# Putting down an old goat



## alidansma (Jun 30, 2006)

Poor old fella - he is about 14 or 15 years old. He is an unregistered angora buck.
Last week he didn't get up for breakfast. I decided to watch him for a few days and see what was going on. I brought him food - he eats fine, brought him water, he drinks. But he has not gotten up in a week and though he is just hanging out and in no obvious distress, the fact is - he ain't getting up again. 
So I have a couple of concerns. I have a 22 LR - and he is already laying down. But his horns...I am a little concerned about having a twitch of his head knocking my aim off. here is a picture so you can see what I am talking about:








I thought about calling the vet - but I remember trying to draw blood on this boy when I got him last year and his skin is thick. I can not imagine a vet having a good time fishing for a vein on him - nor can I imagine him enjoying it. I don't want to stress him out. The little goats I have butchered I have just slit the throat and bled out - but once again - old man skin is not going to make that a good option.
My other concern is more for the emotional side of things. Personally I am okay with it - he is an old boy and his quality of life is destined to go downhill from here....but my dad is older and has become quite attached to this goat. He lives here with us and I think he will be upset with me for taking this line of action...not sure if anyone has any words of wisdom there...
We are not going to eat this fella - we will likely bury him. 

Tips?


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I would call a vet. They can sedate him so getting a vein will be easier for the lethal dose. I'm sorry.. I think your dad would feel better if he goes more gently...with sedation.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

An old timer just taught me to draw a line (imaginary or with a grease pen) from the Right ear to the left eye, and from the Left ear to the right eye, forming an "X". That, for any animal, is the proper place to shoot.

I am sorry you are having to deal with this, but so thankful that you are blessed that he is not suffering.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I PM'd you.


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## lasergrl (Nov 24, 2007)

I second the vet sedation. Would be a shame to bury those horns, so beautiful.


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## alidansma (Jun 30, 2006)

Lasergrl - I intend to keep the horns. Otherwise I would have to dig a very wide hole..


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

lasergrl said:


> I second the vet sedation. Would be a shame to bury those horns, so beautiful.


I thought the same about the horns! He is a beautiful animal and those horns are just majestic.

I think the vet would be a good way since the goat has emotional attachments. People with emotional attachement seem to accept euthanasia of an animal a little better than shooting. I would plan a nice big pan of special food, a quick shot of sedation, and then the euthanasia. Personally I don't have too much preference for euthanasia over a bullet, as long as both are performed correctly. I think the bullet tends to be quicker(and cheaper). Some animals have a gasping response to euthanasia, a bit unsettling if you were hoping for a peaceful "drifting off to sleep".


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I don't have experience with goat euthanasia but with dogs and cats if they are sedated first there is no gasping. I work at a small animal clinic and have a lot of experience with euthanasia with small animals...did 4 yesterday...bad day


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## alidansma (Jun 30, 2006)

I also have worked for a vet and been around for alot of animals being put down. The last one I personally had put down was a goat - this old man's son in fact. and it was not easy. The little boy was dehydrated and no vein would hold the juice. After several failed attempts, eventually he had to have a needle to the heart. I felt bad for the vet, she is a real nice lady, but it seems goats react to drugs differently than other critters. 

At first I thought no vet because I wasn't getting him to drink any fluids, and I didn't want dehydration to be causing unncessary trauma. however he is drinking now and it might acutally work out ok. On the other hand I think it could be in the neighborhood of $200 - and though I love the old man - I have the rest of my herd to think about and what if I need that $200 to help one of the others when kidding season comes around? tough call.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Minelson said:


> I don't have experience with goat euthanasia but with dogs and cats if they are sedated first there is no gasping. I work at a small animal clinic and have a lot of experience with euthanasia with small animals...did 4 yesterday...bad day


I don't have experience with goats either. Just know of people who have had horses go into the gasping response. While working with a vet, there was a dog that was one of the rare few that fought the euthanasia. It was horrible. Had everyone in the room upset. Then again, I don't know if he was sedated beforehand and I don't know if the vet did it correctly. I've only known of it happening a few times, glad to here sedation prevents it.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

