The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: ballingall on March 14, 2013, 02:20:30 pm

Title: C-Section
Post by: ballingall on March 14, 2013, 02:20:30 pm
Had a busy day today, woken up at 6am by my mum who had done the early check on the goats. Lantana, pure BT was kidding, and mum stated she thought she needed assistance.


Mum and Alex went out to have a look (I fed Brienne, kid born on Sunday). No joy as her cervix had hardly dilated at all. Called out the vet, who asked on the phone if she should bring the equipment for a Caesarian. Mum said no, and Alex and I said yes! Mum is very against ceasarian's after having one done a long time ago, when all the kids and the mother were lost. Never had one done since.


Vet arrived, checked her, tried to dilate her by hand, no luck. So it's either the ceasarian or put her down. This is mum's last pure BT, she kidded 2 years ago and had a female kid, which died at 10 days old, so we really didnt want to have to have her pts. Plus, she is mum's baby- i've never seen a BT as devoted to a person as Lantana is to my mum.
[size=78%]We went for the ceasarian on the basis we might at least get the kids safely through, though she is kidding 5 days early, so it is risky for them too.[/size]


Operation went ok, though she did have to give Lantana a sedative. First out a big boy, lively at first, but very quickly became evident he struggled to breathe. I was having to rub his chest constantly to keep him breathing.
Boy number 2 was even bigger, and a bit stronger, once I rubbed him down he only needed a little extra rubs in between to keep him going. Last out was a little girl, who was very weak, and like the first boy struggled to breathe. I had to devote my attention to her, and by the time she was well enough to go down to the house, boy 1 was so weak that he wasn't going to make it. Mum and Alex were having to help stitch Lantana back together, so I took the girl and boy 2 (boy 1 has by now died), down to the house, I still had to keep rubbing her chest for over half an hour in the house until I felt her breathing was steady enough to actually put her down for a minute!


Gave them both some of Arwen's milk (who kidded on Sunday). Once Lantana came round from the sedative managed to get some colostrum from her, but she doesn't have a lot of milk. She looks very rough still, shivering despite wearing two coats. She's had antibiotics and oxytocin as well as calcium.


At the moment , it doesn't seem too bad having done the op, but the girl kid is not out of the woods fully, and nor is Lantana.  :-\  Have to see how it goes.




Beth
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: colliewoman on March 14, 2013, 02:23:25 pm
Oh how stressfull  :'( :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:  and  :fc:  that everyone is ok.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: ZaktheLad on March 14, 2013, 02:25:23 pm
Sounds like a day from hell - lots of  :hug: to you all.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: bloomer on March 14, 2013, 02:33:25 pm



big hugs to you all, Lantana is a lovely goat hope all is ok soon!!!
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: wytsend on March 14, 2013, 02:36:14 pm
I had a caesaren done  this year but it was done as a standing op with the incision area injected with local anaesthetic.  Goat carried on eating the whole time........even during sttitching up !!!!!  Little girl was absolutely fine.
I think each caesar has its own risks.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Rosemary on March 14, 2013, 05:13:18 pm
Hope Lantana and her two recover fully  :fc:

We had a ewe sectioned last year - local anaesthetic only. Lamb was trying to suckle before the vet had finished stitching up his mum  ::) Both were fine but the ewe hasn't got back in lamb this year, so maybe some internal scarring  :(

Glass of wine for the three midwives tonight  :)
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Anke on March 14, 2013, 05:32:52 pm
Oh Beth, not a great start.... Hope the wee ones (and the mum) do survive. I am also surprised how weak their breathing is with only 5 days to go... do you think there was something else wrong with them?
 
I have my Balafark girl on Cetophyton and daily injections of Vit B to keep her going, she is due in 5 days time... My vet is very against inducing her, as she is still eating some things and moderately lively...
 
 
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Dogwalker on March 14, 2013, 08:51:37 pm
Fingers crossed for them all.
 
One of my angoras kidded early and both kids died after about 5 hours, just as I was thinking the boy was picking up a bit. It's so upsetting watching such a tiny life fade and feeling so helpless.
 
I hope they all make it.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Lesley Silvester on March 14, 2013, 08:54:45 pm
What an ordeal for all of you.   :hug: :hug: :hug:   Hope they make it.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Brucklay on March 14, 2013, 09:18:35 pm
All crossed here for mum and the wee ones  :fc: :fc:  had 4 c-sections in 2 years, 2 with both kids happy and healthy, 1 lost a massive boy and the other one kid didn't survive the op and the other we lost at 3 days - so I just am thankful all mums came through fine and some of the kids - again  :fc:
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: bloomer on March 14, 2013, 09:23:13 pm
Dear Beth,


Can we get an update please been thinking about your little goats all day!!!


Thank You!!!


 :love: :goat: :love:
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Daisys Mum on March 14, 2013, 09:43:50 pm
Hope Mum and kids are making good progress  :fc: :fc: :fc:
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: ballingall on March 14, 2013, 11:18:30 pm
Sorry- update here!


