Neglected goats...

[lnm03]

I know I have read that someone had a blind goat and I am looking for some info on how your blind goat behaves. I came across a lady who had 3 goats and did not want them under any circumstances any more. Said her kids went to college and are not taking care of them and she simply didnt want them and she was going to just let them loose and fend for themselves. Which is how I got myself into our current predicament.

1 is a buck who is severely over weight and tied to a log chain all his life, has a sore on his belly from the chain constantly rubbing his chest and limps on his hind legs. bad hips from being over weight maybe? or from lack of exercise being on a chain?

2 is a doe who will not let you near her but when you finally catch her is very sweet.....she just needs time and dedication which I am very willing to give her!

3 is blind....has hazey grey film over eyes, cocks head to left stairs into space and turns circles and has been this way her whole life too. She said she had pink eye at a week old and is blind from that. She said even though she is blind she is a very good mother and has great milk output.

I have read about goat listeria and polio but not quite sure this fits the bill. Is she just acting this way due to the blindness? Any suggestions? She is a very loving sweet little goat but I just want to make sure she is ok.

I did speak with her son when I got these goats and he confirmed she has acted this way since they got her and the guy they got them from sold him the two females for the price of one because he didnt want them separated.

My next step is a vet visit for the three but I wanted to stop here first.

Any info or hints you all can give are greatly appreciated!!!

 

[cmjust0]

Her behavior actually sounds normal to me for a blind goat.. Actually, it kinda sounds like she *may* have some degree of sight in one of her eyes if she circles and tilts her head in a specific direction all the time.. Maybe not, though..

If it were polio or listeriosis that was left untreated, she'd have been dead in a matter of days..

Since this happened to her as a kid, there's not much to be done about it. The damage is permanent. Sucks to think it coulda been fixed for a few cents worth of medication, too..

Also, you say the buck's limping.. I suppose it *could* be something in the hips, but a limp most often indicates a foot problem. If he's been chained and wasn't cared for, I'd definitely start with the hooves and go from there. Could be scald, could be rot, or some kind of an abscess deep in the frog.. Has he had his feet trimmed up yet?...if not, it could just be a matter of his feet being overgrown..

Something else that comes to mind is laminitis/founder, especially given you said he's fat and has a not-so-knowledgeable person in charge of his care.. Founder is basically end-stage laminitis, for lack of a better term, and laminitis is caused by improper feeding.. I've never seen it in a goat, and I can't think of anyone I personally know who's ever told me of a case, but apparently it can follow a case of ruminal acidosis in goats.. Soooo, I'm kinda thinking of a scenario where the lady didn't know what she was doing and just set out a few pounds of feedcorn a day or something like that..

I kinda I doubt that's what you'll find, though. I'd say it's just a hoof issue..

And if it's not a hoof problem, my next guess would probably be a case of CAE that's manifesting in the stifles.. Do his back "knees" feel hot or look swollen or anything like that?

Beyond that...could be simple atrophy from a lack of moving around, I guess, but I kinda doubt it. He's been dragging a logchain, afterall...that's work, right?

As for the sore on his belly...is it like a *hole* in his belly, or does it seem more like a surface wound? If a wound is deep, I like to debride vigorously, flush with gentle iodine, then pack with furazone.. If it's just a surface wound that's gotten a bit oozy and gross, I'll debride it and hit it with 7% iodine to dry it up and make it scab over ASAP..

A round of antibiotics would be a good idea for him as well. If he's a full grown buck, I'd probably just use an oxytetracycline (bio-mycin, LA-200, agrimycin, duramycin, etc) @ around 3ml/100lbs for about 5 days.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Bless your heart!!! Thank you for takin them!!

Ive never dealt with a blind goat or know anything about that...Im sorry...but if shes been like that since shes been young...then I think she may be pretty adjusted to being blind.

And "cm" is right about the buck...check his feet and tend to that wound on his belly. Get some meds in him! Poor boy...who could do that??? His limp could be in hoof or could be an old injury trying to get out of that rope? Who knows without actually looking at him? Its hard sometimes.?

How old are these guys??? Do you know?

I would also have fecals done for worms. I would assume she did'nt do much medical care on them at all...if the poor girl went blind from pinkeye.


Shameful! But thanks for being a savoir to these guys...Im sure they will be thrilled once they realise..they have NOT died but went to heaven!!!

Your story breaks my heart....

But KUDOS to you!!!

 

[lnm03]

His hooves were in dire need of a trim all three of the goats were. So I trimmed them and his kinda looked like part of the hoof was "dead inside does that make sense? It was black where the rest was white-ish. I will have to check his knees. They didnt look swollen while I was checking him out but I didnt feel for temp. I did give him oxytetracycline yesterday and I will continue for five days.

