sick goat kid (update, survival story)

[millebantam]

I was out clearing brush in the woodlot today and had my little goat running around out there too. While I was cutting some wood I let her get out of my sight for a little while and found her eating some Mountain Laurel leaves. I stopped her, but didn't know how much she had eaten. She seemed fine for a while. but now it's a couple hours later, and she is throwing up like crazy. She doesn't look lethargic or anything, just heaving up the leaves and water.

Can that stuff kill her? I thought that even young goats kinda know what and what not to eat. She looks pretty scared, but she's throwing up less and less. Is there anything I can do for her? Thanks in advance.

 

[abluechipstock]

yes it's toxic, you need to drench her with some charcoal, some use the regular charcoal brickettes,not the fast lighting kind the regular, crush and mix it with water and drench her with it, that should absorb the toxins, your vet might have some charcoal in a bottle, throwing up in a goat is not good! hope this helps

 

[Jazlyn]

Abluechipstock is right. I would also put some baking soda in that mixture or just offer it in your hand if she will eat it. Does the vomit smell bad or just kinda like cut grass & leaves? If it smells bad it is probably acid rumen and should go to a vet that knows goats if possible.

 

[redhen]

ooh poor baby!

i hope she will be okay!

what does this mountain laurel look like??

 

[abluechipstock]

Quote:
it's in the rhodadendron family, sort of looks like that

 

[redhen]

Quote:
it's in the rhodadendron family, sort of looks like that

thanks...my doe got into something last summer in my woods, and i could not find what it was..but she was sick for a few days with bad dirrah...i'll look around for that bush inmy woods. thaks alot!

 

[millebantam]

Well I got a pretty good amount of charcoal into her. I got some capsules at the drugstore and opened them into a bottle of milk. As for the smell, it's not awful and smells more like freshly chewed grass. She had been grazing on grass quite a bit before she got into the laurel. She is just at the weaning stage, so she just recently started eating solids. she actually looks to be improving some and is drinking the charcoal milk willingly. I'll just keep my eyes open and my fingers crossed.
Quote:

 

[Mrs.SplashSilkie]

Hi, My group sometimes eat things that don't agree, but I can always get candy into them. Tums either friut or peppermint are good to have on hand. It stopped my doe from going into full bloat.Good luck!!

 

[PotterWatch]

Hope she is doing better now!

 

[millebantam]

First, I want to thank all who replied to this thread with help. You people helped me to save this kid's life.

Later on the first day that she ate the laurel, she got violently ill. After I got the charcoal into her, she stopped eating anything, continued to throw up, and would grind her reeth so loud that you couldn't stand it. By early evening, she was worsening, and was literally screaming in pain. We tried to contact a livestock vet in our area, but had no luck. One of the vets that we did locate referred us to a branch of Tufts University for veteranary medicine. We were told that it would cost 500.00 to have them look at her, and they would likely have to perform emergency surgery to physically remove the leaves from her stomach. They said that it was no guarantee, and the end bill would likely exceed 4000.00. They also said that if we didn't go through with the surgery, and continued using our "internet chat room home remedies", that we would most definitley find a dead goat in the morning. Since we simply can't afford what they were offering, we took our chances with the advice offered here.

I spent all night up with her, holding her in my arms trying to comfort her, and offering her some gatorade every so often. I was able to force feed her a good amount of baking soda at one point. By 6 am the next morning, I was exhausted, and she was still alive, barely. I put her in a makeshift pen I built in the basement and went to bed. I checked on her a few hours later, and she was drinking water out of a bucket and looked much better. It appeared that she had beat the toxins, but was exhausted and emaciated.

Later on in the day I noticed that she was beginning to bloat, and swell fast. I managed to get some vegetable oil into her and very shortly, she developed loose stools and got very lethargic. I ran to the feed store and got some concentrated vitamin and mineral drench and forced it into her. Although the bloating subsided, she refused to eat or drink and her condition worsened. When I put her into the pen that night, I expected to find her dead in the morning.

The next morning, to my surprise, she was up and alert, and drinking lots of water on her own. I was so thrilled to see that. I got a bottle of warm milk and gave it to her. She drank the entire bottle and I was so relieved, only to find an hour later that she had begun to throw up all over again. I was devastated. Toward the end of the day, she looked like a goner. I forced some of the vitamin drench into her and went to bed. I didn't sleeep very well that night and was thinking of where I would bury her in the morning.

I went down to the basement the next morning prepared to find a dead goat, but instead, she was looking at me munching on hay and drinking her water again. I started bottle feeding her slowly, a few ounces at a time every couple of hours. Now, a week later, she is perfectly healthy and her old self again.

She never gave up, even when I did, and that little devil pulled through. Many people that I have spoken to out here in my area have told me that she was the first goat that they have ever heard of that survived eating Mountain Laurel. She is a true fighter and survivor, and I owe a lot of thanks to the good people on this forum who offered up their "internet chat room home remedies" that helped save my little friend's life. I thank you, and my little girl "Trouble" thanks you too.