Help! - any ideas sick momma goat - sad update

[KathyCo]

I have a Nubian who is about 1 1/2 years old and had her first kids 3 weeks ago today. She had triplets (all boys), but we sold one at 9 days old, so she has been nursing only the 2.

Yesterday, for no reason I can think of, she suddenly lost her appitite and just lays around looking sick. I was so worried I took her to the emergency big animal vet last night (Sunday). He poked and prodded, took blood samples, rumen samples and ruled out overeating disease, pregnancy toxemia and milk fever.

The only thing he could find was a high white blood count which indicates an infection somewhere - even tho she has no fever. He hydrated her, gave her a shot of antibiotic, and some extra potassium.

Today she seemed to feel better in the morning, but she laid around all day and has not eaten or drank since this morning. I sure don't know what to do. I can't make her drink. She is no longer producing milk so I am ready with bottles to feed the kids when they get hungry enough. I don't know what to do for her, any ideas? She is on antibiotics now for 10 days, but I am afraid she isn't going to last.

This is awful. If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it.


UPDATE 5/17
Unfortunately she passed during the night. I just don't know how this happened so quickly.

 

[ThornyRidgeII]

yes for her to suddenly be off something is going on.. do you know for sure if she passed all placenta? what was her temp? you said no fever but what is it currently? how do you know she has stopped producing milk? is she totally dried up. kids especially voracious appetited ones can consume a full udder in no time! had she developed any milk /udder prior to kidding? how did your vet rule out potential issues ( mastitis/milk fever)? sorry so many questions but needing some more information.. is she grinding her teeth (sign of pain) can you coax her to eat anything at all? with her being a first time kidder how did the birth go? I am wondering if something happened during the kidding.. not expelling all of the afterbirth, torn uterus, or something else.. my first guess would have been milk fever and or kidding related issues..

 

[Roll farms]

I would probably hit her w/ a B shot NOW, and try to get some CMPK from the vet to inject her with...even if it's not hypocalcemia, it may make her feel better.
What antibiotic is she on?
You may have to hydrate her, either by drenching or w/ lactated ringers.
If she won't eat, you'll have to make a slurry of chopped hay / fiber and force it down her.
I keep propylene glycol on hand for goats who refuse to eat. It's better than nothing and will stop ketosis.

Now, some of this may or may not help, but w/ no diagnosis...I'm just sort of suggesting throwing mud on the wall and hoping something sticks, so to speak.

Good luck w/ her!

 

[KathyCo]

yes for her to suddenly be off something is going on.. do you know for sure if she passed all placenta? what was her temp? you said no fever but what is it currently? how do you know she has stopped producing milk? is she totally dried up. kids especially voracious appetited ones can consume a full udder in no time! had she developed any milk /udder prior to kidding? how did your vet rule out potential issues ( mastitis/milk fever)? sorry so many questions but needing some more information.. is she grinding her teeth (sign of pain) can you coax her to eat anything at all? with her being a first time kidder how did the birth go? I am wondering if something happened during the kidding.. not expelling all of the afterbirth, torn uterus, or something else.. my first guess would have been milk fever and or kidding related issues..

As far as placenta, the vets poked around a lot but it's always possible something did not pass. They said it was unlikely, tho, since she isn't having discharge which makes them think the uterus is OK. They did not say what the temp. was, just that it was normal.

You are right about the kids, when I went outside to lock everyone up they were nursing and getting milk, so she is still producing.

Vet ruled out mastitis by feeling her udder (no lumps), and milk fever by looking at blood sample - milk fever is reduced blood calcium and her levels were fine.

Her birth went pretty easily. She did not seem to experience any problems and was fine for 3 weeks now, afterward. I also have a vet who lives across the street and he was thinking milk fever which is why I went to the emergency vet who ruled it out (my neighbor vet doesn't have large animal equipment).

She isn't grinding her teeth, she is just weak but she makes a pathetic sound when she breathes so it is obvious she really really doesn't feel good. And no, I cannot coax her to eat but my husband says he saw her drinking a lot of water this morning.

She is on Naxcel (antibiotic) started today.

I would probably hit her w/ a B shot NOW, and try to get some CMPK from the vet to inject her with...even if it's not hypocalcemia, it may make her feel better.
What antibiotic is she on?
You may have to hydrate her, either by drenching or w/ lactated ringers.
If she won't eat, you'll have to make a slurry of chopped hay / fiber and force it down her.
I keep propylene glycol on hand for goats who refuse to eat. It's better than nothing and will stop ketosis.

Now, some of this may or may not help, but w/ no diagnosis...I'm just sort of suggesting throwing mud on the wall and hoping something sticks, so to speak...

If she isn't eating or drinking tomorrow I am going to figure out how to do a drench or lactated ringers.... I will ask the vet across the street to help me, I guess. The emergency vet gave her the propylene glycol in a tube down her throat - I never thought I would need to do something like that.

I just hope she is still alive tomorrow. I can't believe how fast this happened.

 

[20kidsonhill]

i would give her Vit b shots twice a day,
I mixed corn syrup, molasses, and corn oil together and drenched a sick doe with it that was off feed, I could tell it helped her. I gave her 8 ounces at a time, for a large breed doe, a couple times I added another 8 ounces of water, giving her 16 ounces of drench.

another drench I made for her was yogurt diluted with a little corn syrup and warm water and a scoop of probiotic powder added. 8 ounces.

You can get away with these drenches for 3 or 4 days, but after that they need to eat roughage, so then you would have to do the soaked alfalfa drench.

The propylene glycol drench works well, I just didn't have any

Put a salt lick next to her water bucket, to encourage more drinking.
My sick doe would eat green leaves that I picked, dandalions and clover, just a handful, but I figured it was better than nothing.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Im sorry shes going thru this. I agree with Vitamin B shot and electrolyte mixes for her. Important she eats and drinks! Goat metabolism is so fast..so I would'nt let it go to long. I would add baking soda to the mix just to rule out any bloating issues and help balance her rumen with all the medications she's recieved. Along with molasses and water.

FYI you truly cant rule out "sub clinical" or "non acute" mastitis by feeling the udder only. Most times when its "non acute" there will be no signs. You must test the milk. She probally does not have that cuz she is down..but I just wanted to clarify that point.

Maybe if you drizzle a little molasses on her grain she may take it??? I know my guys will go nuts for that. But Vitamin B for sure cuz that will boost her appietite up so she can eat.

Good luck..I hope shes bounces up soon for you!

 

[KathyCo]

I got up as soon as we had some sunlight to check on her and she was gone. We feel terrible. At least the 2 babies have the wether companion goat. We are going to have to figure out bottle feeding, etc., that we had not planned on. I am very sad over this as she was a wonderful girl.

Thank you all for your suggestions.

 

[20kidsonhill]

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

So sorry for your loss. It hurts.

I lost a great doe last year when she got out and into a bag of medicated starter and grower. Ate a lot and it killed her in less than 4 hours.

You may want to see if you can have a Necropsy done to find out what killed her. Our extension office were I live offers this service.

If she ate something she should not have, it would be good to know.

 

[Roll farms]