We lost a kid this morning. Need Help

[noskiveez]

Yesterday "Buck", my 9 year old daughters goat was fine. I saw nothing that concerned me. He was jumping and playing. When I opened the curtin this morning he was on his side. He was already dead and had been for probably a few hours.

I examined him and saw no parasites (I'm sure anything external would have already left him), I checked his rear end and saw no sign of worms or runs. The only thing I saw that wasn't normal to me (keep in mind ive never had a goat die before) his mouth, nose and face were wet. It seemed like saliva. I don't know if any actually came out his nose. It was clear and clean looking. We burried him at the far edge of the property under a mesquite tree. (I took one picture of him incase I missed something earlier and I'm happy to share it if it will help solve what went wrong).

He was born Nov 30th. We got him 12/4. He was a Nigerian. He had his horns intact. He was on milk replacer when I got him but we switched him to a homemade formula with cows milk. Both boys began to refuse bottle feedings about 3 weeks ago and gradually worked them off the bottle. The transition was rather smooth. They are eating, drinking and playing. They have not had moldy or wet hay.

A friend suggested Pasturella or Coccida.

Should I treat everyone? Should I treat for both?

I have a doe with a doeling that is nursing. How should I approach that? I don't want to loose another.

I have LA200 and a bag of Decox.

 

[glenolam]

Sorry you lost him - I hope your daughter is OK.

Did you treat the two bucklings for coccidia to begin with? If not (or if you haven't treated anyone) it would probably be useful to treat all the smaller kids since you are in a warmer climate.

Have you given everyone their CD&T shots? Was everyone together the entire time or are you keeping the boys separate from the girls?

How is everyone else doing? Anyone have a fever, seem off or having any weird poops?

 

[themrslove]

After having recently battled an enormous infestation of coccidia with some rescue goats, I would HIGHLY doubt it was that if he was being a normal bouncy goat just yesterday. Acute infestations leave the goats lethargic, cold, and weak. However, that being said...PLEASE treat for it! It is almost impossible to get it under control once you have noticed critical signs in a young kid.

If there is that much slobber/saliva/mucous...it might be just as simple as he choked on something. Things like that do happen and there is very little you can do to prevent it.

A second scary thing could have been urinary calculi. Did you notice if he had been bloated? Trouble or straining to urinate? Was he drinking normally?

It always stinks to look a goat -- especially a baby...I would suggest you take fecal samples of the other babies to the vet to get checked out.

 

[cmjust0]

They don't jump around and play and act normal before dying of urinary calculi, either.. This was most likely something acute, like choking as someone suggested.. Could also have been some kind of unknown congenital defect that finally exacted its toll..

The fact that his mouth, nose, and face were wet may or may not be of any diagnostic value.. I know this probably isn't the image you want in your mind's eye right now, but once they've passed away, some stomach contents can make their way back out. Could explain the fluid, especially if he ended up with his head below his rumen.

I understand the need for burial when it's more than "just a goat" as I've buried a few myself, so please don't take this as any kind of criticism... Sometimes, though, in order to protect the health and welfare of the rest of the herd, it's important to send animals which die of unknown causes to a livestock disease diagnostic center for a post-mortem exam. And again, like I said...I've buried a few myself, so I really do get it.

So sorry you're going through this.

 

[warthog]

So sorry for your loss

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

I am very sorry for your loss. Thats terrible news. One thing Ive learned that if its sudden like that...its hard to say what when wrong???
And you just may never know.

I tend to doubt UC or Coccidia...cuz they both have noticable signs before death occurs. Signs that are hard to miss. Even Floppy Kid Syndrom is kinda hard to miss...but it does come on fast. And it usually occurs when they are younger. But they can been effected at 8 weeks but not the norm. So its really hard to guess????

As for the fluids, its normal for them to release fluids after death. And as for worms, you really cant see worms other than tape in their poop...thats why fecals are the most productive way to worm. Test and worm accordingly. So I dont think it to be worms. IMO

I would watch the others closely. Make sure they are peeing and pooping, eating. Take temps, get a fecals done for sure. And keep a close eye on behavoir.

Give them their vaccinations if they have not been done. Important!!

I am very sorry...sometimes we just never know why...

Tough to lose em...regretfully...I know...

 

[cmjust0]

This kid was 2mo's old...very doubtful it was worms, although the seasons for internal parasites out west where it gets REALLY hot and dry are different than what we deal with here in the midwest..

In west texas, for instance, barberpoles 'overwinter' in the host during the summer months when it's super hot and super dry and the larvae aren't able to survive on the ground. How they've adapted to that, and what chemical signals they're reading to determine when to overwinter, I dunno, but that's what I've read.

Could be that Arizona's the same way... Could be that barberpole season is just ramping up in Arizona.



Still...the age alone of this kid, plus the way he was described as having acted in the days leading up to his death makes me doubt it was worms..

 

[Ariel301]

I lost a kid in a similar manner last year, at about the same age. He was fine before I went to bed, and we found him stiff and cold the next morning, curled up in a corner like he just fell asleep. We never figured it out for sure.

You're down further south of me where it is quite a bit warmer. What about a snake bite? A rattlesnake bite will take a kid that small down fast.

 

[noskiveez]

Everyone gas been peeing and pooping normally. The coop is immaculate. I rake it clean atleast 2 or 3 times a week. I get embarrassed if its not clean and someone sees it. I keep them on a dirt floor under a covered carport and I have blankets that I lower at night for them to help keep them warm. They are old blankets, its possible he ate a piece. I wash their water dish every day and give clean water even if they still hae some left over.

Yesterday he did get in to a closed off area and ate a mouthful of chicken feed.

I picked up a bad of Decox and started treatment in there.

I'm watching them closely. I'm afraid to go to sleep.

I feel like I'm over analyzing unimportant things.

 

[noskiveez]

They have a salt lick, but they don't lick it...at all. Could this have something to do with it?