# goat in labor how long does it last



## Melissa'sDreamFarm (Apr 30, 2012)

Annabell is in labor sine 12:30 with brown goo how long and when should I worry.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 30, 2012)

any signs of active pushing, or just some amber goo and looking distracted?   

How old is Annabell? 

HOw much amber goo, a long string or just a little bit?


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (Apr 30, 2012)

Several 6" strings like the one. She is 6 or 7 years old and her last babies got stuck. I' m just wondering when I should call the vet.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 30, 2012)

I would for sure put the vet on notice, especially since it is getting near the end of a work day.   Or you can lube up and stick a couple fingers in there and see if you can feel a kid, and the position it is in. 

My experience with these older does, if they have needed help in the past they may need help again. That is why I asked about her age.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 30, 2012)

Have any oxytocin?


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 30, 2012)

to directly answer your question, They can have amber goo for several hours before going into hard labor.  Did she push last time, before you had to call a vet out?  or did she just stand around looking like she should be in labor, and never really pushed hard?


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 30, 2012)

I hope it is going okay.


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## redtailgal (Apr 30, 2012)

me too.  I keep checking back for the update.


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## marliah (Apr 30, 2012)

same here. Waiting for an update! Hope everything is going well.


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## GLENMAR (Apr 30, 2012)

Come on girl.


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## jarvisqh (Apr 30, 2012)

hope shes doing ok !!


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## Mamaboid (Apr 30, 2012)




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## Pearce Pastures (May 1, 2012)

Hope all is okay


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 1, 2012)

Annabell is at UGA Vet Hospital and they are going to do a c-section. They believe both babies are dead and need to be removed. They are deciding on how to cut her; depending on where the babies are. If they go through the abdomen, I told them to spay her because I don't want to put her through this again. 

Say a little prayer for AB, she is a wonderful girl and my heart is just breaking because she  has endured so much.


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## Hillsvale (May 1, 2012)

You are a good goat mommy, best wishes on your girl.


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## Missy (May 1, 2012)

Good luck AB! My prayers are with you and your girl. Sorry this happened to you.


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## redtailgal (May 1, 2012)

oh my.  Not the update that I was hoping for!

Hope all goes well, please update us when you have time.


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## Pearce Pastures (May 1, 2012)




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## that's*satyrical (May 1, 2012)

So sorry to hear that. Hope your girl is home soon & recovers quickly.


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 1, 2012)

Should have an update soon. They were sedating her at 10:30. She walked right into the operating room and I put her on the table. They were still unable to tell if it is 2 or 1 and if they are both dead. 

Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes.


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## terrilhb (May 1, 2012)

My prayers are with AB and you. Please keep us updated.


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## redtailgal (May 1, 2012)

Goodness, I hope that you get a baby out of this.

Hang in there!


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## Tmaxson (May 1, 2012)

Praying for you, mom and the babies.


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 1, 2012)

It was a baby boy. It had been dead for sometime. She is full of infection. He cleaned her up but did not want to spay her because of the infection. They won't know if the baby died and it caused the infection or she got a uterine infection and the baby died. I am prepared to let her go. He wants to wait on blood work, but I know it won't be good news. I am just beside myself and I don't know what went wrong. I love my AB so much, she was just a good girl with a beautiful goaty smile.


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## SDBoerGoats (May 1, 2012)

Oh Melissa, I am SOO SORRY! I hope she pulls through this. Good thing they got the dead baby out and good for you for jumping in and taking care of her like you did. I hope you don't lose her......


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## redtailgal (May 1, 2012)

aw hun.

Wait on the bloodwork.

I was ready to put my lil dog down not so long ago, but the bloodwork that the doc talked me into revealed that it really wasnt so bad.  That lil dog is sittin in my lap today cuz of the bloodwork.


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## terrilhb (May 1, 2012)

I am still praying for her and you. I agree wait for the bloodwork. I am so sorry you are going through this.


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 1, 2012)

She's in her stall with her head laying on a pillow. She is doing good, but looks really swollen. They said it's because of the way she's laying, flat out. They are watching her to make sure she is still breathing and the blood work came back not too bad, but with the surgery and opening her up. The vet said we will know better in 12 to 24 hours. They are giving her calcium because she is low and later she might give some oxytocin to help contract her uterus down. I'll post more updates as I find out more. Thanks guys for all your support. It's been a hard decision as to let her go or try and save her.


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## redtailgal (May 1, 2012)

I'm so sorry, I know this is hard.


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 1, 2012)

She is up and ate a little alfalfa hay. She drank a little too. She was walking around a bit and you could tell that she is just so tired and painful. She is sitting like a dog in the corner resting her head on the wall because her tummy is sore and can't lay down comfortably, makes sense to me. 

