end.


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## cmjust0 (Feb 9, 2010)

Chlamydia is the #1 cause of late abortion in goats, and it also raises the chances for a retained placenta..  If the placenta is retained but the umbilical cords are broken, I can only imagine that blood is going to want to continue coming through the cords..

Did you guys -- either of you -- actually _see_ the placentas after the stillbirths/abortions?  If you didn't, they may still be in there..


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## jacca5 (Feb 9, 2010)

I did not actually see the placenta after the delivery. When I left her last night the umbilical cord was still hanging out of her. Early this morning when she was checked on there was nothing there but I also couldn't find it in the stall. Do they actually eat them? I have never had a goat eat it they usually leave them alone. The bleeding seems to have stopped. Her tail is a mess but I don't see any blood coming out of her.


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## cmjust0 (Feb 9, 2010)

jacca5 said:
			
		

> I did not actually see the placenta after the delivery. When I left her last night the umbilical cord was still hanging out of her. Early this morning when she was checked on there was nothing there but I also couldn't find it in the stall. Do they actually eat them? I have never had a goat eat it they usually leave them alone. The bleeding seems to have stopped. Her tail is a mess but I don't see any blood coming out of her.


Those cords are fragile..  The fact that the cord's no longer hanging out could either mean she delivered and ate the placenta, or that the cord simply tore off at some point deeper inside the vagina/uterus.  Doesn't necessarily mean she delivered the placenta.

If I had a doe that seemed to be off after aborting triplets, and I didn't know for sure if she ever delivered the placenta....I'd personally call a vet.  They may determine that she needs to come in for an U/S, or they may just give you some oxytocin..  I really don't know.


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## Ariel301 (Feb 9, 2010)

I did not see the placenta on my doe, but I think she delivered it and ate it before I found her. She had already licked the dead kids clean also. What I found unusual on my doe was that her cervix did not seem to be dilated normally...She gave birth somewhere between noon and 7 pm, and when I found her at  8 pm, and tried to 'go in' to see if there was another kid or retained placenta, her cervix was closed up tight already and I could not get in. I don't know how soon after birth they close up, but that seemed awfully quick. Gracee is nibbling food and sipping water, but reluctant to fill up on anything, which is understandable with the bad tummyache she's got right now. She's pretty sensitive even to touch, she does not want her back or sides petted. I gave her a small dose of horse painkiller and she seems much more comfortable since that. Since she's eating only reluctantly, I'm giving her vitamin B, yogurt with probiotics, and any 'junk food' she really wants to eat--she's enjoying hot apple-cinnamon tea with molasses in it and warm oatmeal, yogurt, and milk.  She is eating hay, but very slowly. She was really weak and wobbly yesterday but is showing improvement today. She is at least staying on her feet mostly instead of just laying around. She is still peeing some blood, but I think she may have gotten some minor damage internally during the birth. I'm wondering if maybe her cervix did not open fully when she went into labor. 

Unfortunately I do not have a vet in the area who will treat mine. They just don't do goats, unless it's to stitch up a cut. They don't know a thing about goats, and they charge so much that it costs more than buying a new goat! It's sad, but not having a lot of money, I just have to do what I can at home, and if the animal dies, buy a new one. 

I hope your girl and mine both recover quickly, it is sad going through something like this. On top of it, we ended up having to euthanize one of our favorite hens yesterday too, after a hawk attack.  Sometimes farming isn't much fun.


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## jacca5 (Feb 12, 2010)

Just thought I would give everyone an update. I took Bonnie (the doe) to the vet yesterday and her temp was normal but when he reached up inside her he pulled out the nastiest yuck I have ever seen. He said she had a uterine infection and that her uterus had not shrunk down after giving birth and that it was really stretched out. He gave her LA 300 and something to make her have contractions. Just wanted to thank everyone for their help it is much appreciated.


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## ksalvagno (Feb 12, 2010)

Did she not pass her placenta or was it pus? Hopefully the LA300 will do the job. If he gave her something for contractions, that would be Oxytocin.

I sure hope Bonnie does ok for you and that her uterus will be ok to have more kids.


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## michickenwrangler (Feb 12, 2010)

How awful. At least you know what caused it. Is it possible to do a "pap smear" on goats? You may want to have a vet check her out before you rebreed next year.

I'm sorry for your loss although I never know what to say in situations like this that doesn't sound stock or forced. Give Bonnie some hugs and kisses and treats. Bread with a bit of molasses would be a nice little treat for her


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## Ariel301 (Feb 12, 2010)

Aww poor girl. My Gracee has recovered from hers well, no retained placenta fortunately. She's really really thin, so we're going to get her back in shape and try again. 

We've got a doe named Bonnie too!


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## Roll farms (Feb 12, 2010)

Sorry to hear she's having problems.

I'd be tempted to run her on a course of antibiotics a few weeks before you breed her again, just in case.  No use spreading any possible infection to your buck and then others in your herd.

Good luck.


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