# when to put my goat down, a sad story.



## CocalicoSprings (Mar 12, 2008)

I have a 9 month old kid and she got sick about 3 weeks ago while I was away. My wife didn't know what to do. The goat got the bloat. When I returned she had given it bloat medicine but it didn't seem to help. Then the goat got pneumonia. We called the vet and she came out and gave the goat a high dose of penicillan. Still the goat got weaker. She could not stand for very long. This was 2 weeks ago. For the last two weeks, this poor thing has been unable to stand but still can hold it's head up and still eats grain and a little hay. It falls over as if it's drunk when we release it onto it's own feet.
I called the breeder and he said try giving it injections of selenium and vitamin E. I did. No response. 
Should I put her to sleep?
Everyday I go out to feed in the morning and I expect her to be dead but she is still hanging on. 
Am I being insensible?


----------



## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

have you had a fecal check on her?when was she wormed last? was she on cocci prevention? 
what is her temp? give her b-complex, check her temperature, check lower eye membrane. 
what bred is she?


----------



## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

First of all, if the goat actually has pneumonia, she was given the wrong antibiotic. She needs either Nuflor or Naxcel. I'd also be giving Thiamin. What do her eye lids look like. Has she been fecaled? She may be very weak from anemia doe to a high worm load.


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I don't have any advice...Not enough experience. Just want to say that it's a real good thing you brought the problem here. There is a wealth of experience so please heed the advice and you just might be able to save this little doe. I hope you can pull her through.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

If she's still eating I take that as having a will to live and I let them. I would pull the grain for now. Give her clean warm water and good goat minerals.

I would also get the answer to the questions that Susanne asked ASAP.


----------



## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

Call a different vet. Not all are good at goats. My first vet was awful with goats so I called around and asked them questions and if they did not know the answer I moved on. I have a good one now who has treated and owned goats for over 20 years. 
You might get the correct diagnosis and then if there is no hope she could be put down then.


----------



## GoatsRus (Jan 19, 2003)

In my experience, once they're down and unable to get up (or won't get up) on their own, you'll end up putting her down anyways. We did everything possible for one of ours that was down and she hung on for 2 months. She was eating and drinking but wouldn't get up. We had to keep moving her out of her own feces/pee. No quality of life and was miserable for us. We put her down. Now we no longer wait 2 months. If we've done all we can and there is no improvement and/or they still will not stand, we put them down.

We've spent hundreds of $$'s on vet bills to only find out most vets don't know anything about goats (or care and you'll find more information here.


----------



## CocalicoSprings (Mar 12, 2008)

susanne said:


> have you had a fecal check on her?when was she wormed last? was she on cocci prevention?
> what is her temp? give her b-complex, check her temperature, check lower eye membrane.
> what bred is she?


This is a Nubian Boer cross. She has pink gums and red blood vessels in her eyes so I ruled out worms although I haven't given her any worm medicine. The stool looks fine. No visible worms although I haven't used a microscope or had a lab sample it. I don't even know what cocci is. The temperature was a little low ..about 99 degrees when I checked before the vet came out. I haven't checked it since.

The goat seems to have paralysis in the back legs that now spread to the front legs as well.


----------



## CocalicoSprings (Mar 12, 2008)

goatkid said:


> First of all, if the goat actually has pneumonia, she was given the wrong antibiotic. She needs either Nuflor or Naxcel. I'd also be giving Thiamin. What do her eye lids look like. Has she been fecaled? She may be very weak from anemia doe to a high worm load.


I think the goat was given the antibiotic you mentioned. I have given her penicillan 2 times myself because someone told me the initial shot was only good for ten days and I tried penicillan out of desperation. If the goat had worms I think the vet would have diagnosed it but I am not sure and wasn't there when the vet came, only my wife was around because I was at work.

I have two other goats..same age ... and 7 sheep and they seem fine.


----------



## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

CocalicoSprings said:


> This is a Nubian Boer cross. She has pink gums and red blood vessels in her eyes so I ruled out worms although I haven't given her any worm medicine. The stool looks fine. No visible worms although I haven't used a microscope or had a lab sample it. I don't even know what cocci is. The temperature was a little low ..about 99 degrees when I checked before the vet came out. I haven't checked it since.
> 
> The goat seems to have paralysis in the back legs that now spread to the front legs as well.


you are in Pennsylvania, very cold right now. you need to keep her warm. you can put a blanket over her. her temp is very low. please check again. if possible, bring a fecal sample to your vet. you can not see worms with your eyes. 
do you have vit. b complex? i would give that to her.

is she still drinking? she might need fluids given sc. you might call your vet and ask for assistance.