I am hopeful, she wanted to follow me out the door and was upset when I wouldn't let her.  They are going to give her some more banamine later and the oxytocin.  The vet wanted her to eat a little before giving the banamine because it suppresses the appetite. She needs to keep up her energy and keep the guts working.

The key part of this, I am hopeful.


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## Pearce Pastures (May 1, 2012)

So glad to hear that she seems okay.  Feel so bad for you though.


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 1, 2012)

I'm just so glad that I work with a bunch of good people. I work at the Vet School and get to go down and visit her often. My husband works in the barn so he's right there to check on her and called me when she woke up. I'm just counting my blessings and hopefully in a couple of days Annabell will get to come home for her retirement and our enjoyment.


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## SmallFarmGirl (May 1, 2012)

Hopefully she'll make it! You're a strong goat mom!


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## redtailgal (May 1, 2012)

Sounds to me like she is in some excellent hands and it sounds like she is doing amazingly well.  She's a tough gal isnt she?


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## SDBoerGoats (May 1, 2012)

Melissa'sDreamFarm said:
			
		

> I'm just so glad that I work with a bunch of good people. I work at the Vet School and get to go down and visit her often. My husband works in the barn so he's right there to check on her and called me when she woke up. I'm just counting my blessings and hopefully in a couple of days Annabell will get to come home for her retirement and our enjoyment.


That's awesome that you both work at the vet school. She's getting the best care possible, and you are there to keep up her spirits. Praying she keeps getting better for you. You ARE a great goat mom!


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## ThreeBoysChicks (May 1, 2012)

Wow - That is awesome that you have those resources available.  Sounds like she is in great hands.  Will pray for your girl.


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## GLENMAR (May 1, 2012)




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## that's*satyrical (May 1, 2012)

Hoping for a speedy recovery for annabelle.


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 2, 2012)

She is walking around good today and ate some. Her appetite is still off, she didn't finish her goat chow. She is no longer getting IV fluids, but they are still giving her oxytocin. She will have a uterine flush and hopefully they can get her to pass the rest. She has a fever and her heart rate is up. But when they stay in the stall with her and talk to her a bit her heart rate goes down. I believe she doesn't want to be alone. I also believe she's looking for her baby. She's still calling out for us (me and my sister) and when we go in she licks us like she's cleaning us off. Strong goat mothering instincts. 

I talked to the surgeon last night. He said the baby was small and had been dead for "a while". The baby and placenta were "degraded" too much and he couldn't take all the placenta out safely. The key is for her to eat and drink on her own and expel the stuff that could not be taken out. We are not out of the woods yet and I do have my spending limit as to how much care they can give. There may come a time that I have to let her go, but I've come to that decision and I think I've done the best I could do to save Annabell. Today is another day and after lunch I'll know more. 

Thanks for your encouraging words and well wishes for AB. 

Melissa


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## SuburbanFarmChic (May 2, 2012)

Crossing my fingers for her. I've been following the story and she seems like such a sweet girl and hopefully she's a fighter too and will pull through for you.


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## redtailgal (May 2, 2012)

Poor girl.  

I really hope, esp after all this, that she does pull thru for you.    It's obvious how  much you love her............


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 2, 2012)

Thought ya'll might enjoy a picture of my sweet baby.


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## Tmaxson (May 2, 2012)

She is such a beautiful girl.  I wish the best for all of you.


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## that's*satyrical (May 2, 2012)

Awww, hang in there Annabelle!!!


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## SDBoerGoats (May 2, 2012)

Awww, she is so pretty and she looks SOOO sweet. Sending you nothing but good thoughts and wishes for a full recovery! Hang in there Annabelle!


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## terrilhb (May 2, 2012)

She is so pretty. Prayers are still coming for her and you.


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## Mzyla (May 2, 2012)

It is heartbreaking story....You are good momma to her, doing everything you can.
Be strong! We all praying and crossing our fingers for AnnaBelle to get well!


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 2, 2012)

The afternoon flush got a lot of the tissue, infection and retained placenta out. The vets were really pleased. 

She is doing really well and I have reached my $ limit really quick. She is staying over night tonight and they will do another uterine flush tomorrow and we will take her home. I have it all set up for a private area that adjoins the others and I will have to continue to give her antibiotic injections. The ambulatory service will come out "free of charge" on Friday and do another uterine flush and check on her.


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## SDBoerGoats (May 2, 2012)

That all sounds really positive. She's getting amazing care, and the flush sounds like there were positive results there too. It's all looking really good, hoping for continued good reports!


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 3, 2012)

I just wanted to post this so that new goat owners out there know the facts about what I did and what I learned from this experience. 

My husband asked me last night if I see now that I made a mistake taking Annabell to the hospital. I of course said NO because "I'm never wrong". But this got me to thinking if new goat owners saw this thread and figured it was something they could do for their goat in trouble. Well if you have $1200 laying around, yes you can. 

