Help! Goat problem, not even the vet is certain!

[MidnightChickenLover]

Friday we found our goat in her stall. She wouldn't move. She was laying down with head up, a little shakey, and she was bawling. She would eat and drink a little at a time. We checked on her about 30 minutes later and the back of her head was touching her spine, she was on her side, and her leggs were stiff and straight. The vet came, and told us that she would either be better in two days, or she wouldn't be alive. She's still alive, we are still giving her pain medication, electrolites, and B vitamins, that the vet told us to. We see little improvements, but she is still laying on her side, can't lift her head, and only can move a little bit with her legs. We have now gotten her to eat hay, but we have also noticed a feew other things. She blanks out, she'll be chewing on hay, and she'll stop moveing completely for 15 secs and then she'll come back. Also when we turn her onto her other side, a part of her stomach moves like there is something in there, it may just be her stomach, but we don't know. HELP, please!
I need some help ASAP! Thanks!

 

[freemotion]

This is all I have for you, unfortunately....

 

[Roll farms]

I had a doe w/ tetanus once, who acted a lot like that but....I'd imagine that w/out antibiotics your doe would've died by now....however the supportive therapy (good job) you've given may have made a difference.

That being said, if it was me...I'd hit her w/ tetanus antitoxin (the full bottle, blue box available at TSC), and be giving her Pen G (3 cc per 50#) every 6 hrs...after 3 days go to every 12 hrs...keep it up for 10 days.

What's her temp?

Keep up the B shots, turn her from side to side (to keep her from bloating), give her some ProBios paste.
You need to drench her w/ fluids to keep her from dehydrating (assuming that's what you mean by giving her electrolytes).

I made "Mbuzi Bites" (named for the goat who had tetanus, and later used on a doe down w/ Listeriosis)....Chopped alfalfa very, very fine, added instant oatmeal, and mollasses (or syrup) and added warm water and electrolytes to make it soupy. Cut the tip off a big syringe and 'fed' her that every time I gave her Pen G, followed by a dollop of Probios.

I think what you're seeing on her side is her rumen movement.

None of what I've suggested will hurt her, and it may help her.

This is what my doe Mbuzi looked like w/ full blown tetanus. Her head was touching her back when I first found her. She was also very bloated.

She survived but lost her 3 mos. along pregnancy.
She was my first "bought" goat, and this was 3 days after I'd bought her /got her home.
When I contacted the owner he assured me she'd "had her shots" but I later found he was vaccinating w/ the anti toxin, instead of the toxoid....

Which reminds me....if you use the anti toxin on her, you will need to revaccinate her w / CDT toxoid after she's well....the anti toxin 'cancels out' the toxiod.

Good luck...

 

[bheila]

I agree with what Rolls said

 

[mully]

Also i would put her on a nutritional drench 5-10 cc twice a day and that will give her an energy boost and help with her eating. Keep her moving so she does not bloat. Keep us posted.

 

[()relics]

Agreed...I lost one in the same manner...She scoured a little later in the day she wouldn't get up then she bloated...Along the same lines that you are talking it sounds...Unfortunately I figured out the problem too late and she died...the vet confirmed tetanus in the post report but he said the cause of death was probably the result of the bloat...It was one of the first goats that I ever owned...I look back and realize that if I would have acted alittle quicker she might have made it. I can remember she went from eating with the herd to dead in 2(?) days.

 

[helmstead]

Don't forget the C&D Antitoxin. Good luck~!

 

[Roll farms]

Any update?

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

I wish there was something I could do, the vet put her to sleep. I thank you all for your advice, and I will definetly look back on this. I miss her so much! R.I.P. Belle

She survived from a rare and severe case of coccidiosis before. When she got it it was instant, and the vet said there was only a 1 in 1,000th chance she would survive, I'm glad I could have her for as long as we did. She was a doll, she had the most personality out of the rest of the herd, but she allways seemed to get sick.

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y299/kritter11/Mbuzisick2.jpg

That's what she looked like, darn, I wish I got on earlier..