That is a tough call. $200 is a lot of money to put down an animal.  Yeah...I was wondering about that with goats are so different with medications. Darn it! I wish he could just go to sleep for you and not wake up...The only other thing I can think of is if you have a trusted friend that could take him away and do the deed...so your dad doesn't hear the gunshot. I am so very sorry. I know how hard it is with aging animals


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

btw..we do a lot of "to the heart" injections when dehydration or old age just makes finding a vein impossible. Mostly with cats. We knock them out first though with sedation so it's really not an issue. Just might seem creepy to some.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

alidansma said:


> At first I thought no vet because I wasn't getting him to drink any fluids, and I didn't want dehydration to be causing unncessary trauma. however he is drinking now and it might acutally work out ok. On the other hand I think it could be in the neighborhood of $200 - and though I love the old man - I have the rest of my herd to think about and what if I need that $200 to help one of the others when kidding season comes around? tough call.


You could always factor the skull into the euth cost(assuming you're keeping the skull and horns intact). If you shoot him, you may be putting a hole in it. If you euth, it will remain intact. If you bleed him it should remain intact too. If he's down, can you approach him? 

I don't have personal experience, but it old goat hide, really so tough you couldn't bleed him out like the others?(this is mostly out of curiousity and not really pushing the method)


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## alidansma (Jun 30, 2006)

I talked to my dad a little about it. Right now the goat isn't having a hard tiem of it, but I explained to my dad that waiting until the goat is miserable and struggling is not a very nice thing to do either. I will give the vet a call tomorrow and see what she thinks of the situation.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

alidansma said:


> I talked to my dad a little about it. Right now the goat isn't having a hard tiem of it, but I explained to my dad that waiting until the goat is miserable and struggling is not a very nice thing to do either. I will give the vet a call tomorrow and see what she thinks of the situation.


keep us posted on what you end up doing. He is such a beautiful goat...I am sure this is really hard


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Minelson said:


> That is a tough call. $200 is a lot of money to put down an animal.  Yeah...I was wondering about that with goats are so different with medications. Darn it! I wish he could just go to sleep for you and not wake up...The only other thing I can think of is if you have a trusted friend that could take him away and do the deed...so your dad doesn't hear the gunshot. I am so very sorry. I know how hard it is with aging animals


Recall the first goat that brought me here to you guys? Won't detail it, not pleasant. Remotely. Maybe goats' metabolism makes it harder somehow? Or I just had a funky experience...I know with the horse and a prior cat, was smooth as velvet.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

beccachow said:


> Recall the first goat that brought me here to you guys? Won't detail it, not pleasant. Remotely. Maybe goats' metabolism makes it harder somehow? Or I just had a funky experience...I know with the horse and a prior cat, was smooth as velvet.


Just trying to clarify. Was it a bad experience with goat euthanasia?


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

PM'd you, too.


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## alidansma (Jun 30, 2006)

Oh wolfeathers - I am not keeping the skull...my plan is to make shofars from the horns. 
The old goats skin is very, very thick...
He is super friendly I sit with him and feed him his breakfast and dinner every day. We have him in a three sided shelter with a heat lamp on him. He is being totally babied and he loves it. The first day he was grinding his teeth a bit, but now he seems comfortable. We change his positions, re-bed his area, scratch his face for him... I am just trying to think - how long could he stay down and comfortable? I would let old age just take him, but his heart lungs and digestive system are all good right now. I think he fell and injured his knee - besides that, I know he has bad hips since he was not able to breed this year. I am pretty sure the joints in his rear end are deteriorated.
If I just let him hang out and keep feeding him as long as he is willing to eat, he might be around a good deal longer, but I just don't see that hanging on to him for weeks and weeks will benifit him any.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

never mind. ooops!


