# Goat Emergency!



## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

We have a 2nd freshener doe who just kidded with triplets. She was bred on Jan. 29, 2010 for a couple wanting to buy a bred doe. After breeding, they backed out of our verbal agreement (should've gotten a $ deposit!) OK, so she just kidded tonight, June 28, at 9:15 pm, 9:30 pm and 9:55 pm. First kid was breech....I needed to assist by finding the feet, as it was coming out butt first. I found both hind feet, and she came out. All went well. Then #2, then #3 were born normally. All is well. They will be dam-raised. Or so we think...or thought. I helped the babies find the teat for their 1st colostrum. Hmmm...PROBLEM. The left side is fine. The right side has NO MILK. Nothing. Nada. The dam's udder looks even...no lumps, nothing unusual. No fever. I can't milk a drop out of it. Her bag looks full, but the teat is soft and empty feeling. Last year we dried her up early as we had too much milk with 2 other goats. A few months later, we noticed swelling on the right side. Mastitis. I milked her 3-4 x day on the affected right side and she rec'd penicillin shots for 10 days until she was cleared up. This was a couple of months before breeding her for the people who decided later not to buy her. The mastitis was on the side where there is no milk coming out now. I tried unblocking the tip of the teat with no success. I squeezed, rubbed, massaged, scrubbed with a wet paper towel, but still no milk. 

My questions: Should we allow her to nurse triplets on one teat, and if they need more nourishment, which I'm sure they will, supplement with a bottle (milk from another goat)? I don't know if the kids will want to switch back and forth from teat to bottle. Or should we just remove the kids from their dam and bottle feed them, and let her dry up? 
Maybe the milk hadn't completely come in yet? Will it be different in the morning? I will try to post again after morning barn chores. Also, I'm wondering if I can unblock possible scar tissue with a cannula under STERILE conditions. 

Thank you in advance.

- Kathy


----------



## mpete (Mar 4, 2008)

The only thing I can offer is warm compresses and massaging. I hope someone who knows what to do will chime in soon.


----------



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I have neverhad a goat with mastitis so not sure what to tell you there.
I'm wondering if she just is letting the milk down on that side yet? I would definately check again today. You probly will need to supplement the kids I would think if she only has milk from one side. If I had to bottle feed & had the goats milk that would be my first choice, if not whole milk from the store would be what I would use otherwise.

Congratulations on the triplets, hope momma does OK too.


----------



## steff bugielski (Nov 10, 2003)

All I can tell you is that I have a doe now with milk only on one side. She gets milk on both but there is no opening on one side. This year she had triplets. I made sure they each got fair shares at least 2x a day. They are 7 weeks old now and I only supplemented 2-3 times, letting them nurse on an other doe while on the milk stand. 
The doe gave me last year 6lbs every morning and 5 every night, only on one side, so she produces plenty.


----------



## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

Steff: That sounds like a good idea. I hope our other milker will accept a strange kid nursing on her while she's on the stand. I'm the "milkmaid" of the family, but DH helps with other barn chores, so if he has to, he'll hold her back legs. 
Thanks for your suggestion. I'll let you all know how things go when I go out there this morning.
- Kathy


----------



## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

I'm back from the barn. The triplets look fine. They must've just finished their "breakfast" from their dam. I still tried taking one of the babies into the 
milkroom to nurse from another goat. The baby sure has a good set of lungs!
I didn't know they could scream so loud!!! LOL. The goat I was milking didn't seem to like having a strange baby near her. The baby was NOT interested in nursing from her.
I'm sure she just wasn't hungry. I tried milking her dam again on the affected right side. Still no milk there. Her udder looks a bit lopsided today, probably because the triplets nursed from the left side. We saw one of the kids try to nurse from the right side where there was not any milk. She kept trying to get milk, but I know she didn't get any. The teat there is very soft and flaccid...no milk, even when I tried milking and massaging, etc. again. Then I tried filling a bottle (only a few oz), and prying open their little mouths to get them to accept the bottle. Only screams... sigh. Maybe when they're truly hungry they will eventually accept it. I sure hope someone who knows about this can please let me know if there is anything I can do for the dam with the messed up right side of her uddder/teat. She is not warm on her teat or udder to indicate any fever, and is eating/drinking well. 
Thanks for any help you can provide.
- Kathy


----------



## FunnyRiverFarm (May 25, 2010)

There may be scar tissue from the mastitis or it may just be conjested. Put HOT compresses on her udder and massage it with vicks vapor rub for 15 minutes as often as you can...every couple hours if you are home to do it. Give chewable vitamin C tabs...1500 mg twice a day. If it is only conjestion then this should help.


----------



## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

FunnyRiverFarm: Thank you. I will try that. I tried massaging her again tonight at feeding time, and tried...really, really tried to get some milk out of that side. I did get one small squirt - right in my face as I was inspecting the orifice on her teat. Well... I was surprised. But that's all that came out. I tried until she was probably getting sore.
I do think it's scar tissue up inside, above her teat. Her udder is full on that side, and if I can't get it going, I'm worried it will get worse with all that milk inside her there. The babies are still with her, and so far, still doing great. As their milk demand increases, tho, I'm sure she won't be able to accomodate their needs. I'll keep trying, and get the ol' Vicks out, too. I have a corn bag I heat in the microwave. I'll try that too on her. Thanks again.
- Kathy
p.s. She doesn't like vitamin C chewables. She doesn't even like animal crackers for a treat! No sweet tooth there!


