Good to hear. It sounded a bit dire for a while there.
Best wishes.
Best wishes.
HELP! Sick goat??
- Thread starter ShayBaby
- Start date
Lisa Hurley
Hatching
- Feb 19, 2015
- 2
- 0
- 6
Can you tell me what happened with your goat? I am online diligently searching for a solution to my 9 month old pygmy / nigerian buck's problems. I have been assuming it was polio, and have been treating him with Dexamethasone, Thiamine and Penicillin, but a dr online mentioned to me that if Thiamine wasn't doing it, it probably wasn't polio. When I asked him what it could be then, he didn't reply. I am distraught. My buck has been on his side out in the barn all day now. He appears to be alert, but he can't get up. He gets rigid at times, and will then have mild jerks all over. I am running out of things to do. I just went out and covered him with a warm blanket. If I could get him in the house I would... but I can't move him.
- Jan 26, 2014
- 707
- 47
- 118
What's his temp?
- Thread starter
- #24
Oh no. I'm so sorry for you. I wish I could help, but I really have no idea what's going on with him. Mine ended up being polio, and the pure thiamine injections (not the thiamine mix stuff from TSC) cured her. She's been fine ever since. I hope you find out what's wrong and he turns out ok!
Is there any chance your goat could have gorged on chicken feed?
Lisa Hurley
Hatching
- Feb 19, 2015
- 2
- 0
- 6
Do you recall how long it took for yours to get better? I read where she was unable to stand for a day, and then got up.
Did it ever happen again, or was it just that one time? In a way I am hoping this is polio, because it seems like it would be the easiest thing to treat... I guess what I'm wanting to know is how long you had to wait to see improvement and a return back to normal?
Did it ever happen again, or was it just that one time? In a way I am hoping this is polio, because it seems like it would be the easiest thing to treat... I guess what I'm wanting to know is how long you had to wait to see improvement and a return back to normal?
Sounds like he's having mild seizures perhaps, but it might be tremors. Could be acidosis, for example if he'd gotten into a lot of pellets, or a lot of grains, or just more than what his body is used to, or has suffered prolonged over-exposure to overly rich foods. You giving him the same ration day after day after day for a week or more can slowly build him up to acidosis until he's tipped over the edge, even if it was within reasonable limits.
In that case, activated carbon/charcoal tablets and vit C can help a lot. I would also offer dolomite or calcium carbonate and avoid any processed foods. IF you think it's acidosis, that is... Even then most or all of those will help with a very wide range of issues.
Does he have a bounding pulse inbetween his hooves, as in at the peak of the ^ between them? (You will be able to see it in most cases, not even have to feel for it. An obvious, jumping pulse). He may also act very tender on his feet (though sounds like he's not been on them) or refuse to walk, as symptoms of foundering/having acidosis.
Is he grinding his teeth? Does he have scours or foul-smelling feces? If not, and if they're normally pelleted, do they have pitted, rough surfaces instead of smooth?
If the answer is 'yes' to all or most of the above, it's most likely acidosis, or founder, caused by overly rich feeds usually.
Is he eating at all? If so, please, no pellets, that is harmful to most issues... If he's not eating make sure you keep him warm, if he becomes hypothermic you'll most likely lose him. The activity of the rumen in digesting food is what I'm told is responsible for much of their temperature maintenance.
What sort of plants do you have in your area that he can access? Are you confident of their ID and safety?
Even if he's never eaten them before, animals can and do change their feed preferences suddenly. Weather impacts the biochemical makeup of plants, particularly after drought and heavy rainfall, during seeding and flowering/fruiting, are the most dangerous periods for many plants.
(I just went through a serious episode with my sheep and goat due to Groundsel Bush, they never touched it until after the recent heavy rain. Almost lost the sheep. She was scouring, muscle tremors in her chest especially, very sick, extremely anti-touch so I know her nerves were stripped of calcium, as most toxins do. Liver failure is caused by Groundsel Bush but thankfully she's ok now).
Mega-dose of vitamin C has worked in the past for me against so many known toxic plants as well as pulpy kidney. Highly recommend it. Not anything including sugar though, because refined easily digestible sugars could feed opportunistic bacteria and pathogens to the point where they tip the balance fatally and overpopulate beyond the point of return. Blackmores' is good but Nature's Own or anything with no preservatives or sweeteners added is best.
Since in extreme overdose it will likely only cause short-term scouring as the body eliminates it, (never seen it happen despite feeding many thousands of mg's of vit C in desperate cases), but it has been used successfully by both myself and others against so many toxins and problems including pulpy kidney, snake and spider bites, tick paralysis, toxin ingestion ranging from natural to artificial, etc, I would recommend you give him a megadose of vitamin C ASAP.