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

alidansma said:


> Oh wolfeathers - I am not keeping the skull...my plan is to make shofars from the horns.
> The old goats skin is very, very thick...
> He is super friendly I sit with him and feed him his breakfast and dinner every day. We have him in a three sided shelter with a heat lamp on him. He is being totally babied and he loves it. The first day he was grinding his teeth a bit, but now he seems comfortable. We change his positions, re-bed his area, scratch his face for him... I am just trying to think - how long could he stay down and comfortable? I would let old age just take him, but his heart lungs and digestive system are all good right now. I think he fell and injured his knee - besides that, I know he has bad hips since he was not able to breed this year. I am pretty sure the joints in his rear end are deteriorated.
> If I just let him hang out and keep feeding him as long as he is willing to eat, he might be around a good deal longer, but I just don't see that hanging on to him for weeks and weeks will benifit him any.


Oh okay, that's what you meant by keep the horns. 

I can see why it would be a hard decision, but I am with you on not waiting for him to deteriorate to the point of being miserable. Glad to hear that he is so well taken care of. I think if it were me in the same situation, I would just shoot the ol' boy in the comforts of his shed, in the midst of eating special meal. It would be better than him living in the shed for weeks, waiting for him to deteriorate further or passing on his own. Just my opinion.


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## secretcreek (Jan 24, 2010)

Took one wether goat to the vet to be put down...not knowing I could have saved the guy easily with thiamine and Vit B complex....grrrr. He relaxed him, but had to give the inj into the heart. Cost $45.00

Have had to put down two other wethers and chose the shotgun /"sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to prevent suffering as a livestock owner" . That was distressing even though it ended each goat's life in an instant- no pain. First time and the goat's head wasn't left fully intact and upset my deer hunter son becasue it was a sweet pet goat...and a bit messy although the goat didn't suffer at all. Second time- you'd never known he'd been shot except for a tiny hole...not even any blood. My long time goat breeder - awesome medical info mentor's always suggest at the back of the head aiming down thru the mouth. I do see the horn dilemma! Those are gorgeous scimitar horns. First goat was delt with by a deer processor for disposal. Second goat years later, was not full of meds so we opted to lay his body in a deep ravine and let nature take care of the rest as it was 100 degrees outside and he was a very big goat. We just made sure the ravine was not anywhere near home so one of our dogs wouldn't come home with some parts of my beloved boy.

It's not an easy task...it about crushed me for days as I so love my goats, but I feel ~if ~ we can, that I like to see us take care of the deed. I just don't get the $200.00 is that body disposal? It may be your best option...I feel for you. You certainly did something very right, for a very long time, for him to grow to 14-15 yrs old WOW.


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## alidansma (Jun 30, 2006)

it is $120 for the house call and $80 for the medication.

I don't know how the drugs they use to put down animals affect the environment. If I bury him it will be a pretty big hole...


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

My understanding is that from the front doesn't do more than stun unless you use a very powerful gun as the skull is made for slamming into other skulls. The spine at the base of the skull is how I was told to do it and have never had it be anything but instantaneous. Usually, if an animal doesn't go fairly quickly with the vet medicine, there is an issue other than age. My dog had cancer (very fast spreading and huge tumors popped up in less than a week) and he had one of the bad ones  I'm crying now remembering... The vet was crying, too. 

I would do the gun, maybe send dad to the movies for the afternoon, don't even say it's not the vet coming out, just have the job done before he gets home?


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

Also meant to add you have my sympathy and my respect. It's tough either way.


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## Cheribelle (Jul 23, 2007)

Wishing you peace in your decidion. Just wanted to add, he sure is a pretty goat. I am sure he's had it pretty good to be this ripe old age.


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## Creamers (Aug 3, 2010)

Personally, I'd get someone who is adapt in processing goats for meat to shoot him - sedation in some animals isn't as easy at it is with dogs and cats. . .i.e. a llama and alpaca. . not pretty - a bullet might be your best bet.


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

a bottle of ether and a plastic bag


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm sorry you have to make this decision but better a week early than a day late.

Here's a sticky with a good photo of where to shoot. Maybe have a second gun ready if you .22 is a single shot.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=112807


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Your post made me cry. I have a 12 yr old Nubian buck I love very much. He is showing his age too, although he did manage to breed his 2 does last fall.

