Sick doe..vet and I stumped

[Tapsmom]

Thank you everyone. The ultrasound will be our last ditch effort. And if I find, as I fear, that it is untreatable. We will spoil her rotten until she tells us it is time. She is very alert and actually wags her tail if you bring her a tasty treat. She is having difficulty getting up..but once she takes a few steps..is quite happy to mosey around looking for treats.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh Tapsmom, I have been following and truly am heartbroken with you. When you do all you can and have that support and still no answers it is just so painful.
As daunting as this has been for you I want you to know how much I appreciate all of your posts and sharing this journey. I believe our experiences always help others, always.
All the hours of worry, all the hours of care, the many consults, the time just spent hoping and being with your girl may not change the outcome but you will know, and she will know you have been a wonderful shepherd and will continue to be til the end.
The kind of owner I would want my goat to have. She is so blessed to have you.

X2!

It's so hard to admit that we can't fix them all... You should rest assured that you have done as much as you can for her.

 

[Tapsmom]

A friend of mine also tossed out one other thing we have not checked for..Lyme disease. I know it is a longshot..but I figure it can't hurt to check.
I used to have a dog that had chronic Lyme...and it was brought on by trauma. She had an injury to her paw and as we treated that infection, the Lyme tooks it's chance and emerged. From that year on she had a flare up, like clockwork, every March until she passed away at 17 1/2.

 

[Southern by choice]

A friend of mine also tossed out one other thing we have not checked for..Lyme disease. I know it is a longshot..but I figure it can't hurt to check.
I used to have a dog that had chronic Lyme...and it was brought on by trauma. She had an injury to her paw and as we treated that infection, the Lyme tooks it's chance and emerged. From that year on she had a flare up, like clockwork, every March until she passed away at 17 1/2.

There are so many tick borne illnesses now affecting livestock and humans but difficult to actually test for.

 

[Tapsmom]

The results after our "last ditch effort" are still inconclusive. However, we have a more concrete game plan. This vet tossed out a few different options and did end by commenting that she does remind her of a cow with Ketosis. Which is funny, because on researching symptoms, they do fit ketosis. But based on what I read, she does not fit the profile of goats that actually get it. She alo mentioned that she has seen quite few goats around here with gastric issues with the unusually wet and strange weather we had this Fall or possibly some type of toxicity. (She is one of the two idiots in our herd that we have to keep an eye on and that will head for the Azaleas) And of course the last option is Cancer. My vet had not send over the most recent blood test results, so I have to remind them to do so on Monday. But the high white count was a concern, so she hit her with another shot of a heavy duty antibiotic.
She wants us to increase the Vitamin B shot to 6 ml daily, plus 5 ml of Probios and 20 cc of Nutridrench. We need to get calories in her. She suggested soaking the alfalfa cubes into a slurry. But our "Princess" did not like that and prefers to eat them broken in to small pieces. We are still trying to get her to eat and she is still being picky. Do you guys have any ideas on foods that goats simply cannot resist?
The vet said she does not look like a dying goat..at least at this point in time. So we are continuing the fight and least until we either win or lose. And as always I am open to suggestions or thoughts. And I will continue to keep everyone updated. At this point she needs help to get all the way up and stand. But once she is up she is perfectly capable of walking around and stepping up, over and through everything.

 

[Tapsmom]

On a side note. I am giving her the 6 ml Vitamin B shot with an 18 guage needle..that I do not have many of. Can I use the same needle more than once? I have always tossed them after one use..but I am running out. It would be the same medication in the same goat.
Secondly, I have always rubbed the bump for CD & T, but that seems to be counterproductive with the Vitamin B. It seems to come out. So I am guessing that I should just let the bump of Vitamn B dissipate on it's own, correct?

 

[Rammy]

My Mom says not to reuse the needle. She was a lab tech for 30+ years. She said you could risk contamination because the needle is no longer sterile. Considering how sick your fur baby is, its not worth the risk. Reusing the needle could introduce bacteria.

 

[Rammy]

Just to give you a better idea of how dangerous reusing needles can be....
A friend of mine had this beautiful arab horse. The vet came to give it shots and exam at the farm she was boarding at. He reused a needle and syringe he had used to give cows blackleg, I believe. Horse had a reaction and died. She found out at some point the vet had reused a needle and syringe. I dont know if she sued or not.

 

[Tapsmom]

I did reuse last night's needle. But I sterilized it with hot water. And we wash the syringe itself out immediately after use. I will not reuse them again. It did make me nervous.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Go on line to jeffers, you can order them and get them quickly , if you can't get to store to get some...good luck with the baby hope she gets better