HELP!!!!!

[bloonskiller911]

OK so I am new to goats. Here is the back story. My daughters wanted goats, I'm a softy and we got them (we already have sheep and every other animal under the sun, why not!). We got two pygmies, a nanny and a whether. Then we ended up with two Boer/Nubian crosses, which are both nannies. So I had no buck. The pygmy nanny went to the neighbors and was bred by there Mini Nubian. My wife's Uncle had a Boer Buck. He had got him this spring to run with his cattle just to browse down the briars. We asked if we could borrow him and he said yes. He had been at our house for several weeks now. About a weeks ago I noticed him fall down. We had had quite a bit of rain and I assumed he slipped. The following day he did it again and drug his back legs before he could get up. I have let my wife's uncle know about it. We came to the original conclusion that maybe he and the Buck Suffolk (they all run together) had butted him. I have checked for anything broken or dislocated, nothing. I wormed him, since I found out he had never been wormed, and put him up away from everyone for awhile to rest. He seemed better. Now he is doing the same thing. I checked his feet last night and one of the rear ones outer walls are completely curved under, he also went from no feed to being on regular feed. I am going to trim his feet when I get home from work. Does anyone know anything that could to make this happen or is there anything else I can do? Please help me out.

 

[DonnaBelle]

It sounds like a case of neglect.

No worming, no hoof triming, etc.

If it were me, I'd take him to a vet THAT KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT GOATS and have him looked at. Write down the backstory for the vet's information and see if you can get a diagnosis.

Take a sample of 6 nannieberries from him to the vet, so you can determine if he has worms or coccidia and the vet will tell you what type of dewormer to use.

It could be a number of things, he needs an accurate diagnosis or he will probably die.

DonnaBelle

 

[bloonskiller911]

I will check into the vet's in my area, there are not many, we are very rural, but at least they should have some info. Where is The Incredible Dr. Pol when I need him? Anyone else have any advice or ideas?

 

[SheepGirl]

What's his temperature?

Did he eat anything that could've been poisonous?

 

[bloonskiller911]

His temp is normal. Still eats normally, just his back legs give out. I have went through the pasture and there is nothing poisonous that I have seen, plus none of the sheep or other goats are having any problems. I forgot to mention that no one has any idea of how old he is either. He does have an impressive set of horns to him!

 

[elevan]

I'd have a vet check him out. Could be meningeal (sp) worm :/

You can guesstimate an age based on their teeth . Horns aren't a good estimate of age because their growth can be affected by testosterone levels.

 

[jodief100]

I would worm him with Safeguard now- at three times the label dose, just in case it is meningeal worm. I think not though since if it was he would be dead by now. If you don't catch it within about 3 days from when they start dragging their hind end it is too late.

Maybe hoof scald?. Trim his hooves as much as you can. Is there any black stuff on the bottom, areas where it has pockets or missing flesh? Look between the cloves, does it look raw or does it smell bad? If any of these are yes, give him Pen-G and start soaking the hooves in zinc sulfide or copper sulfide. Use Dr. Naylor's hoof and heel if you can. If you can't soak them, spray it on and hold the hoof upside-down for a few minutes three times a day.

 

[bcnewe2]

I was thinking hoof rot but from describing him dragging his back legs it doesn't really sound like it. The curled under hoof wall isn't good though. He needs a good trimming and while doing it you could check for scald or hoof rot. Scald usually starts in-between the toes and hoof rot has a stench that you can't miss, on the yucky scale it's a 10.

 

[porkchop48]

Here comes my back leg dragging story... If it helps any.

Kreature if my 3 yaer old boer doe. Sweetheart of a doe. About 2 weeks ago I went into the pasture to hold the gate so Dh could get the tractor through the maze of goats. he pointed out that Kreature looked like she had a hard time getting up. After she got up she tried to pee and had a hard time. I thought ok maybe a UTI.... I ended up watching her for a little while that morning before work and noticed a bit of weakness in the hind end.

I immediately started her on Safe guard at 1 CC per 7 lbs, a shot of banamine and a shot of Ivormec Plus. I went to work. Came home 10 hours later and found her at the lower barn unable to stand at all. Called Dh who came home from work. Drove the truck down and we loaded her into the back of the truck with the help of a heavy blanket. ( we picked up part of her and slide it under then kinda rolled her).

She recieved 5 days of the safeguard, 3 days of the banamine and Vitamin B-12 complex shots daily for 5 days. No real improvement for the first 5 days. She continued to eat and drink. By day 6 she would get up enough to turn around ( with no real grace) and by day 8 she surprised us all by walking out of the barn to lay in the sun. Now she looked like a goat who had already drank a 12 pack or so but she was up and I had some home. 12 days into it she now walks like a 6 packer but is still improving daily.

My vet mentioned menengial worm and was not optimistic in the outcome but suggested we might have caught it early enough. If there is a small chance that may be what the buck has I would not hesistate to start treatment ASAP.

Sorry for the long winded post. I seem to have my share of issue lately and this site has helped been a god send. Read all you can and take all the advise you can get.

 

[bonbean01]

Porkchop...not long winded at all...thank you for your post...it helps us all!

I have sheep, not goats...but they share many issues.

Now for my story...a week ago Sunday, our youngest lamb Dixie was not looking like she was quite alright when walking all the sheep over to the big pasture...went to Church...could not concentrate and when I came home...checked her right away...she was worse, dragging one leg behind her. Felt for any swelling, heat...checked bones for breakage...nope. Checked her temp, normal...she ate and drank and no problem peeing or pooping, so thought she might have a sprained muscle.

Next day and she is worse...peeing and she'd fall over on her right side and had trouble getting up...worried to death....vet said to give her 2 aspirin a day for 3 days, and if that didn't help could set us up with steroid cortisone shots.

Next day she is worse...I tell DH to hold her as I want to check her temp again...when it got to 104 and still climbing, I quit for the final read and ran to the house and got the agrimycyn 100 and a needle and gave her a shot...sounded like what I'd read about bacterial arthritis...not like old age arthritis..comes on after the kind of rainy weather we've had lately. Also drenched her with vitamins and probiotics. By the way...when I bought that Arimycyn I had no clue of what to get...now I'll be restocking my meds for sheep and will go with the Biomycin..same as LA200 but with less burning for the animal.

Next morning...improvement...not great...but better...by second day of shots, big improvement...continued for 5 days...and happy to say she is now completely better...not just running and jumping, but stotting too!!!

Moral of my story...just because there was no temperature one day...keep taking it...could have a high temp next day!!! A temp can tell you so much!

Good luck and hope things turn out well!!!!