Doe went off feed and milk production down by 1/3....possible UTI?

[BlackSheepOrganics]

We have a doe that is 2 yrs old. She had her first kid on the 2nd of February and all has been just fine.

Last night, out of the blue she only ate half her feed. This alarmed me because she is quite the little porker when it comes to her grain. Her milk production was down by a half cup. (we milk her and bottle feed the baby). No fever.

This morning, she is refusing all grain and her milk production is down by a cup. No fever but she does have mucus in one nostril. It has some green tint to it but mostly white (sorry to be so gross). Still no fever. She seems a little tired/dopey...just off.

We have her off by herself as of about a half hour ago and she is completely quiet. Typically she would be hollering non-stop to be with the herd.

She is wormed and has no signs of mastitis. No bloat, no fever, checked her coloring and eyelids are pink, etc. The only signs I have to go on are the fact that she went off her feed and has mucus in one nostril.

Any suggestions?

ETA: "possible UTI?" in title and post everything below this line.

I brought her into our basement in a pen I keep down in the basement garage. She was still eating on hay but refusing grain altogether or anything else but hay. She is drinking water. However, she urinated and it is very dark and stinks badly. I am guessing this means a UTI? If so, does anyone have experience with this? I've called the vet to ask for advice. We prefer to treat naturally whenever possible, but I also know you don't mess around with UTI.

 

[Roll farms]

I'm not saying this is the *right* thing....but having dealt w/ a couple of "just plain off" does in the past, I hit them w/ Nuflor for 5 days.

I have no idea what the real name is, or if there IS a name... but an old dairy goat herder buddy of mine calls it "Silent pneumonia"...

I'd also try a B vitamin shot and some Probiotics.

It wouldn't hurt to have a fecal ran, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck!

 

[BlackSheepOrganics]

Thank you for posting about that, Rolls. I did some googling and that is just scary stuff - silent pneumonia.

I am thinking this MIGHT be a UTI because of what I just saw. I brought her into our basement garage to keep a closer eye on her vs her running the field. She still won't eat anything but hay and water (very very odd for her). However, she urinated and it was very dark and stinks horridly. I am guessing this is a sign of a possible UTI?

 

[helmstead]

While the Nuflor is a good idea...I'd treat for ketosis! That dark urine worries me, and hypocalcaemia typically presents with does that refuse grain, but will still eat hay. I'd get some CMPK in her as well...

 

[Livinwright Farm]

While the Nuflor is a good idea...I'd treat for ketosis! That dark urine worries me, and hypocalcaemia typically presents with does that refuse grain, but will still eat hay. I'd get some CMPK in her as well...

x2!

 

[cmjust0]

Define "dark" -- brown, red, port-wine colored...what? Also, what does it smell like? Like very strong urine, 'iron-y' like blood, just *gross* like infection funk, or something different altogether?

Have you given any kind of supplemental copper lately? Lots of SQ b-vitamins, perhaps?

I'm also wondering, since this doe just freshened 1mo ago, if we're seeing some blood/yuck from the ladyparts mixed in the urine...or if potentially this isn't even pee, and maybe she's just having large volumes of uterine discharge and is contracting/squatting *as though* she's peeing.. I've seen female goats squat w/ watery diarrhea before, so I know it's not strictly the urge to pee that can make them squat..

 

[BlackSheepOrganics]

Please please know I am NOT trying to argue or debate anything here. I want to throw out this info and hope it helps narrow down some possibilities. My one fear is we go treating for one thing and it happens to be another and by the time we figure that out, it is too late or we've put her through "goat hell" unecessarily.

She has good quality hay. Brome/Timothy.

She has a good all natural mineral that has copper, selenium, and all the other things we are so depleted of in this area's soil. It is a loose mineral.

She gets 3lbs of grain a day (half at each milking). She puts out 6 cups of milk per day (first freshening). Is it possible we are feeding her too much?

She had a single (very large kid) during the middle of our blizzard.

We have not given her any type of supplements of any sort other than the BoSe a month before kidding.

Her urine is dark yellow with a tinge of brown to it. It is usually clear. The urine smells very strong like concentrated urine. There is no sweet smell to the urine, at all, nor is there a sweet smell to her breath. Her breath reminds me of someone with really bad breath or gingivitis, if that makes sense.

Vet is at a loss and says put her on Nuflor at 4cc (100 lb goat) every other day for 3 shots total because all she can figure is a UTI or bladder infection. I'm just worried there is more to it than that.

I have ketone strips here for humans. Any chance they work for goats too?

 

[ksalvagno]

Giving her the CMPK could not hurt and hopefully help her.

 

[cmjust0]

Sounds like concentrated urine which -- to me and Occam -- probably only indicates dehyradation. I know you said she's drinking, but if she's off, she may not be drinking enough. Pinch her upper eyelid between your thumb and index finger; if it stays tented a bit, she's likely dehydrated.

Did you deworm her right after she kidded? If not, I'd suggest it, or at least running a fecal to see if she's undergone a "peri-parturient rise" in fecal egg counts. She may be suffering the effect of a whole bunch of newly-awakened barberpole worms right now.

I'd probably go ahead and do antibiotics as well, just in case it is pneumonia, and I'd make *absolutely sure* she's drinking enough.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Giving her the CMPK could not hurt and hopefully help her.

I vote for ketosis/hypocalcemia as well. And the extra CMPK wont hurt anything, could only help regardless of the problem.

I would pretty much throw the book at her.

An antibiotic, several treatments of calcium(CMPK), and a good worming or fecal test, and probiotics.

I lost a doe last year at 4 weeks into nursing, and I wish I had done the CMPK, we did everything else. I discussed it with my husband and he felt sure she was getting adequate feed so we didn't treat her for hypocalcemia, but I sure wish I had.