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

[Our7Wonders]

That brand - Goats Prefer, is the brand that makes that calcium drench that my goat reacted to so badly. I am not saying that brand is bad in everything but I personally will be cautious of using them after seeing how she reacted to that drench.

Eeek! That's the same calcium drench I bought to keep on hand in case my does show signs of milk fever. So a calcium injection would be better? Is it subQ? Is CMPK even better yet for this? I couldn't get an Rx for CMPK but I do have the CMPK gel (or paste, don't remember). Don't have a clue how I'll give it though - when I ordered it I didn't realize you need a gun to administer it. It's HUGE and it needs a particular gun tool to squeeze the contents out. My hubby's caulking gun is too big for it. I figure if I need it I can stab into it to access the contents. I should probably figure out what the dose should be in case it's ever needed.

Do goat people EVER relax? I thinkin I'm a walking anxiety attack since I found this board and started learning more about goats!

 

[Roll farms]

I've used the oral "Goats Prefer Calcium Drench" for years w/ no problems.

They don't LIKE it...but they make icky faces over half the stuff I drench them with.

I truly believe they kid easier / pass the placenta faster when I give it to them...now, I'm not saying they really do...just that *I* feel they do.

I use a drenching gun to make sure it hits the back of their tongue so they can't spit it back out. I've found mixing it w/ a Tbs of molasses makes it much easier to give.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

I was wondering how her fever was this morning?

And as for probiotics you can use bovine. There is really not a goat specific probiotic with exception of added nutrients for goats. You can also use plain yougurt if she likes it. And I know a few farmers who would grab some cud from another goat and give it to the one that needs it.?? Make sense to me..thats what the old timers do.

As for not eating the grain...you can top dress it with molasses or something?? She may need a bit of time to get back to normal. Poor girl went through alot. If her fevers rising too shes off and not feeling well still. Keep up with the Vitamin B, give her some fever reducer. Sorry to hear her temp is up.

Hope shes hanging in there for you!!

 

[helmstead]

As for not eating the grain...you can top dress it with molasses or something??

I wouldn't go through any big to-do's over getting her to eat grain - her body, for one reason or another, doesn't want it. As long as she's eating hay, I'd let the grain go for now...offer it as you always have, and one day she'll take a nibble.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

As for not eating the grain...you can top dress it with molasses or something??

I wouldn't go through any big to-do's over getting her to eat grain - her body, for one reason or another, doesn't want it. As long as she's eating hay, I'd let the grain go for now...offer it as you always have, and one day she'll take a nibble.

I agree...I was not overly concerned about the grain either. Just a suggestion.

I totally agree if shes eating hay and drinking water...shes okay for now.
She went thru alot and her temp is up. So it dos'nt suprise me at all she dos'nt want grain.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

I wouldn't go through any big to-do's over getting her to eat grain - her body, for one reason or another, doesn't want it. As long as she's eating hay, I'd let the grain go for now...offer it as you always have, and one day she'll take a nibble.

I agree. The long stemmed roughage is probably what's best for her rumen while it recovers anyway.

 

[BlackSheepOrganics]

Her temp is currently at 103.5 and she's had no aspirin in over 8 hrs so it is only slightly higher than her typical which tends to be 103.2-103.3.

She's drinking molasses water, not eating on her hay much anymore, but seems to be more alert and active now.

We now call her our pincushion princess.

We put molasses on her grain to no avail. My son is getting her to take a couple of gulps of water every hour. Poor guy has been such a trooper to call me every few hrs with a report on how she's doing and he's doing all the shots, SQ injections, etc. He's even checking on her every 2 hrs at night. Tis the price he must pay for having the house to himself and rid of women all weekend!

I guess we'll be patient a bit longer and wait for the interest in grain to return.

Thanks everyone!

 

[BlackSheepOrganics]

Some of you are probably tired of my postings on this one goat. I do apologize but just don't know what else to do in order to get help with her. Vet is stumped. Univ vet hospital is stumped when our vet called them. I'm ready to pull my hair out.

My son called earlier today while I was still out of town to say my doe's milk had a green tint to it when he milked her this morning. She only gave out about 1/3 cup, but it definitely has a green tint to it.

