Khaleesi's Kidding Thread - Babies Born!!!

[BlessedWithGoats]

Congrats on getting the goat fencing done! I'm sure that must be exciting!!

Aww! Sorry the other 8 chicks didn't make it! Hope the little one recovers! Congrats on the four that made it!!

 

[Latestarter]

 

[thailand]

Hi, we're all trying to stay patient waiting for kidding time. For the last 2 days she has had swollen feet. Should I be worried about this? She is still eating really well, drinking good, peeing and pooping heaps, but is getting tired and wanting to sit down a lot. It's the swollen feet that worries me....pregnancy toxaemia?? Would love your input please. Not sure if I could find a goat vet here in Thailand....so you my friends, may be my only help

 

[babsbag]

Goats... I had to Google this one to remember what I had read.

She most likely has what is called PERIPARTURIENT EDEMA

I just copied and pasted from
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/periparturientedema.html

Usually occurring during the last six weeks of a doe's pregnancy, periparturient edema is a very uncomfortable swelling and irritation caused by fluid accumulation within the tissues underneath the skin.


The first indication is usually the doe's walking as if her feet hurt, followed by a gradual swelling in the lower part of her front legs and progressing to the lower half of her rear legs. Initial symptoms are so generalized that the producer can mistakenly diagnose laminitis/founder.


Unlike ketosis or other pregnancy-related diseases, periparturient edema does not cause the doe to go off-feed. She will be listless, preferring to sit rather than stand because walking is painful, but she will continue to eat. Moaning, groaning, and grinding of teeth are common symptoms.


Periparturient edema usually appears in a doe that is carrying multiple large fetuses. She may have kidded before without similar problems and she may never have it again in future pregnancies. The fetuses are taking more out of her body than she can replace, putting her in a nutritional deficit condition. Edema is accompanied by increased blood pressure, decreases in blood proteins, and blockages in the body's lymph system (one of the body's main filtration mechanisms).


First step in diagnosis is to do fecals to check for worms because a heavy wormload can bring on periparturient edema. Even if she has been recently dewormed, deworm the doe again. Do not use Valbazen or Safeguard/Panacur dewormers.


Supportive care is about all the producer can do to help a doe with periparturient edema. Keep her as comfortable as possible, make her get up and walk short distances several times a day, and provide her with proper nutrition. No special supplement or diet is required. Definitely do not dramatically change her diet.


When kidding (parturition) occurs, the producer must be available and ready to help the doe stand to feed her kids during their first 48 hours of life. After that timeframe, the swelling should begin to go away and standing won't be difficult for her. Milk production should not be affected by this illness.

 

[Goatgirl47]

Goatgirl....the alfalfa pellets in your mix....is that the same as rabbit pellets? I know those are alfalfa.

I'm so sorry, I never saw this. If the rabbit pellets are %100 alfalfa, then I guess they are the same. We've never bought rabbit alfalfa pellets, just the 50# bags from New Country Organics.

 

[thailand]

Thanks Babsbag and Goatgirl The 'grain' I've been feeding is 21% dairy cow. 1 cup a day. Is that likely part of the problem and if you think it's still ok to feed this, should I 'cut' it with something like corn (how you do for chickens to lower the protein)?

I will try to post photos of her today. Maybe you can tell how far away she is from kidding now?

 

[Goatgirl47]

Have you checked her ligaments?

I don't know about the dairy cow food...

 

[thailand]

Quick update: Just been and checked on her this morning (now 7:50am) and she is standing up in her shed. The swelling seems a little less. Checked her ligaments - and they are soooo soft they are all but gone!! Yaay! Hopefully kidding soon now??

 

[babsbag]

Don't give her corn, corn is bad stuff for goats. That is why it is so important that goats never get into chicken feed. Too much corn will make them very sick. Actually too much grain will make them very sick too. The 21% is fine, if you want to you can cut the amount that you give her and give her more hay.

 

[thailand]

Ok, thanks Babs. By 'cut' then you mean just half the amount I've been giving her...so 1/2 cup instead of 1 cup? I've stayed home from church this morning to look after her. DH and 9 kids are hopefully picking up some alfalfa and timothy hay on the way home.

Seriously soft ligaments = kidding today/tomorrow?

Do I dare worm her now then, or can I afford to wait? I can get Ivermectin-F, not ordinary Ivermectin, which is why I've been wanting to wait until she kids first. Should that still be my game plan?