(I'd class anything around 8000 mg's as a 'megadose' but personally I would give him as much as he wants to eat as often as he wants to eat it. He may not want to at first, my goat disapproves of the tablets. Well, too bad, I disapprove of her having toxicosis! If needs be I'd drench her. You may need to do the same for your buck).
Doesn't matter if you add it in tablets or powder to his food, or give him straight tablets, or inject it, or dissolve it and drench him with it, it's saved my animals many times over now. If you suspect spider or snake bite, injected is best for rapid action.
Maybe tetanus? Any recent wounds on him? Not that it's necessarily the most relevant thing since tetanus can incubate for months before becoming serious...
Can you give us more info on whats going on with him?
As in, anemia (do an eyelid test), teeth grinding, grunting, is he 'paddling' on his side (making running motions with his legs), any and all info you can share?
You need to get him off his side. Whatever you can do to prop him up, you need to get him onto his chest in a normal sitting position. Ask neighbors for help if you need to, even if you've never spoken a word to them.
Best wishes. Hope he recovers.
In that case, activated carbon/charcoal tablets and vit C can help a lot. I would also offer dolomite or calcium carbonate and avoid any processed foods. IF you think it's acidosis, that is... Even then most or all of those will help with a very wide range of issues.
Does he have a bounding pulse inbetween his hooves, as in at the peak of the ^ between them? (You will be able to see it in most cases, not even have to feel for it. An obvious, jumping pulse). He may also act very tender on his feet (though sounds like he's not been on them) or refuse to walk, as symptoms of foundering/having acidosis.
Is he grinding his teeth? Does he have scours or foul-smelling feces? If not, and if they're normally pelleted, do they have pitted, rough surfaces instead of smooth?
If the answer is 'yes' to all or most of the above, it's most likely acidosis, or founder, caused by overly rich feeds usually.
Is he eating at all? If so, please, no pellets, that is harmful to most issues... If he's not eating make sure you keep him warm, if he becomes hypothermic you'll most likely lose him. The activity of the rumen in digesting food is what I'm told is responsible for much of their temperature maintenance.
What sort of plants do you have in your area that he can access? Are you confident of their ID and safety?
Even if he's never eaten them before, animals can and do change their feed preferences suddenly. Weather impacts the biochemical makeup of plants, particularly after drought and heavy rainfall, during seeding and flowering/fruiting, are the most dangerous periods for many plants.
(I just went through a serious episode with my sheep and goat due to Groundsel Bush, they never touched it until after the recent heavy rain. Almost lost the sheep. She was scouring, muscle tremors in her chest especially, very sick, extremely anti-touch so I know her nerves were stripped of calcium, as most toxins do. Liver failure is caused by Groundsel Bush but thankfully she's ok now).
Mega-dose of vitamin C has worked in the past for me against so many known toxic plants as well as pulpy kidney. Highly recommend it. Not anything including sugar though, because refined easily digestible sugars could feed opportunistic bacteria and pathogens to the point where they tip the balance fatally and overpopulate beyond the point of return. Blackmores' is good but Nature's Own or anything with no preservatives or sweeteners added is best.
Since in extreme overdose it will likely only cause short-term scouring as the body eliminates it, (never seen it happen despite feeding many thousands of mg's of vit C in desperate cases), but it has been used successfully by both myself and others against so many toxins and problems including pulpy kidney, snake and spider bites, tick paralysis, toxin ingestion ranging from natural to artificial, etc, I would recommend you give him a megadose of vitamin C ASAP.
(I'd class anything around 8000 mg's as a 'megadose' but personally I would give him as much as he wants to eat as often as he wants to eat it. He may not want to at first, my goat disapproves of the tablets. Well, too bad, I disapprove of her having toxicosis! If needs be I'd drench her. You may need to do the same for your buck).
Doesn't matter if you add it in tablets or powder to his food, or give him straight tablets, or inject it, or dissolve it and drench him with it, it's saved my animals many times over now. If you suspect spider or snake bite, injected is best for rapid action.
Maybe tetanus? Any recent wounds on him? Not that it's necessarily the most relevant thing since tetanus can incubate for months before becoming serious...
Can you give us more info on whats going on with him?
As in, anemia (do an eyelid test), teeth grinding, grunting, is he 'paddling' on his side (making running motions with his legs), any and all info you can share?
You need to get him off his side. Whatever you can do to prop him up, you need to get him onto his chest in a normal sitting position. Ask neighbors for help if you need to, even if you've never spoken a word to them.
Best wishes. Hope he recovers.
- Jan 26, 2014
- 707
- 47
- 118
And we still need his temperature! That can be a huge clue as to what the problem is.
@Lisa Hurley
How is your buck?
How is your buck?
...... I can't stand suspense ......
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