The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Anke on October 15, 2012, 09:10:36 pm
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My GG wether kid is sick, rather sudden onset today. At lunchtime I saw that he had diarrhoea, but was up and moving about. So no lunch for him and gave him about 20ml of Kaoline + morphine. He had access to hay and water of course, and I kept him in the pen with the other kids. They are all fine. This evening he seemed to be quite quiet, standing in the pen but not interested in aynthing. The unusal thing is that his pupils are not dilated (everyone else's were, as it was getting dark and shed lights were on), but he did see me and followed my movement. he also seemed rather cold (tips of his ears and his nose). So took him down to the vets and he cannot find anything specific.... gave him Buscopan in the vene plus an antibiotic. His temperature was normal, and he did perk up a bit in the surgery anyway... he walked back from the car to the shed, but now is just lying down again. No interest in hay, again pupils like in day time, just slits. Vet tested and he does move head away from strong light. My big worry was CCN (one of my ewes died from it last year and her initial symptons were really not clear until it was too late), but vet was sure this is not it...
Anyone got any ideas?
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Poor little thing, I am no expert but we had a lamb like that one year and the vet said it was vitamin B deficiency. There is also a disease knicnamed Yellows up here where the lambs hate light and have similar lethargic symptoms , it is caused by a plant poisoning but the puzzling thing was I could not find the plant ( St Johns wort I think it was called) that was supposed to have caused it. Not much help but maybe worth looking into. Hope he is well again soon. :fc:
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Mhmm nothing conclusive in his symptoms is there. I would bear CCN in mind, there are not many things that affect goats sight. Just a thought- there isn't any lead paint around is there? Lead paint was what made Blue ill, and ultimately partly why Gordon and Gordon lost him. But- it did affect his sight.
Beth
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Wish I could suggest something but I can't. Just wanted to wish him well.
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:hug: a worrying time. Hope he is better soon.
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I would certaily be treating for Listeria.....they don't always circle !!! Very often it is just lethargy withsudden death.
Have you treated him for coccidiosis......... there has been a huge rise this year, no doubt due to the wet/warmth conditions.
My money is on Listeria/CCN which are poles apart but require heavy doses of antibiotic & Vitamin injections. Sadly economics may have to come into the equation.
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He might have found something nasty in his hay, or has an infected rat or cat peed in his food (Wieles ) ?
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Sadly the boy died on our way to the vets on the car this morning, from what was most likely enterotoxeamia of one kind or another. He was shouting and in obvious pain when we got down at 6 this morning, he had blood and mucus coming out his backend, so I had phoned the vet and we were going to have him PTS, as I was aware that he was too far gone.
One of those things :( ... and I think we did all we could. He was for eating, so although I am upset I am usually not massively attached to the males... but the vet bill will hurt too!
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Really sorry Anke, you tried so hard for him too. Those vet bills always sting that bit more when you don't have the animal to show for it. Sounds so similar to what we lost Ronnie to 2 years back. Sending you lots of love xx
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Thanks, just one of those things .... less than 24 hours from bouncing about the place to being gone.... Vet stumped too, he did check that it wasn't a twisted gut or similar (but no fluid in the belly cavity). Just watching the others like a hawk now too...
OH is now keener than ever to get a bolt gun, as we knew that the goat wasn't going to make it but he was a bit too big to do it ourselves quickly and efficiently...
I think it is definitely one of the tasks that any aspiring smallholder needs to learn...
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Oh, I'm so sorry :hug:
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So sorry about your kid. I have had a disastrous time this year with my kids .....coccidiosis went through them like wildfire. I too am left with a bit vet bill and lost kids.
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Oh Anke, I've just caught up with this thread, really gutted for you, it does make you paranoid forever afterwards, such a pity. You must have felt really stressed in the car, :hug: oh I do feel for you. More annoying when you're not quite sure what it is too I expect.
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So sorry to hear of your loss Anke.
We lost a goatling this year to enterotoxemia and it left me in an awful way for months. Its so hard to go out all the time and milk the others whilst seeing that missing face in your mind. The routine pulled me through in the end - you have to keep going for the others and time does heal. Does mean my vet bills have gone up 'cos now I'm paranoid about everything as they can go downhill so quickly.
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So sorry to hear of this sudden death - very distressing to all concerned. Hope all the others are okay.
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So sorry, Anke. Even though he was destined for meat, it's still the loss of an animal. :hug:
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Sorry to hear the news. Just out of curiosity- he was vaccinated when he was the usual age? I'm just thinking if it has been a bad year, and wondering if it is worth considering giving six- seven month old kids a booster now, before their 1 year booster.
Beth
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Are you haveing a PM done......still leaning to Cocci.
Blood from the rear is very extreme and I would certainly want to know in case it is something more sinister. At least this way....you might be able to prevent the loss of others.
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Are you haveing a PM done......still leaning to Cocci.
Blood from the rear is very extreme and I would certainly want to know in case it is something more sinister. At least this way....you might be able to prevent the loss of others.
We would normally only do a PM if a secoond one died, and cannot justify it for a meat animal for our private use. I have reduced the concentrate for the other kids, just to prevent any likelihood of acidosis. All seemed fine yesterday, just about to go down milking now.
Sorry to hear the news. Just out of curiosity- he was vaccinated when he was the usual age? I'm just thinking if it has been a bad year, and wondering if it is worth considering giving six- seven month old kids a booster now, before their 1 year booster.
Beth
Yes Beth they were vaccinated with Lambivac in July - but I have been thinking that another booster (I have just done the adults for their 6monthly) may be wise. The speed with which this happened makes me think like pulpy kidney in lambs - you usually just find a dead one in the field...
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Sorry for your loss after all your efforts :(
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:( You did your best :bouquet: