"URGENT! Bute for dog-attacked doe? Dark urine, won't eat, help!"

[foreverblu]

For those of you not following, day before yesterday a pair of wolf/hybrids attacked my nigerian herd in broad daylight. They killed my sweet herd leader Laverne and seriously injured 3 others. These goats are more family/pets than anything. Anyway, after having an emergency vet and the sheriff department out I have been caring for my babies here at the house. The buck and buckling seem to be doing well for the most part. Both are very sore but eating and drinking well. My pregnant doe is not doing too well. She is in a lot of pain and cannot stand on her own. She urinates on herself and I have to bathe her a couple of times a day. Last night while checking her front foreleg, I found wounds that were missed by the vet. They were quite nasty and maggot infested. I cleaned them out good and helped to get the excess drainage out. The vet, who I had never met before the other night, came back b/c he had forgotten his clippers. I told him and he said to just spray the area with fly spray. He left a tube of bute paste he said to give 1 gm twice a day. My girl who had been eating and drinking ok will now only take a few nibbles from your hand and a sip or two of water. Her urine is very dark, almost appearing brownish in color. I am very concerned for her and her babies.

Have any of you used bute paste for your goats? I noticed the tube said for horses only. Being that I don't know this vet well, as he was the only one who would return my call in the midst of the emergency I am double checking.

I have not seen the attackers again since that night but did hear some howling outside a little earlier. Maybe they will do me the favor of venturing back onto my property since I can't seem to find them or their owners otherwise.

Thank you my friends for all your kind words and advice!

 

[elevan]

I've never used bute paste...I'm sure someone on here has. Having said that, I will say that MOST things that we use for goats are used off-label so while they are listed for one animal (horse, sheep, cattle) we find them useful for goats. My vet regularly has me use items that aren't labeled for goats.

I'm pulling for your girl

 

[Ms. Research]

I feel helpless, wishing I could do something. I couldn't even point you in the right direction on how to bring some relief to your pregnant doe. Hope someone who does can give you their opinion soon.

All I can do is . Hoping someone can help you and your remaining herd. Bad enough the pain of loss, but this.

Someone should help you find those wolf/hybrids and if not definitely their owners. The owners should see what they allow to happen for their irresponsible actions.

 

[freemotion]

Change your title to attract the attention of the most experienced goat people who often lurk but don't post much...but will jump in with great advice. Something like "URGENT! Bute for dog-attacked doe? Dark urine, won't eat, help!" That may be too long, but the more info you put in the title and the more urgent it sounds, the answers you need will come. I opened this thread expecting details about catching the dogs or something to that effect. You can edit your title by clicking on your first post and then hit the edit button.

I don't like the dark urine detail.....that scares me the most......

 

[foreverblu]

Thank you all and especially for advice on how this board works. I am new to backyard herds and am finding it a godsend.

 

[kstaven]

If she is not drinking the urine will be very dark. Same thing happens with humans who are running on the dehydrated side.

Bute will relieve some pain and work as an anti-inflammatory.

Good that you flushed the wounds. Did he give you anything for infection?

Fluids and electrolytes are your first order of business as you don't want her to become any more dehydrated than dark urine would tend to indicate.

 

[Island Creek Farm]

If you haven't, join dairygoatinfo.com. I know there is some good info on injecting lactated ringer solution (IV fluid) over the shoulder area for severely dehydrated goats. Would probably help. Have not used bute on goats, have injected banamine for pain relief though, it seems that nothing is "actually" labeled for goats. Good luck with your girl, and keep us posted!

 

[Roll farms]

I agree, she needs hydrated, fast.

There are posters who know how to hook them up to lactated ringers...I'm not one of them....I've always just used a drenching gun and squirted gatoraide / electrolytes down their throats, slowly, making sure they swallow.

I would probably give her propylene glycol as well for energy...Mix 4 parts PG to 1 part NutriDrench so that it flavors it / triggers them to swallow.
How far along is she / when is she due?

I have never given Bute to a goat. I can't find it listed on any of the 'big producers' meds lists...makes me wonder if they should get it or not, I know it's commonly used in horses. I've used only Banamine and children's liquid ibuprofen at 2x the label dose. You shouldn't give either long term (more than 2-3 doses) because of possible liver / kidney damage.

As for the antibiotic...I should have written this the 1st day you posted but, since I'm not a vet, I didn't want to come across as thinking I knew better than he did.
I would have put her on Pen G, 2x a day for 10 days instead of the LA-200.
Tetracycline's not a 'go to' for wounds like Pen G is. I didn't suggest you switch because using them at the same time cancels out the effects of the Pen G.

I would give her a big dose of Pen G (1cc per 15#) ASAP, get her hydrated, give her the prop. glycol / NutriDrench mix, banamine or ibuprofen, a shot of B vitamin (for energy and to hopefully stimulate her appetite) and some ProBios to keep the good bugs in her rumen that the antibiotics might kill.

In the long term, as long as she's not eating anything fibrous, you'll need to chop / grate / grind up some soft oats, alfalfa, grass hay, etc. and mix it w/ enough syrup or mollasses, and water so that you can squeeze it down her throat w/ a large (60cc) syringe w/ the tip cut off. W/out something to grind up the rumen can shut down and that will kill her.
When I've done it in the past, I used sweet feed, quick oats, and alfalfa and used 20 cc of prop. glycol and just enough water to make it thin enough to go through the syringe easily.
The longer you let it soak, the easier it is to grind / squirt through the syringe, so I'd start the next batch soaking after feeding the last one.

I'd give 3 -60cc syringes of the mix every 4-6 hours, followed by 3 60cc syringes of water or gatoraide.

Good luck.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I would consider giving her IV fluids or talk to the vet about giving her fluids under the skin(sub-q). I know a product called lactating rings is often recommended. But any type of dextrose, IV, fluid can be given under the skin for hydration.


YOU are giving her injectable antibiotics daily? high doses of pennicillin?( Sorry, I can't remember)

Perhaps drenching her twice a day with a drench called Magic. Around 8 ounces at a time of total Magic, so 2 ounces molasses, 4 ounces Kayro, 2 ounces corn oil. Doesn't have to be exact, if you don't have one of the ingredience just use the other two, or add yogurt to the mix. A couple tablespoons of honey is high energy.

High Energy Supplements:

Propylene Glycol
Nutri-drench
Dextrose
TKM Solution
Magic (1 part Molasses, 2 parts Kayro, 1 part Corn Oil)
Glucose IV

I have also made a drench consisting of one egg, 2 ounces of high fat yogurt, and 2 ounce of corn oil, with a little water added


I realize she may be too weak to do all this drenching, then again, some of my sicker goats, seemed to enjoy the magic mixture.


Long term, after say 3 days, she really needs roughage in her diet, drenching with a mash of alfalfa pellets, watered down,


B-complex shots 2 or 3 times a day.
a singe bo-se shot for energy.

You can add vit E capsules cut open to the drenches.

I am sorry for what you are going through.

 

[20kidsonhill]

Roll and I were posting at the same time.