1 Year Old Pygmy Goat Recovering From Hypothermia

[GoatLadyFF]

GoatLadyFF submitted a new resource:

1 Year Old Pygmy Goat Recovering From Hypothermia - Here is how he is improving & would love to hear about other similar experiences.

I have two Pygmy Goats that are 1 year old almost exactly. They have lived in my backyard their whole life, except the occasional trip into the house to snoop around or shelter from a Hurricane (I'm in North Florida).

This winter it has been crazy cold in North Florida and I struggled with how I would keep them warm or if I even needed to do anything extra besides put out new dry hay/straw for them in their house. I put a heating lamp close by one night and then decided I better take it...

Read more about this resource...

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings and welcome to BYH @GoatLadyFF

So glad you joined us. There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Please make yourself at home!Oh and thanks for putting your location in your profile. Makes it so much better when asking for or offering help/advice.

 

[OneFineAcre]

We set a record in NC for consecutive hours that the temp never got above freezing
It was over a week and the high never got above 32
We had over a week where the lows got to single digits and we also had the lowest temp we had ever had at -1
My goats did fine
I doubt very seriously that your goat had hypothermia at 20 degrees.

I've had baby goats born in the morning and it got down to the 20s that night when they were less than a day old and they were fine with no added heat

I'm glad your goat is ok but I doubt that a 1 year old had hypothermia when the temp was 20

 

[Alibo]

That pygmy would be the tiniest pygmy I have ever seen at one year old! While i do not doubt that it could possibly be hypothermia, (I have a pygmy that cannot handle temps below 30 degrees or loses condition,) I strongly feel that at his size there might be something else going on

 

[Alibo]

My pygmy also has a terrible threshold for high temps too, he wears a blanket in the cold and get hosed in the heat. I was told he probably did not get proper colostrum as a newborn and has a very low immune system and the more extreme temps than what he is used to will "set him off." Go with your gut and keep your baby warm

 

[Southern by choice]

My first thought when I read your post (article) was deficiency. A goat that is deficient may not be able to handle temp changes. It isn't necessarily the temp, but sudden change and underlying deficiency and the body's inability to adjust.
My other immediate thoughts...
Laying on side hollering and kicking would suggest several issues -possibly- bloat, UC (urinary calculi) , polio....
Another side issue with bloat is restricting blood flow and low blood pressure.

Hmmmm.

Did you vet do any labs?
What vitamins/minerals does he get?
What feeding program?

Did the vet give any thiamine? any b vitamins?

Do you know what kind of IV was given?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

What type of feed & hay are you feeding? How much hay and what kind? Is it out 24/7

I have no doubt that the goat was hypothermic- I believe the vet and think you made the right call!

At those temps there is no reason to have a bout of hypothermia, but something else is contributing.
You said you noticed the goat was suddenly looking small- as in very thin?
When was the last time you have him checked for parasites? Have you checked his FAMACHA?
My guess is the goat was thin and anemic- already being taxed- and dealing with a deficiency and made the goat susceptible to hypothermia. I am also wondering about the rumin- possibly that is started shutting down (the active rumin is what keeps the goat warm) The B vitamins also help the rumin.
Of course I am not a vet, and I am sure there is more to the story, but this is my first thought.

When you took the goats to the shelter during the hurricane- did you ever deworm them or check there fecal afterwards? Whenever you move a goat they can have a stress bloom.

You did a great job and I can tell you really love your goats! You did all the right things and I hope he recovers soon! You should ask your vet about giving some probiotics. You can get them at TSC, they can really help.

 

[GoatLadyFF]

My first thought when I read your post (article) was deficiency. A goat that is deficient may not be able to handle temp changes. It isn't necessarily the temp, but sudden change and underlying deficiency and the body's inability to adjust.
My other immediate thoughts...
Laying on side hollering and kicking would suggest several issues -possibly- bloat, UC (urinary calculi) , polio....
Another side issue with bloat is restricting blood flow and low blood pressure.

Hmmmm.