Lantana (mum) is actually very bright and cheerful now. She is eating, drinking and a lot more comfortable altogether. She is still finding it hard to get up and down, and she isn't producing much colostrum for the babies. What she is producing is like custard, so with a bit of Arwen's milk added to water it down slightly its fine.


We haven't named either of the kids, although the boy looks fine, is drinking milk, and is perking up. He is trying to stand up, and can wee and do poo- all good signs! The wee girl, is not doing so well, not drinking very much, but she is brighter than she was. She has a fair amount of gunk in her chest and is quite raspy and rattley, so they have both been given antibiotics about an hour ago as a precaution. Waiting up til 11:30 so we can feed them, and then I can finally sleep for a few hours.


Alex has just gone out to check on the other two pregnant ladies- I sincerely hope neither of them is kidding right now!
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: sabrina on March 14, 2013, 11:36:36 pm
Do hope they survie after all that stress  :hug:
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Anke on March 15, 2013, 06:33:47 am
 :fc:  hopefully all getting better.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: sokel on March 15, 2013, 07:29:09 am
 :fc: that they gain strength and are soon running around.
Must have been a very stressful time for you
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: kja on March 15, 2013, 07:34:14 am
 :fc: all turns our well for you too.

 mum had a BT kid 10 days early the male dead and the female very weak with raspy breathing. too weak to suckle from mum she had to be bottle feed little and often after each feed mum would pat the kids back (a little like you would for a CF sufferer) the kid is now 11 days old feeding off her mum and full of life the breathing is almost 100% so looks like she will make it.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Rosemary on March 15, 2013, 08:58:27 am
 :fc: for them all.

Goat keeping sounds even more traumatic than sheep keeping  :o
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: kja on March 15, 2013, 09:20:05 am
:fc: for them all.

Goat keeping sounds even more traumatic than sheep keeping  :o

not usually rosemary in the 40+ years my parents have breed goats i can only recall 2 c sections and one of those was on a pygmy. the eary kidder this year was a 8 year old it is only her 4th  and last kidding . usually its straight forward.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: ballingall on March 15, 2013, 12:16:33 pm
The little girl died this morning  :( She didn't take much milk last 2 feeds, and would cry after suckling like it had hurt her. Poor little thing. She fought hard. The boy is fine, will pick a name for him today. Wanted to make sure he survived as I knew the female didn't have a great chance. We were doing exactly as kja said. I think the sedative didn't help the kids either in all honesty, because I wouldn't have expected their lungs to be that poorly.

Have always found if they are premature, the number of kids has an impact- had an AN kid last year born 7 days early, but he was only a single, and he was absolutely fine. Lantana's line seem to have a genetic history of bad kiddings.

Beth
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Anke on March 15, 2013, 01:03:04 pm
I am sorry for that, what an awful start.... Hope Lantana gets better, are you keeping the boy intact?
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Dogwalker on March 15, 2013, 01:14:20 pm
Glad the little boy's doing well. 
Sorry about the others.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Lesley Silvester on March 15, 2013, 08:39:36 pm
So sorry but hope the little boy continues to do well.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Brucklay on March 15, 2013, 09:11:13 pm
Oh no - not what you wanted or I wanted to read - so sorry she did'nt make it  :hug: :hug:
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: goosepimple on March 16, 2013, 11:23:57 am
Oh that's rough Beth, hope the remaining boy and mum end up healthy, such a pity, you must all be quite stressed.
 
On the up side it's a better outcome than having her pts.  Good luck to you all.  :fc:
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Pedwardine on March 17, 2013, 07:47:34 am
What a sad story. I so hope Mum and wee boy thrive. It's tough when you try so hard to do your best and things go so dreadfully. You did really well by Lantana.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Mammyshaz on March 17, 2013, 07:59:06 am
Sound like you had a rough time. So sorry you lost two. Sounds like the little boy and mum are doing well  :fc:
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Daisys Mum on March 17, 2013, 08:05:01 am
So sorry to hear that you lost 2  :hug: hope mum and son are doing well
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Blinkers on March 17, 2013, 11:51:49 am
Awww Beth, only just caught up on this - so, so sorry (its gutting isn't it  :'( ), but fingers crossed the boy and his Mum make good progress now. xx
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: heidih on March 18, 2013, 09:30:08 pm
aww how sad. fingers crossed all goes well now with the boy and mummy xxxx :fc:
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: ballingall on March 18, 2013, 10:18:29 pm
The little boy is now called Leo. He's doing just fine, drinking plenty of milk, exploring the goatshed, and experimenting with mounting our other female kid! Lantana is doing ok too, her milk is starting to come in properly, and she went up on the milking bench for the first time tonight.


Another new friend for Leo arrived today...


Must try and post pics!


Thanks so much for everyone's good wishes!


Beth
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: Lesley Silvester on March 18, 2013, 10:41:28 pm
Good to hear that Leo is doing well and so is Lantana.  Looking forward to the piccies.
Title: Re: C-Section
Post by: jaykay on March 19, 2013, 05:39:21 am
Just read this, so sorry you've had such a rough time  :-* Glad little Leo has survived and is doing ok.