He is a VERY stinky buck right now so I have to work with him in spurts. I need to get a better look at his sore on his chest. Its right between his front legs and he is in dire need of a shave but I am afraid he will get sick with the weather getting into the 40's at night since he is use to all that hair in 90 degree weather.

I agree on the polio/ listeria for the same reasons you stated. I read that it was a matter of days before it will take a goats life. I have to be real careful with her because she acts like she cant find her way back to her shelter. I had to bring her in last night she just stood out and cried in the rain while everyone else took cover. I think it will just be a matter of time before she gets use to her new surroundings. I wouldnt like to be blind and rehomed...confusing!!

I think they are 2 or three I dont remember its on their paperwork I have at home for them. I will check when I get home!

 

[cmjust0]

He is a VERY stinky buck right now so I have to work with him in spurts.

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID.

 

[lnm03]

 

[cmjust0]

His hooves were in dire need of a trim all three of the goats were. So I trimmed them and his kinda looked like part of the hoof was "dead inside does that make sense? It was black where the rest was white-ish.

Yep...sounds like rot. Bet they just REEKED too.. I've never let one get so far out of hand that I couldn't dig out any little black spots I saw, so I dunno exactly how to tell you to proceed with this guy.

Could be that you'd lame him up more by digging out the black stuff, but on the other hand, you might dig a bit and hit a big pus-pocket that would help him heal more quickly.. Tough call.

I'd probably wuss out on digging too much, frankly. I reckon I'd probably just trim frequently, taking out a little at a time. And if I know me, I'd probably do that for several weeks before going OKAY, DONE WITH THIS...and then I'd dig until I hit liquid -- be it pus or blood.

I will have to check his knees. They didnt look swollen while I was checking him out but I didnt feel for temp. I did give him oxytetracycline yesterday and I will continue for five days.

The 3ml/100lb dosage I mentioned was just me thinking of a minor/moderate, aerobic bacteria infested flesh wound.. Since we may be dealing with footrot as well, I'd probably up that to 4-5ml/100lbs for 5-7 days.

That's kinda my 'something's definitely wrong' dosage, whereas the 3ml/100lbs is my 'meh..that's not so bad' dosage.

I have no data, nor any empirical evidence to back up whether that's actually appropriate, of course. It's just how I do things.

He is a VERY stinky buck right now so I have to work with him in spurts. I need to get a better look at his sore on his chest. Its right between his front legs and he is in dire need of a shave but I am afraid he will get sick with the weather getting into the 40's at night since he is use to all that hair in 90 degree weather.

I kinda doubt you're going to find a serious hole there.. I'd probably just scrub it 'til it's really fresh and bleedy -- "reboot" the wound is how I think of it...return it to a state where it's as if it just happened -- and then iodine it. Or, if you think it's in a place where scabbing would be detrimental to healing (like, you think it'll probably just crack from movement and get all nasty again), you could apply something like scarlet oil to keep it supple while it heals.

I agree on the polio/ listeria for the same reasons you stated. I read that it was a matter of days before it will take a goats life. I have to be real careful with her because she acts like she cant find her way back to her shelter. I had to bring her in last night she just stood out and cried in the rain while everyone else took cover.

Ugh...that hurts my heart.

I think it will just be a matter of time before she gets use to her new surroundings. I wouldnt like to be blind and rehomed...confusing!!

I'm sure she'll find her way around in time.. Guess all you can really do in the meantime is try your best to keep her from getting stressed too badly..

I think they are 2 or three I dont remember its on their paperwork I have at home for them. I will check when I get home!

Someone mentioned fecals for deworming...I'd probably skip the fecals and deworm as a general precaution. If I were you, I'd use two classes -- ivermectin and Safe-Guard, for instance.

I'd probably also just go ahead and do a C/D-T shot..

Probably would be wise to treat for external parasites, too, whether you see any or not. They sound like good candidates for lice, at the very least. What I might do is give them a 1ml/110lb shot of ivermectin injectable at the same time as you dosed them orally with ivermectin for worms.

That's me, though.

 

[mistee]

Since the blind doe is in a new enviroment can you put a bell on the other doe? It might help her till she gets the lay of the land!

I took a blind gelding in for a friend for a year and he was AMAZING!!!!! if it wasnt for him cocking his head to the side all the time and the glazed eyes you wouldn't even know he was blind... He was soo trusting,, anyone could ride him and he would just plug along even though he couldnt see...