rachels.haven's Journal

[Baymule]

And you feel so helpless. No known cause as you watch her wither away. I hope she makes it. It’s good to let her out to browse, might as well. It won’t just her and it makes her happy.

 

[Ridgetop]

You need to do a little research, that statement is false.

You're correct Bruce. DH said it was actually a member of the state legislature that proposed the 54% hike. However, if it were possible to pass it and not get lynched (wait that is now considered a racist word) but anyway, the liberal dems here would try to do it I really don't know how they expect the working class to manage. This is one of the most expensive places to live, and we are being taxed to death.

Hope you can find out what is the matter with your goat. Have you tried Vitamin B complex shots? They can often perk up a depressed goat with poor appetite. I used to give them regularly to my goats when they looked a little off or were not eating properly. Usually they perked up and started eating. If you have been worming and dosing for Coccidia, you might have upset the rumen balance with all those antibiotics/wormers. I use a horse paste probiotic for stomach upsets to reinnoculate their stomachs with friendly flora. Because it is a paste I could shoot it down their throats. Because it was very salty they immediately drank water. A Dutch acquaintance with sheep uses Bulgarian and Greek yogurt in a drench gun with the same result. I don't want to be unkind, but depending on the replacement price of the doe vs all the testing $$ and meds costs, I would probably just cut my losses and cull her. I hope it is not something contagious and I know you would rather know what it was. What about copper deficiency? Has she lost color in her coat recently?

 

[rachels.haven]

Thanks! I'll listen to anything at this point.

The vet came and said she has no idea what's up and the "hay belly" is free floating fluid in the abdomen which is very not good. It's probably not going to end well. I decided I wanted a CBC, maybe to help us figure out if/what's failing, partially for curiosity's sake. I've been feeling/seeing a strange structure on her right side. Apparently that's her kidney floating there. Blood work will get back tomorrow.

The vet said she doesn't think anything is wrong with my husbandry. She thinks there's something wrong with Saffron. She is a grade and was sold unregistered without papers. It's always possible she was actually older than I was told or has had this issue before.

For supportive care I asked about getting her fluid into her GI tract to help with her abnormally rock hard, tiny pellets. Looks like I may be going to TSC for some timothy pellets and hay stretcher and we're going to try to make a mash and get her to eat it. I'm not sure it will help, but I haven't seen her drink in a while. Obviously she's drinking something or she'd be dead, but more water and roughage and calories will hopefully help.

Right now Saffron is roaming around the barnyard eating the brush, upsetting the bucks (there's a doe in sight that doesn't think their rutty selves are God's gift to does) and doesn't care the others aren't following her. We needed to weedwack the fence line anyway. I guess I'll wait for that bloodwork in case it says she's magically fine, but prepare myself for the worst.
Sheesh, bad luck.

 

[rachels.haven]

Got the blood work on Saffron back. Not great. The vet interpretes it as pointing to cancer and Saffron will be terminal and not bouncing back. I agree, as this was my first impression when this started based on the way she acted and the way the situation matured, but I preferred to think it was worms or coccidia or bad nutrition (that somehow only one goat was getting).

This morning she was less bloated with fluid in the abdomen but she was almost unable to get up, so she will need to be put down soon. Oh well. On the day she goes we'll do extra pellets/scratch all around for everyone to celebrate her life (started doing this for my special ducks/chickens that died, wow, look where things have gone).

I'll need to move onto plans for her body soon since i can't bury this one either and she's a big goat. This time I wish I could. Maybe if they'll do it I could arrange for her ashes back from the crematorium. I may just settle for her collar to be nailed up on the wall though when this is all over if it can just end.

What a string of bad luck. Poor Saffron. I can get her to eat a little grain, but then she just looks at it like it hurts, but she still really wants it. Today I ran around and found her leafy branches from her favorite trees and after eating on them for a few minutes she went to go hide under the stall table from them looking at them like they hurt too. Poor sweet goat.

 

[Baymule]

Got the blood work on Saffron back. Not great. The vet interpretes it as pointing to cancer and Saffron will be terminal and not bouncing back. I agree, as this was my first impression when this started based on the way she acted and the way the situation matured, but I preferred to think it was worms or coccidia or bad nutrition (that somehow only one goat was getting).

This morning she was less bloated with fluid in the abdomen but she was almost unable to get up, so she will need to be put down soon. Oh well. On the day she goes we'll do extra pellets/scratch all around for everyone to celebrate her life (started doing this for my special ducks/chickens that died, wow, look where things have gone).

I'll need to move onto plans for her body soon since i can't bury this one either and she's a big goat. This time I wish I could. Maybe if they'll do it I could arrange for her ashes back from the crematorium. I may just settle for her collar to be nailed up on the wall though when this is all over if it can just end.

What a string of bad luck. Poor Saffron. I can get her to eat a little grain, but then she just looks at it like it hurts, but she still really wants it. Today I ran around and found her leafy branches from her favorite trees and after eating on them for a few minutes she went to go hide under the stall table from them looking at them like they hurt too. Poor sweet goat.

So sorry she is hurting. I know you are too. Big hugs, it’s not an easy thing to do.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm so sorry.

 

[rachels.haven]

Thank you. I told the kids and they were also upset. They like Saffron.

Wethers went to the processor to be processed tomorrow. This means tomorrow I start milking 2x daily instead of 1. Those wethers ate and ate that milk like crazy!

 

[farmerjan]

Sorry for your goat. I had a cow that was used as a nurse cow. Came off a dairy that I tested for many years. 1/2 hol/ 1/2 jersey.... Lara.... she got to acting just blah, and had the vet check her thinking there was some problem in the uterus.... infection??? No she had tumors, and there were quite a few. Her "calves"; hers and 2 grafted calves; were only about 6-8 weeks, so I asked vet about if there was something I could do to get a little more time for the calves. He gave her an IV with some dextose, dexamethesone, and something else, vit b complex, and she perked up. She got to eating again.... I was hoping for a few weeks. She rallied, and about 6-8 weeks later started to act blah again, so the vet said see if she will respond to it. We did a second time, and she came around again. By now it was mid-later summer, and when she started acting like she didn't want to eat again I said okay, enough.... and I put her down. The calves were well grown at that point, she had a nice spring and summer overall, and I wasn't going to try for a third time. So instead of getting a few weeks I got another 4 months..... I have 2 of her daughters and several granddaughters, all are beef crossed, but her progeny carry on. Her last daughter is expecting now for a fall calf. She could be a witch to other cows, but she was great once I got calves grafted on her and I could milk anytime too.

 

[rachels.haven]

Just desserts for Saffron until the end! Slow mo goat party just for her! Olive, hickory, oak, maple, honeysuckle...she loves it and it deflates her water belly a bit (then all the lumps are visible unfortunately). She appears determined to never lay down again too. Sounds like she heard me on the "if she can't get up or eat" bit.
She may not last long, but she can go out enjoying herself.

 

[Ridgetop]

SO SORRY FOR YOU.

IT S HARD KNOWING THERE IS NO HOPE. SAME THING WITH MY PROLAPSE EWE.

She rallied, and about 6-8 weeks later started to act blah again, so the vet said see if she will respond to it. We did a second time, and she came around again. By now it was mid-later summer, and when she started acting like she didn't want to eat again I said okay, enough.... and I put her down.

We did the same thing until we could wean her lamb off her. Weaned early at 6 weeks but she had suffered enough and really was showing pain in spite of her 2X pain meds. When there is no hope euthanasia is the kindest thing you can dol

to all who have gone through this sad process.