Goat with an infected castration band - Updated

[cassie]

I have attended several small ruminant seminars that were held at the national convention of the American Dairy Goat Association. The veterinarians giving talks at these seminars said to give all injections to goats, including the medications that the labels say should be given intramuscular, subcutaneously instead. Since these speakers are tops in their field and experts on goats, I am inclined to think that they just might know what they are talking about. But that's me. You have to do what you think best for your own animals.

 

[cassie]

I forgot to mention that IV medications must be given IV, not IM or SubQ.

 

[Realtree4]

Thank you both for all the helpful info!! I'm always amazed at the different opinions and ways to do things. I agree Cassie, the best we can do is be as informed as you can and make your choice.

So, this story just took a twist. If you're squeamish, you may not want to read. We didn't get to the banding last night due to some major storms that went through. So went out this afternoon, sterilized the new band with alcohol, let it dry, gave him his penicillin shot and checked his "area". I held him while my husband put the new band on and I thought I had a good grip on him. Think of a suma wrestler hold. Well, somehow a leg got lose and he kicked my husbands hand right when he tried to release the banded and off came the scrotum!!!! With the tube attached!!! (Later we realized it was only being held by the vas deferens).

In my panic I said "we pulled out his intestines!!!!! Not even anatomically possible but hey, I was panicking. I ran and grabbed the iodine and Blu-kote expecting to come back to a goat kid that was bleeding out.

Nothing. Not a drop of blood.

He was just standing there chewing his cud staring at me. So we laid him on his back and there was just the tiniest hole that we had a very difficult time finding. Which we completely cleaned and sterilized. He jumped back up, went to his Mom and then walked out to the pasture to eat.

I feel horrible!

But we did learn that even the small band would have done nothing since the tube was too small. And the bad smell was only coming from the dead tissue, not from his body.

We will keep him on the penicillin and a very close eye. I still cannot believe that happened......

I debated updating but hopefully someone can learn from our mistake.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I shouldn't laugh, but I would have been panicking too. I'm glad it turned out fine for you and he's okay, you just never know.