I feel so for you. I would be right there holding his head, singing to him and stroking him for as long as I could; however, it would take its toll on me. I suggest you consider yourself too in what you decide to do.


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

alidansma said:


> it is $120 for the house call and $80 for the medication.
> 
> I don't know how the drugs they use to put down animals affect the environment. If I bury him it will be a pretty big hole...


So if you stick him into the car and drive him to the vet you save 120 bucks.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's a decision that, as animal caregivers, we all face from time to time.

$200 is a lot of money. I'm astounded at the cost!

There are many sites that have good instructions on where to shoot. I'd use hollow-points for quick kill.

Again, my deep sympathy. It never gets any easier.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

susieM said:


> So if you stick him into the car and drive him to the vet you save 120 bucks.


A trip to the vet would probably be pretty darned traumatic for the old guy. How in the world would you fit those horns in?

When it was time to send Buster the Wonder Dog on to the Rainbow Bridge, we opted to shoot him instead of dragging him to the vet - a place that he hated with every fiber of his being. 

The hardest part of shooting is the noise. That loud bang is just so violent... but maybe that's a good thing. I don't know...


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I am so sorry your having to go through this. He's a beautiful old man & has lived a very good life. This is the toughest part of animal ownership. We have had to put down 2 goats in our years with them & thankgoodness for dh, he shoots them while I hide out in the house, usually crying! I always try to rmember they had a good life & we always try to do what's best for our animals.
I guess it's just part of being a responsible pet/animal owner but for most of us I think it's still so hard.

My heart goes out to you & your dad.


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## wanda1950 (Jan 18, 2009)

What a lovely old fellow! We've been through this, not with goats but with our pets & it is so hard. My husband shot our 13 yr old dog when he could no longer get up without pain. Death was instant & Husband was pretty traumatized but at least the dog didn't have to go to vet (all our animals have hated going to vet). Others have been taken to the vet & it is horrible too. One of my old cats cried out and had to have two injections as her heart was still beating. There is no easy way out--I always wish they would go in their sleep but our vet told me this rarely happens.

Try to remember that he's had a long good life & been loved. God bless you in this hard time.
Wanda


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## alidansma (Jun 30, 2006)

Hey guys just to let you know in the end I decided to follow Susie M's suggestion and save myself some money by driving him to the vet. We are fortunate to have a couple of real nice vets that are willing to treat goats - they used to be mobile only, but recently got their own clinic. I feel good about supporting them in their new business, especially since it is hard to find a vet that will deal with goats in the first place. 
The old man was a perfect gentleman in the back of the station wagon and didn't give the vet a moment of trouble.
We buried him next to a baby oak tree. 

It is a sad day, but I really feel it was the right thing to do, I didn't want to put it on anyone in the household's shoulders that they were the one to kill the majestic old goat.
Thanks for the kind words. ~ali


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Awww, hugs to you all. SO glad it all went smoothly. ((hugs)). I was thinking of you all.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Thank you for the update. I'm sorry for your loss  I think you did the right thing all around...for your dad and helping support the vets. Sounds like grandpa goat went peacefully and with dignity.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Sending hugs for you, your dad & the family! I am so sorry for your loss but your old gentleman goat had a very wonderful life it sounds like & under a baby oak that's going to grow big & strong would be just where he'd want to be.


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## natty threads (Oct 19, 2009)

I am glad to hear it went well.

I'm going to have to put down my sweet sweet Sammy soon enough.
She's of indeterminate age, but older rather than younger.

(((hugs)))


Yah bless.


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

big hugs


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## Creamers (Aug 3, 2010)

> The old man was a perfect gentleman in the back of the station wagon and didn't give the vet a moment of trouble.
> We buried him next to a baby oak tree.
> 
> It is a sad day, but I really feel it was the right thing to do, I didn't want to put it on anyone in the household's shoulders that they were the one to kill the majestic old goat.
> Thanks for the kind words. ~ali



awww - bless his and your heart


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