Did you vet do any labs?
What vitamins/minerals does he get?
What feeding program?

Did the vet give any thiamine? any b vitamins?

Do you know what kind of IV was given?

Yes, I agree that there was an underlying issue before he got hypothermic. I don’t think she did any labs. He is on Timothy grass hay (constant access) and able to graze. I put out loose minerals for both goats but they barely touched that before, also I give them like a handful of medicated goat feed pretty much as a treat.

The vet gave him a boost of vitamin B, 5 days of antibiotics and treated for parasites. I mentioned polio to the vet and she said that is pretty much the treatment she gave him.

Since he has been home he has willingly eaten minerals, and probiotics. Today I got some goat electrolyte formula to put in his water with extra vitamin B in it.

Thank you for your response! I am just so worried about him.

 

[GoatLadyFF]

What type of feed & hay are you feeding? How much hay and what kind? Is it out 24/7

I have no doubt that the goat was hypothermic- I believe the vet and think you made the right call!

At those temps there is no reason to have a bout of hypothermia, but something else is contributing.
You said you noticed the goat was suddenly looking small- as in very thin?
When was the last time you have him checked for parasites? Have you checked his FAMACHA?
My guess is the goat was thin and anemic- already being taxed- and dealing with a deficiency and made the goat susceptible to hypothermia. I am also wondering about the rumin- possibly that is started shutting down (the active rumin is what keeps the goat warm) The B vitamins also help the rumin.
Of course I am not a vet, and I am sure there is more to the story, but this is my first thought.

When you took the goats to the shelter during the hurricane- did you ever deworm them or check there fecal afterwards? Whenever you move a goat they can have a stress bloom.

You did a great job and I can tell you really love your goats! You did all the right things and I hope he recovers soon! You should ask your vet about giving some probiotics. You can get them at TSC, they can really help.

Yes, I agree that something else contributed to him getting hypothermia. He is very thin! And yes I noticed that he was getting thinner a week or so before.

The vet treated him for parasites but said she didn’t see any signs of worms. I am not sure what FAMACHA is.

As far as stress in the house during Hurricane, I don’t think so. They follow me around like dogs and are often wondering around in my house.. that was also in like September.

Thank you for reassuring that I’ve done the right stuff! My dad came and looked at him today and said how lucky he was to have me bc almost any other goat owner wouldn’t have put as much love, time and money into this sweet baby. My dad is pretty optimistic that he is on the road to recovery based on his big appetite and drinking water so good. I got some goat electrolyte mix to put in his water that has more vitamin B in it so we will see if that helps any.

It was also warmer outside today so we hung out in the yard in the sun for him to graze and soak up some natural vitamin D. He is just still so weak— I have been attempting a physical therapy pretty much getting him up and encouraging him to walk around with or without my help.

 

[GoatLadyFF]

We set a record in NC for consecutive hours that the temp never got above freezing
It was over a week and the high never got above 32
We had over a week where the lows got to single digits and we also had the lowest temp we had ever had at -1
My goats did fine
I doubt very seriously that your goat had hypothermia at 20 degrees.

I've had baby goats born in the morning and it got down to the 20s that night when they were less than a day old and they were fine with no added heat

I'm glad your goat is ok but I doubt that a 1 year old had hypothermia when the temp was 20

Thanks for your input, while I agree that the temps are mild and I shouldn’t have to add heat... if you read the whole post you would see that I also said there was some underlying problem that caused him to react to the weather more or get hypothermia.

It is very common for newborn goats (in certain situations) to get hypothermia even in 20 degree weather and for a sick adult goat to get it. I am glad to hear that you have never had that problem.

I trust that my vet didn’t lie to me about him having hypothermia. She is a ruminant specialist. I respect that she couldn’t tell me what exactly was wrong with Festus and didn’t want to tell one thing and it be another, but the only thing I am certain of is that he did indeed get hypothermic. I am hoping that his treatment and aftercare takes care of any underlying problems he had/has and that I can keep him warm until he is strong enough to withstand the cold on his own.