I got home to find that my that my doe had lost a good deal of weight. She is peeing pretty regularly due to fluids being put in her by SQ injections. I have now tube fed her electrolytes. I don't think she was eating as much hay as he thinks she was. She is now refusing hay, water, etc.

Now, this may sound odd, but I soaked some hay in molasses water and when I put that in her mouth she will chew on it and swallow it. Same with the grain. I think she has quit eating due to her throat being swollen? Her swallowing sounds more like gulping now.

When I got home she could barely lift her neck and had it layed in an S on the ground (if that makes sense). She was very wobbly if you stood her up and she couldn't hardly get up on her own and had to have help. She went downhill pretty fast (in 4 hrs she went from doing good to this). After the electrolytes, she is holding up her head more now, but it still isn't good.

I am pretty sure she has fluid in her lungs from the sound of her breathing. This was before tubing her just to clarify.

She had her 5th Nuflor shot today so that should be the end of those but I'm worried and wondering if we should switch antibiotics? I am not real familiar with antibiotics as we try not to use them except when we absolutely need to. She has been one of those "need to" cases.

Her entire throat is swollen inside. I had a VERY difficult time tube feeding her as I could not really feel if the tube was going down her throat or not, when I was inserting it. She is having a hard time swallowing. Could this be from the calcium drench that she had such a reaction to? I have no idea if her throat has been this way for several days or not as my son did not take note of it and we just got back home (been gone since Thurs evening).

I THOUGHT her rumen was still going because it gurgles and moves, but we are having to massage it to get her to belch. However, her temp has now dropped to 100.8. It was good this morning and afternoon. Now it has dropped. She's under the heat lamp again.

She had 4 shots of the fortified B complex vitamins at 2cc per shot, 12 hours apart.
She has had 5 shots of Nuflor at 5 cc, once a day.
She has had 4 shots of dexamethasone at 5cc per shot, 12 hours apart.

I asked where the shots were being given and was told the Nuflor and Dexamethasone shots were being given in the neck. The Nuflor has been happening for 5 days and no swelling till today. However, the Dexamethasone has only been going on for 2 days. Could the swelling in the neck be a reaction to it?

Someone, wave the magic wand and make her better. I am worried she is just slowly dying here. All this and we're just back where we started only....worse.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[BlackSheepOrganics]

Eeek! That's the same calcium drench I bought to keep on hand in case my does show signs of milk fever. So a calcium injection would be better? Is it subQ? Is CMPK even better yet for this? I couldn't get an Rx for CMPK but I do have the CMPK gel (or paste, don't remember). Don't have a clue how I'll give it though - when I ordered it I didn't realize you need a gun to administer it. It's HUGE and it needs a particular gun tool to squeeze the contents out. My hubby's caulking gun is too big for it. I figure if I need it I can stab into it to access the contents. I should probably figure out what the dose should be in case it's ever needed.

I apologize as I didn't mean to ignore your questions.

I prefer the calcium gluconate injection, personally. She seemed to show a lot of improvement when we were giving it. However, the calcium drench appears to have caused a reaction of some sort.

CMPK is wonderful in the liquid form. You can use it as a drench or SQ. We have used it as a drench with great results. However, everyone is out of it right now and it is on backorder for our vet. So, we got the gel form of it. The vet said to just feed the CMPK gel at 30cc, 2x a day.

Hope that helps.

 

[Roll farms]

I don't know what else to tell you to do differently.:/

I've only used Dex once, on a doe that was severely injured and died anyway....I figured it couldn't do anything to make her worse.

It, from what I understand, can lower their immune response. Perhaps she's getting an infection (despite the Nuflor) b/c of that...?

We're not tired of you posting / asking questions...I just feel useless b/c I'm at the end of my 'try this' knowledge.

I would stop giving the shots in the neck, I've given Nuflor in the butt cheek for a couple of years. (Neck shots make me nervous).

From what I understand, you have to wean them off of Dex....otherwise I'd be tempted to tell you to stop those, since she's seemed to worsen since they began.

I'd also be tempted to give Banamine or Ibuprofen for the inflammation in her throat.

I'm very sorry, you are doing all you can and more...good luck w/ her.