----------



## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

Sigh....this morning, the mama goat was SOOOO engorged with milk on the bad side, and I still couldn't get any milk to come out. I used hot compress (corn bag heated in microwave) and massage. I couldn't find the Vicks, but will get some today. I am at a loss as to what to do for her. Please, can anyone else think of another thing to try? My husband thinks maybe we should take her away from her kids and let her dry up, but I think it's mastitis (inflammation of the mast-udder) or just bad congested udder. If we take her away, won't it make it worse for her? Where is Vickie these days? I really can use her help!
- Kathy


----------



## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

Sorry not sure if everyone will agree but is it possible for you to get or make a hand pump? or I have never used a drill to enlarge a teet opening so would not be able to help with that, but have heard of some who have done it. Perhaps if you _have_ a goat vet have em come out and take a look? Sugar was stopped up on one side at first, and the twins stopped trying to milk from that side, so I hand pumped it since it would not milk with hand milking. It worked. after some days the boys figured out that they could get milk from that side, especially right after I had milked some out with the hand pump. When I got Sugar she was pretty much dried up so dont know if she had had any problems before.


----------



## shiandpete.1 (Aug 13, 2008)

It is possible to enlarge the opening that is probably damaged with scar tissue. I would have the vet do it though. You can use a canula (sp?) inserted and left in that teet for an extended period of time. This will enlarge the opening and stretch the scar tissue so that you can get milk from her. I personally wouldn't do t myself but would talk to a vet about it.


----------



## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

I just got back from doing a hot compress/massage treatment on the goat (it's 10:45 am). I was trying to milk her, and noticed milk on my fingers, so looked at the orifice. No milk coming out there. Then I noticed milk droplets on the side of her teat. The milk is coming out of her pores! I never knew that could happen. I got out a cannula, and being VERY careful with my sterile procedure I learned in nursing school, I used alcohol to clean everything that would come in contact with her, cleaned her with the alcohol, my hands, paper towel, and cannula, which had been sealed in plastic. I had no trouble getting it inside the orifice. I thought the milk should come pouring out, but no, it didn't. I left it in there a minute or so, and gently tried milking her from the top of the teat. Still nothing. When I took it out, I examined it to see what was inside the hole of it....something was blocking the hole. I blew it out onto the alcohol-wet paper towel and saw a small amount of pinkish watery material. It might be alcohol and blood, or sanguinous fluid (blood/water mix). The goat was so good...she knows I'm trying to help her. She seems to like the hot compress. I'll keep it up every 2 hrs. and also will try the hand pump that I didn't like 2 yrs ago. Maybe it will work. Something has to. The babies are looking ok...they were sleeping, and one did nurse a bit when I brought mama back to them. I'm trying to hang in there.......

- Kathy


----------



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Sure wish I had more info that could help you Kathy. Don't give up! They say the time your going to give up, then thats when it's going to turn around & work! Sounds like momma is hanging in there too & the babies are doing good also.


----------



## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

Backfourty,MI: Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm trying to do everything I can, but still feel helpless, like when one's child is sick and you wish you could just take it away. I made a salve of comfrey (dried) infused in canola oil, with peppermint and tea tree oils and beeswax, and used it on her when I gave her the massage. First I used the corn bag on her that was heated in the microwave. She seems to like that, but tonight I got her up on the milk stand again for her massage/heat/grain, and I noticed an out-pouching like there was a sac of fluid just above the top of the teat. Not sure if it was from my hubby trying to use the hand-pump on her while he was out there giving her a penicillin shot (sub-q in shoulder area), or if it was from the irritation of the cannula. I know it was sterile, but wonder now if I may have pushed bacteria from inside her teat up a bit higher. I sure hope the penicillin kicks in soon. I'm losing sleep with worry. My poor baby!!! Her babies are all still nursing out of one side, and seem like they're getting enough. She's such a good mother. She won't even leave the little room to go outside to get water. I've been putting water in her feeder bucket so she won't have to leave them. Maybe tomorrow she will take her babies outside. I have been cleaning her room and putting down fresh straw for all of them, being careful as they're all 3 babies in there, plus the mama, and it's a small room!

- Kathy


----------



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

With the nice weather & all she'll probly be looking for a break tomarrow. It will do them all good to wander around out in the sun a bit I bet.

I'm a worrier too so I know what you mean, never had this same type situation but other things with goats, ducks, dog's, etc. Dh says he doesn't ever need to worry about anything becuase I always worry enough about everything for the both of us.


----------



## dm9960 (Nov 26, 2009)

how is it going today?


----------



## Raftercat5 (Apr 14, 2005)

I thought I should post and let you all know that the 3 babies seem to be still doing fine with nursing from one side (so far!) They're about 3 weeks old now. Mama goat has plenty of milk on one side, NOTHING on the other side. I'm sure it's scar tissue blocking the milk from coming down. I massaged her, did heat treatments, used Vicks, and did it about 4xday for a week or so. I finally stopped, thinking I was irritating it more than anything. She got 5cc penicillin G 2xday for about 12 days. I think that took care of the mastitis, as it's good now. The udder looks even on both sides, which is kind of strange, as only milk on one side. The bad side is not super-engorged anymore. She looks normal in every way. I guess it's just something we'll have to deal with as the babies get bigger. They look normal-sized...not skinny. I check on them like a mother hen....LOL. 
Thanks to all the suggestions. I'm sure she feels better, even tho she's only got milk on one side. We probably won't breed her again. She'll just be our forever pet.

- Kathy


----------



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Well it sounds like everyone is happy & healthy for the most part other than the doe's udder. Sounds like she's doing well though so that's a sigh of relief I'm sure.
Bet those babies are just a bundle of fun right now too!


----------

