Help with pygmy doe that had too big of a baby... UPDATE

[Chatychick]

Sometimes its a judgement call on the type of meds to give and also pennicillian is for infection of some types and not others. Bio and LA cover infections also and its not only respritory infection either. Yes get her up and if the vet will give it to you get some Dex in her for the swelling and some banamine for pain. I keep both here...never know when you will need it. get her moving as fast as possible and some water also. the more she moves the better she will get.

 

[cutiepieacres]

Make sure she is up on her sternum you may need to use a wall or bale of straw to make sure she isnt laying flat out on her side. Bring her food and water to her, if she has a favorite offer her small amounts of that. Try to get her to stand a few times a day if she is still down you may need to support her for a few minutes at a time while she is up. Pygmy goats especially purebreds often have issues kidding, the baby is out that is good but it sounds like she is going to have a tough recovery.

Make sure she is getting her antibiotics, I would do probiotics in between doses of antibiotics and keep it clean back there. I just use warm witer with betadine and then rinse. They look just awful after having babies pulled there just inst much room for a full size hand like with the bigger goats. I would also offer her plain water as well as water with electrolytes(just in case they wont drink this kind make sure they get plain too so at least they get water). If you can get bananmine that will really help.

I had a doe stay down for a full two weeks after a rough kidding when I first started with pygmies, it was our first time kidding. I just brought her everything kept getting her up and she eventually recovered.

If you dont have a baby to offer her within the first day she probably wont take to another, but just give her lots of attention try to keep her from getting "depressed."

I hope she does well and recovers fast for you, its always hard to go through such a rough kidding.

 

[mekasmom]

Metritis is actually commonly treated with Tylan. But there is a withdrawl period for milk use. You would have to use the milk for your pets or other kids that you are bottle feeding, not human consumption.

If your goat has serious metritis or even a prolapse you should consider a hysterectomy or simply culling her from the stock. A prolapse will continuously cause her issues, infection, and can even result in sepsis. Metritis is treatable, but often recurs in animals who have a history of the problem.

 

[ametauss]

She's up and around now.... Vet gave her a 3 day shot of antibotic and then another 3 day shot 3 days later....

She's still a bit tore up... her opening is VERY crusty now...

She's going poo and pee... She seems uncomfortable when she pees.... Still a little swollen...

I'm milking her and freezing the milk in hopes that the other doe will kidd soon so that we can give her one of the kidds....

She still seems sooo sad.... She's not a lovey-dovey type of doe and I want to just love on her to let her know that she's loved....

I've gotten her to know that she's to go into the horse stall for me to milk her and she'll let me milk her for a bit...

She's back to sleeping with the other does and pretty much ignores the first doe's kidds... She won't let them suckle from her which would help her but that's nature I guess....

She'll NEVER be bred again... I'm trying to find someone cheaper than my Vet to castrate the buck... Vet wants $100 to do it and he'll only do it if he puts the buck to sleep like a dog....

Thanks again for all your help and suggestions...

 

[rooster0209]

Don't you castrate a goat the same way bull calves & rams are? That is how we did my FFA sheep

If you are in an ag area and know people with cows, give them a call. Farmers who raise cattle will have the 'know how' and stuff needed to castrate your buck. $100 for a castration is ridiculous

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/meatgoats/meatgoatfs10.htm

 

[ksacres]

Quote:
1st thing, it's not uncommon for a goat to have a big and/or malpresented baby. That doesn't mean she can't go on to have normal size kids on her own in the future.

Second thing, goats can be very sensitive to full-out anesthesia. And for a routine castration, it's not something I would risk. Find a large animal vet-they'll put some local in it, cut it open, pull out the testicles (yes pull), spray in some blue-cote or something similar, and that's that. With the exception of the local, you can do it yourself.

 

[Indiana hens]

We had the same trouble out of a seasoned pygmy nanny bred to the smallest billy that we ever had. I wish I could always saved the nanny! Best wishes for you!

 

[spook]

Now I have a foolish question and I do not intend of causing a scare, but when Meekasmom mentioned Metrisis, isn't this contagious. In cattle it can be spread by the bull, also anything with a uterus can get this condition. Or is this Metritis just a condition caused by the birth.

Either way, I've been reading along and wish you and all future goats much health and love.

But, having worked around cattle its unfortunate that we have bred for big milkers and not easy births. Most of the Holsteins needed electrolytes and medications for Milk Fever before and after delivery or they would go down, not to return.
It seemed like 1 out of 5 would need assistance in delivery by come-alongs or chains to pull. Even being bred by smaller bulls. (these issues never came from lack of attention or feed/supplements)

Believe it or not, I have seen sheep die from Milk Fever! So would you be wise just as a precautionary thing to give a nanny Vite's and suppliments to help with birth?
(thought I wanted goats, but was reminded you have to milk them 2 times a day, milk fever, mastitis, getting your "goat" and running to catch them!)

 

[ksacres]

We use a 7 day course of penicillin if we have to pull kids.

 

[mekasmom]

Quote:
Metritis simply means a uterine infection. It can be caused by many things, but usually you associate it with pregnancy. Tearing can cause an infection. If it is related to tearing from birth or pregnancy, you wouldn't consider it spreading into the rest of the heard. It's exacly like a pyometra in a dog. It's not contagious.
Tylan is an antibiotic of choice for metritis in animals, but the milk shouldn't be consumed. I "think" tylan is just a form of erythromycin? or possibly simply related to erythromycin. PG has lost a lot of it's effectiveness due to overuse. Even in humans they don't use PA as often as they did years and years ago. Penicillin just isn't the miracle drug it once was because of overuse.