Saving Annabell, who can never give me more babies, would be a mistake if I hadn't learned a valuable lesson and had the tough talk with myself. My goats are not pets. I got goats to supplement my family in milk/cheese. Selling babies would never be a profit or business, just help with the feed costs. I had no experience on what a goat looks like that's in "trouble", now I do. Would I do things differently if I had to relive this experience, no, I probably wouldn't because I did not see the signs that things were not good. I was blinded by the love for my goat and thought everything would be fine. 

I don't mean to sound harsh, but you must have the talk with yourself. Why do I have goats? If I have a goat in "trouble" what is my plan of action? Do I have a way to put my goat down to end their suffering if I can't afford veterinary care? These are things not discussed on goat forums or backyard farming or urban farming sites or blogs. 

Yes I'm miffed with my hubby for forcing me to look at the situation and realize I got into goats with "rose colored glasses". Yes I'm miffed at myself for not seeking the knowledge that I lacked. BUT I'm glad Annabell will be coming home today. She looks really good and is ready to come home. I'm still not sure if she will make it. She is still not eating and I found out they have been giving her some kind of supplement to keep her guts going and I can't continue at home. 

This week has been an emotional roller coaster for me. I have rethought my WHOLE backyard farming idea. I have decided to sell my goats, all but Annabell and Cerina. This will also help cover Annabell's bill here. Maybe sometime next year I'll get another one, but I don't need 10 goats for milking. Two are just fine. 

So read this thread and learn from my experience and may be have that tough talk with yourself and what would you do if your goat was in trouble medically and you couldn't afford to save them. Call your vet and talk to them about your options and what can be done. Save a little money on the side or talk to someone who could help you put them down humanely.



Melissa

ETA: By the way, you vet can only give you an estimate before surgery. Mine was $500.


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## Pearce Pastures (May 3, 2012)

Thank you for sharing that.  And Annabelle is a beautiful girl and so lucky to have you.


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## Mamaboid (May 3, 2012)

First thing 

The worst and hardest part of having animals of any kind is the unexpected problems that can come up, and the hard decisions that sometimes have to be made.  It is very hard to be practical when a member of your family is suffering, but it has to be done.  I applaud your wisdom and strength at knowing when to say when.  I really hope she does well from now on, and you need to know you did all you could and be at peace with that no matter what the outcome.


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## mama24 (May 3, 2012)

I'm so sorry.  I'm so glad she's doing so much better and is going to make it! I prepared myself for the worst when I found out both of my yearling does were pregnant this year. I knew there was a pretty good chance things wouldn't go so well for my petite doe who was under a year old when she kidded, but thankfully she kidded in a few hours one afternoon while we were out and was just fine. There's no way we could afford vet care for any of our farm animals. Our dog and cat, who are really part of the family? Yes, we would find a way, even if we had to ask for donations from family. But not the outside animals. We got them for food purposes, and cannot afford to spend any more money on them except for their food and whatever else we can do for ourselves as far as medical care goes. My friend that I got my girls from told me I could call him to help out if I thought one of my girls was in trouble while kidding, but if that didn't work out, I have a gun.  That's just life on the farm. I didn't grow up on a farm, but I grew up in a farming community and saw a lot of the reality as a child. I thought it was good for me, and wanted my children to experience the same. It's hard when you lose one, especially if you have to be the one to put them down. But I have done it in the past and will do it again, if necessary.  I'm glad you had the resources this time to help Annabell, and I hope you never have to make such a hard decision ever again! And thank you for posting about the reality of what decision you maybe should have made in hindsight. I agree that no one ever seems to talk about that on these hobby farming sites. The fact is, MOST farmers put an animal down if they get too sick or hurt for the farmer to fix. A vet is only called if the animal is an extremely valuable (usually for breeding) animal, like a prize bull who got tangled in some fencing or a horse with colic. Chickens, sheep, pigs, and goats, etc, aren't usually worth enough money to justify a vet call. If you can afford it, and consider these inexpensive animals pets, then by all means, call the vet. But most of us just aren't in that position, even if we wish we were. In an ideal world, we would be, but most of us just aren't. Doesn't mean we love our animals any less than people who do call the vet for c-sections or whatever.


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## redtailgal (May 3, 2012)

Awww, hun.  

We all get emotional and made those emotional decisions sometimes.  I sort of bites to have to realize that our emotional decisions were terribly unpractical.

Your advice is very sensible.  

My mastiff had a nasty uterine infection last year.  The vets ESTIMATE was 1200$ for her treatment.  I initially decided to put her down, but quickly changed my mind and had her treated. I justified it with several factors.......she is a rare breed AND of a rare italian bloodline, she is an excellent farm dog, and she is my biggest baby.  Would I spend that on a goat?  No.  Not even Socrates.  

