The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: ScotsGirl on June 10, 2013, 08:29:01 am

Title: Goat off colour
Post by: ScotsGirl on June 10, 2013, 08:29:01 am
I wormed my goats yesterday and not sure if a coincidence but this morning my AN x was off colour, won't eat and staying away from herd. The only clue is she keeps opening her mouth as if something stuck. The only thing I gave them Saturday (although cant remember if she ate it) was some prickly hawthorn. All other seem fine but I wondered if maybe a thorn is stuck in her gum. If so is there anything I can do?
Title: Re: Goat off colour
Post by: Anke on June 10, 2013, 10:20:48 am
Mine are usually eating hawthorn no problems, its me that gets bleeding fingers so I now only feed rarely.
 
I would have a careful exploration in her mouth, if she has a thorn stuck somewhere it should be painful and you will know about it....
 
Did you drench them or inject wormer? If drenching she may have got a bit of bruise where the gun went down, mine are very difficult to drench and it is usually a wrestling match, so metal bit could easily damage the back of her mouth a bit? Is she up and drinking, everything else ok?
 
Can you tempt her with some really tasty banana or other treat, that she would normally swallow easily, so you can see if there is something wrong with her mouth/throat or if it is something else?
Title: Re: Goat off colour
Post by: goosepimple on June 10, 2013, 01:14:43 pm
or perhaps a couple of chewy apricots may help dislodge, poor thing, something not right, free to phone your vet and ask for advice scotsgirl
Title: Re: Goat off colour
Post by: ScotsGirl on June 10, 2013, 09:23:41 pm
She kept her mouth tightly clamped shut in case i stuck anything else in it! Yes I drenched and think it may have bruised her gum. Lunchtime she was slightly brighter and tonight she was back to normal and ate some mix.


They are not the easiest critters to worm and jab but all done now  :excited:
Title: Re: Goat off colour
Post by: Anke on June 10, 2013, 09:41:48 pm
 :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Goat off colour
Post by: Lesley Silvester on June 10, 2013, 09:51:23 pm
Glad she's feeling better. I've stopped feeding mine hawthorn since Cloud got a nasty absess in her cheek. the vet said that it was probably a thorn from the hawthorn she had eaten. Apparently the thorns have a fungus on which can cause infection. He knew because he had been stabbed by a hawthorn and ended up with an absess.
Title: Re: Goat off colour
Post by: goosepimple on June 11, 2013, 11:00:42 am
Glad she's better, and that's interesting Mad, I give them hawthorn regularly but won't do that now.
Title: Re: Goat off colour
Post by: Brucklay on June 11, 2013, 09:51:40 pm
So maddening with so many things they like there's a down side - you want to vary diets but one doesn't like it one eats too much etc - don't think I'll ever get it right but will keep trying