----------



## Natural Beauty Farm (Feb 17, 2003)

"I have given her penicillan 2 times myself because someone told me the initial shot was *only good for ten days*"

Antibiotics are through the system in less than 24hrs, not 10 days. I'd be on the phone with another vet and having a fecal run. Check out dairygoatinfo.com and post on there also for help. That site has lots of information to digest and learn from.


----------



## HappyFarmer (Jun 17, 2006)

The few times I've had to give pennicillan it was 2x a day, except once recently it was every 6 hours, depends on what you are giving it for. 
HF


----------



## KimM (Jun 17, 2005)

I would try big doses of Fortified B Complex or Thaimine if you can get some.


----------



## jad44 (Apr 10, 2008)

I just went through a mess with my goats - lost 6 before all was said and done - vet did not know more than to post one, checked it, and it was parasites... My suggestion, once the goat is down and if paralysis has set in - just put her down - she is suffering as much as you are - and in this cold, probably not much help for her - mine were sick when it was warm out.

To go back to the beginning, we wormed with Panicure in spring - and obviously that did no good. Watch your goats daily - if ears are droopy (not the usual droop) or tails down, or just listless, or eyes are pinkish, gums might be pale - all signs something is going wrong - my goat ate up until the day we put her down - just like yours - had to move her out of her own messes, and keep dry straw under her, drank lots of water, ate feed as usual, but could not stand on it's own power..

So, once we deciphered it was parasites, at least for starters, we gave a round of shots - Albon, Iron, and B complex; Cydectin orally And two weeks later we did another round of Cydectin by mouth to every goat on this farm - made sure every one got it the second time - the first time was my yearlings or less. It was a job, but within days you could see the difference; goats were jumping and playing and romping and being a real goat again! 

I also gave the yearlings resorb - lots of it - as much as they could drink for 5 days - costly, yes, but it got the electrolytes into them and helped to flush them out by going oftener. 

I did not deviate from the feed they were used to eating - don't make changes in the process of trying to make it better - it only complicates the matter - advice from my vet.

I have a very good vet - he is one who can treat everything from a canary to an elephant I think, but I sure feel he knew what he was doing. At first he had to guess, but had to start somewhere; it worked! 

So, if anyone tells you "Anybody can raise a goat!" Don't believe one word of it - you don't let them take care of themselves - like some people do - and even get by lucky once in a while - but for the mostpart, they need as much TLC as any animal you care about. 

I'm new at this - been at it for only 2 years, maybe a little more; I"ve learned with a lot of bumps and bruises along the way- but this past episode was my worst - but, am willing to share my experience with any of you - I'm still no expert! But, if it can save a beautiful little goat, I'll share - those goats are like my kids! Take care of them and they'll love you for it!

Jo


----------



## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

Paralysis is normally one of three things, meningeal (SP?) worm aka deer worm, polio or listerosis bad news is that they have allot of similar symptoms.
The famancha chart is a tool, its not always accurate, the doe I spent a month working on had healthy looking eyelids but was infested with worms.

I would have to ask when is the last time you dewormed your goats, with what and how much?

Keep moving the legs, make sure that they are getting circulation because at this point they are starting to waste away and there isnt any coming back from that with 100% success in my experience. 
I do agree with getting the thiamine, she needs to be on it several times a day and you can only get it from a livestock vet, if there was anyway to get it to you I would send you some. If you can not get the thiamine use red cell or a product called oral B for horses, they are not as good but will be better than nothing. If you are using b12 complex I have had better luck using it both orally and injecting it.

You need to make sure the pneumonia is gone, if you cant do anything better for it la200 would be more effective than the penicillin. An anti inflammatory like banamine would be very helpful because no matter which of the three they can cause brain swelling and that will help.

Is there any reason to think the back legs not working is from another goat bulling her while she was down?


----------



## Birch Hill Farm (Dec 3, 2009)

Are you in an area with a large white tail deer population? It sounds like meningeal worms to me. They are carried by the deer and are spread through slugs and snails to goats. It tends to start out with paralysis in the back legs and spreads to the front. From what i have read Pneumonia can also be a side affect of this condition, and the animal tend to eat and drink well up to death. The only treatment is very high doses of injectable ivermectin. Something to think about.


----------



## Birch Hill Farm (Dec 3, 2009)

here is a link to good information about meningeal worms
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/meningealworm.html


----------

