Advice to ease my mind appreciated ASAP

[jlbpooh]

Of course the vet isn't open, and the emergency vet place that all the vets forward your calls to doesn't seem to deal with farm animals. I have a 5 month old wethered Nigerian Dwarf that seems to have possibly gotten bitten by fire ants in his nostril. He was sneezing and screaming, and grinding his teeth when he wasn't screaming. He wasn't just crying, he was screaming. He went to hide in the goat house and was rubbing his nose against some boards. I took him out and all he wanted to do was lay down. They he got to the point where he was kind of collapsing, he was going limp in my arms. I took him out of the goat pasture, and another one snuck out too. My daughter couldn't get him so I had her watch the one with the bites so I could get the other one back in. When I turned around, he was walking, a little wobbly, but nonetheless walking. He was not screaming anymore either. I watched to see what he would do and he was walking around. Then my goose came and goosed him in the nose so he started crying again. I put him back in the pen, but he didn't move, he just stayed standing there looking upset. I got the rest of them to run to their playground, but he just stood still. He did do a couple of little head butts to the others when we came back over to him. My question is: do you think he will be OK since he seems to be recovering from the weakness? I don't want to find a dead baby in the morning. Do you think it was just pain that caused this weakness or a reaction to the possible ant bites? It has been about an hour now since this happened. I can't see anything external on his nose.

 

[DonnaBelle]

Is there anything a goat can't get into. Jeeze.

I don't know of anything to do for him, since it's up his nose.

I would just call the vet early in the am and see if he can suggest something.

Why do things like this happen after hours, or on the weekend??

Hopefully he was screaming because of the pain, and it will subside. With no swelling.

You have my sympathy, for what it's worth.

DonnaBelle

 

[ksalvagno]

The only thing I can think of is to give him some Banamine if you have it. Banamine is for pain and swelling and fever. I would say call the vet in the morning and see what he/she says.

 

[()relics]

this spring i had a doeling that had a run-in with some unknown swarm (?) of somethings...I treated her with Liquid Childrens Benedryl. Her face was slightly swelled and I was worried that her breathing passage may become obstructed. I have given benedryl tablets to my dogs in emergency situations but I didn't feel that she would be able to swallow the tablet, so I went with the liquid. The swelling went down almost right away and the risk of a severe reaction to the insect venom should have been conteracted by the benedryl...I dosed at the rate of 10 cc per 50#...she got 15 cc. She made a full recovery...

 

[helmstead]

I agree with the Benadryl liquid. Take the adult dose, divide that by 150 - this is the per pound dose. Weigh the guy, and give him his dose. Mine kinda like it.

Goats are dramatic creatures, and can throw themselves into convulsions from the slightest offense.

I don't consider fire ants up the nose a slight offense! OUCH!

I would attribute his wobbling to this odd response goats have to pain/stress. Not all goats do it, but many do. I had one doe who would have an immediate convulsion when you leashed her and walked her out of the pen...and have had them do it after shots, particularly nasty drenches, even just because they're having to wait to get fed.

Treat the bites, I'll bet he's fine AND now knows not to stick his schnoz in those mounds of dirt!

 

[tiffanyh]

Poor guy. How is he today?

 

[jlbpooh]

He is doing much better today. I went out right before bed last night and he was still a little mad. This morning it was dark when I let them out before work, but he was the first one munching on the hay when I gave them some. Thank you all for the responses. I never thought of Benedryl. I too, have used it on my dog before. Learn something new everyday.

 

[cmjust0]

I saw one of my does get stung by a big red wasp once...it was sorta my fault, actually. I opened an old chute door that hadn't been touched in ages, and a WHOLE BUNCH of wasps came flitting out. I ran...the goats were like "Hey, a new door. Let's go in there."

I tried reasoning with the goats, assuring them that it was a bad idea...but alas, they don't speak much English. I actually saw the wasp come down, land, sting, and then fly away..

Doe was not pleased. She ran like her face was on fire, snorted like crazy, vocalized, and then started rubbing her face on an old rusty cattle trailer.. Muzzle swelled up.. She was plumb pitiful for a few minutes after that, and I felt TERRIBLE.

We all recovered just fine, though.

 

[jlbpooh]

CM, I could just see that happening too since the goats are so curious about everything.

I checked on them as soon as I got home tonight, and he was completely back to normal. Thank you for all the responses, I really, really appreciate it.

I was sooo scared for awhile last night when he started collapsing. Him and his twin are so joined at the hip that I think I would lose both of them in short order if something happened to one. His twin went over to him last night and stuck his nose in his face to see what was wrong and he pushed him away. Then his twin came over again and laid down almost on top of him to let him know that he was there and that it would be OK. They always have to be able to see each other or they will call for other one. One of them is very bonded to me, and the other to my daughter, but the strongest bond that we could never replace is to each other.

I love these goat so much and when you are in a panic and think something dreadful is going on, you love them so much more even. My daughter had an anaphlactic reaction to ant bites once, so I thought that he was having one too the way he was acting. Those situations are so scary. We used to have EPI pen Jr's here, but my daughter seems to have outgrown her severe allergy to ant bites so we haven't refilled the EPI pens since the last ones have expired. Would those be good to have around for the goats too? If so, we can refill her prescription again. Just a thought anyway. I am going to record the benedryl dosage for goats on my chart of medication dosages for kids (of the human variety, LOL). Where would I get Banamine from, the vet or a store, or mail order? I am going to get some to keep on hand since I see it recommended so much. It can't hurt to add more things to my must have list.

Thanks again, you guys and gals are great.

 

[jlbpooh]

I forgot to comment about how he did it, it wasn't a pile of ants. My daughter had tipped the cable spool over to look underneath for rolypolys that she likes so much, but there was an ant nest under it. The goats decided it was fun to roll it around on the spool. He ended up sticking his face right into the ants that were still stuck to what was originally the bottom of the spool before she tipped it because another one of the goats started pushing it around. Another boy got bit too, but apparently only once, this poor little guy got a nosefull though.