I have a rescue goat that is having a hard time, it started once the cold weather hit here, 1-2 weeks. She seems to improve when it warms up and get worse when its colder, but it might just seem that way or be aggravated by the weather. She's very pregnant due anywhere from the end of Jan to end or Feb. She has lost weight the past month. She seems bright eyed and alert but reluctant to get up. She walks on her front knees sometimes and in the morning will not get up w/out me pulling her up and she walks like her front feet or front legs are very painful, and won't bend her knees. She is eating. She's not drinking as much and keeps eating snow though. Her poop is normal, her eyelids are deep pink maybe slightly pale? but she has been wormed. She seems to be urinating often and it is very strong smelling at times. She did founder at her former home, so maybe its something involving that? Should I be feeding her different with that history? The vet can't come out for a while and I feel so bad for this poor goat. What can I do?
Sick pregnant goat
- Thread starter Sylverfly
- Start date
jodief100
True BYH Addict
How do her hooves look? Do they need trimming? Do you know if the wormer worked? Have you gotten a fecal egg count? Do you know how old she is? I am thinking of a few possibilities but need more information. What are you feeding her?
- Thread starter
- #3
I just trimmed her hooves about a month ago she does have bad hooves since they were likely never trimmed at her old home, but the front ones have looked alright. The dewormer did work although it took 2 different dewormers to clear up the issue, the first one isn't very effective in our area. No idea on the egg count since I had the vet run it. She's about 2-3 years only but was neglected to near death at her old home so she's had a hard life. I'm feeding a goat ration, mixed with sweet feed due to the feed store being out of the normal feed, BOSS, apples carrots, and sugar beets cut up, grass hay since I couldn't get any good Alfalfa hay this year, alfalfa pellets, and some pine tree branches from time to time. She has access to goat loose mineral, and baking soda, the grain gets a top dressing of vitamin probotic powder too. I did give her a calcium drench when she started walking stiff as well.
Southern by choice
Herd Master
Does she get hay at all? Any kind? How much?
Pearce Pastures
Barn Babe
First, stop the sweet feed, BOSS, and other items. Offer hay, water, minerals, and a cup of regular goat feed once a day. She very well could be having some issues from the rich feeding alone and high sulfur intake from sweet feed.
Pearce Pastures
Barn Babe
Nix the baking soda too. It is not needed and can decrease the absorption of minerals.
- Thread starter
- #7
- Thread starter
- #8
Called the vet and she suggested cutting way back on the grain, introducing something like goat balancer in the grain, and offering alfalfa/grass pellets in case the hay isn't that great and to keep weight on her. Some kind of hoof pellet made for horses was mentioned too, if she's not improving.
Sweetened
Herd Master
Take her OFF grain. We lost a pregnant doe to these EXACT symptoms and it was pregnancy induced lysteriosis. Lysteria is worsened with grain, call your vet and find out what to treat her with if it is lysteria and/or how to live test for it. My understanding is you will likely lose the kid if you treat the lysteria.