We all have a line, and the line may be different for different animals, but in the heat of the moment, our emotions sometime get the best of us.

I admire your practicality and your honesty.    Hang in there.


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## SDBoerGoats (May 3, 2012)

I've had to face that situation a couple of times, yes I love my goats dearly.  I have them for a business. But when it comes down to it, the ones that needed a vet to try and save them, went to the vet. In hind site, it was too late in both cases, and because I didn't know better at the time. We had a beautiful fullblood Boer doe. Grand champion at the fair last year. Bred her to our fullblood buck. She was carrying triplets, I didn't know that. With their combined pedigrees, the babies were outstanding. Popper started laying off by herself alot, I thought she was getting close to kidding. I noticed she was losing weight, and not eating as much. I DID question that, but my business partner, who said he knew a lot more about goats than I, said she was being a drama Queen. Long story short, she was getting toxemia. Did all the research, took her to the vet, had blood work done. She was getting worse and worse, even with treatment, I knew she was getting too weak to deliver. I voiced as much to the vet, asked about a C section. He said she probably wouldn't make it through the surgery. I said yes, but if you save the fullblood triplets, that's better than losing them all. He said, let's wait til Monday. IV fluids, all kinds of meds at home. She went into labor Sunday morning, she couldn't deliver the babies, we saved the first gorgeous buckling, lost the other 2, and her. The 3 babies alone were worth what the surgery alone would cost, but it didn't work out that way. 
It was a costly and painful lesson to learn. I would have paid for the C section to save those babies. 

You might have been going with your heart, I know I always am. I have an account with my vet so I say yes, I would take my goats to the vet. If I didn't, and had to pay cash, there's times I might not be able to, if it's like the situation with Popper that would cost a lot of money. 

It's so hard, to say, just let them go, and put them down. Or to let them suffer, I can't do that. When I get my animals, I KNOW things can happen, my horse got a cheat grass in her salivary gland when she was 25 years old. She is my cutting horse, taught me how to cut cattle, won me tons of buckles, gave me many talented foals. To get her thru that 6 month treatment, cost me $3000, and most of the treatment I did at home, with IV bags. She's 30 now! And still alive. She's won more for me than that in her lifetime, so yeah, without hestitation, she got treatment. But $3000???? That's a lot of money to put in a horse that will never be ridden again, but she is more than just a horse to me. She truly is my best friend. I know many ranchers would have just put her down. 

So I don't know what the answer is, you do the best you can, with what you have to work with.  Others might not do the same.


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## cindyg (May 3, 2012)

The part I have trouble with, and I've had so many pets over the years, mostly cats but now have goats and dogs, is knowing where the line is, sure you can say, ok, this amount of $ and no more, but what if just another round of antibiotics, or one more surgery would be the one?  We just recently had a nice young dog put down, because our vet said, "we can't fix her heart" so at least we knew there was no more to be done, and even then we were at the $1,000 mark for tests and stuff.  My SIL once said about their old car, if only there was a light on the dash that would come on and say, ok, you've reached the limit, from here on in, any more investment is just going down the drain, it would be a lot easier.  You do what you can, and then don't beat yourself up about it I guess.  Hard choices are part of life, right? Good luck with her, hope she pulls through for you.


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## Melissa'sDreamFarm (May 8, 2012)

Annabell is  doing good. She still doesn't have much of an appetite, but she does eat a little. She really wants to go back with the herd. Being herd Queen and then being absent has turned my herd upside down. I let Annabell out for a while on Saturday, supervised, and all she was concerned with was being boss. She even escaped and I had to separate her and Millie. So I have Millie and Skye up for sale if anyone is interested. It will also help pay the vet bill. I need to cut my numbers and regroup. I will be happy with Annabell as a pet and to milk Cerina and Jenny, I have found I like the bigger goats better as my hands are not well equipped for milking small teats and more than 2 goats at a time. 

I've had to put building my milker on hold until I can get the vet bill paid off. 

Just wanted to check in with you guys. I love this picture of Millie, I was in the milk room with Annabell and the posturing is absolutely hilarious. Really what are you going to do? Head butt each other til someone passes out?







I put feed out there for the babies, but as soon as the girls are done milking, they go hoover the rest. I need a creep feeder as my other solution isn't working because Dawson needs to be separated from Annabell. Dawson can still fit through the pop door to the creep feeder. The creep feeder is in with Annabell and of course my other pen has my Great Pyrenees puppy, who loves to chase goat babies and chickens. Ugh, could it be more complicated?


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## redtailgal (May 8, 2012)

Thank you so much for the update on Annabelle!  I've been wondering how she was doing......Great news!   and I'd bet her appetite will return albeit slowly.


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## terrilhb (May 8, 2012)

I am so happy she is doing better. I too have been wondering how she was doing. I so love good news.


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## that's*satyrical (May 8, 2012)

So glad she is doing well


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