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Author Topic: Angora goat that cannot get up  (Read 3623 times)

judee

  • Joined Sep 2010
Angora goat that cannot get up
« on: January 11, 2020, 04:01:50 pm »
I have a female angora goat that I successfully treated for footrot in November, she was checked by the vet who advised that there was no infection left and that she was OK. Since then she has not got to her feet without help but when up walks about, eats, drinks etc. I make sure that she is standing for as much of the day as possible, she has had several courses of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and a course of Vitamin B1. She has loose stools (which I put down to the antibiotics) and I am giving her live yoghurt which helps, she is alert, bright and appears not to be in pain or uncomfortable. Does anyone have any experience of this? Could her rear legs have got weaker due to lack of use?Any ideas would be vlaued. Thanks. :goat:

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2020, 05:52:31 pm »
How did you give the AB or AI injections - into the muscle and where? You can (in rare cases) hit a nerve near the backleg and that may cause the goat to have problems getting up/down. But wasted muscles are probably the more likely cause and I would give her more time and make sure she does move around as much as you can make her. Can you take her on walks on the lead?
Has she been checked for anaemia - low iron can make them quite weak and reluctant to get up as well.

As to loose droppings - I am sure you have no reason to believe she could have worms and/or fluke?

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2020, 07:33:24 pm »
It has been going on quite a while and there are quite too many questions raised by your description so she needs to be seen by the Vet again. For example it is not clear whether the several courses of antibiotics anti-immflammatory drugs and Vitamin B1 were before or after the Vet saw her.  If the foot rot cleared in November than the implocation is that as when she had antibiotics. Loose stools should return to normal in days not months.  If the Vet didn't check before stress can allow worm count to raise substantially for example.

I have had a similar scenario with an angora goat who had muscle weakness after being off legs (due to stress and fly strike).

judee

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2020, 02:12:36 pm »
Thanks for all of your replies. The vet saw her 10 days ago and feels that she will get up when she gains strength. The B1 was injected into her side neck so I don't think that it is nerve damage but she did have an antibiotic in her back end after she has started her "rest". I am puzzled but was slightly heartened today when she made some effort to get up, she is at least showing some intention to be up and about.I will worm her again after I have had a test sample looked at.Once again many thanks.

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2020, 06:52:04 am »
How long have you had the angoras and what body condition are they in?
The first ones I got were the end of someone's flock dispersal and although not old they were poor animals.One had a phase as you describe, just didn't have enough energy or muscle to get up but wanted to eat once she was.Extra molasses on her feed, carrots, apples and other treats, and a separate pen so she didn't get pushed over by the others and she recovered after a couple of weeks.Angora's need more feed than I expected to grow all that mohair and keep body condition.

judee

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2020, 12:05:14 pm »
She is three years old but came in a group and always has seemed a bit strange with a shorter nose and rather charming, but distracted demeanor. She is small and light but as she is on her own now, away from her rather bullying sisters, she has huge amounts of feed with treats of fruit and vegetables and access to grass when it's not raining. She has a goat mineral lick, and uses it. I feed (by large syringe) live yoghurt which she greatly enjoys (although she will not lick it from a bowl), she has good hay and occasionally some alfalfa. I am attempting physio with her and she is making some effort to get up. Once on her feet she moves around well and if she is led where she doesn't want to go will resist quite heartily. I am baffled but is heartening to know that others have had similar experiences and that eventually things improved.Many thanks for your interest, I will let you know when she gets up.

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2020, 12:34:08 pm »
Sounds like she just needs more time then.My angoras general health improved when I started adding seaweed meal to their feed.  Whatever they were lacking must be in it although I still don't know what.

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2020, 01:55:03 pm »
Several angora goat keepers swear by seaweed though I haven't tried it on mine.  They do have a different trace element and dietary need to diary goats. On the two occasions I have had a goat 'off legs' it has been the least assertive in a group and they can gradually lose condition unnoticed under a growing fleece as the more pushy ones get all the most concentrates. When loose stools are also a factor it may be a nutrient strip added to an underlying poor condition. The getting up is the hardest effort and if she is standing once you have her up that is good progress.  The worse of the two I had we built a sling with bungee ropes to help him stay up and take some but not all of his weight and used in 20 or 30 mins at a time

judee

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2020, 05:28:28 pm »
The good news is that my girl Ivy, has finally made it to her feet alone! She is not as sprightly as she should be but she is walking quite well. She eats like a horse, and is (as far as I can tell) happy and healthy but once she is down for the night she stays put! First thing in the morning her legs are a bit stiff but today she heard me coming and got to her feet.I am delighted.Many thanks for all of your suggestions and advice.

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2020, 06:02:47 pm »
Great news. :thumbsup: Thank you for the update.

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2020, 12:34:02 am »
Glad she's up :)
Not sure if she is too young for symptoms, but do you test for CAE? Just wondering about stiffness in legs.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2020, 01:06:58 pm »
Glad she's up :)
Not sure if she is too young for symptoms, but do you test for CAE? Just wondering about stiffness in legs.
If you do test her for CAE I would also do a Johne's test at the same time (as vet needs to take blood samples anyway, you might as well do two).

But sounds she is on the mend! :thumbsup:

steve_pr

  • Joined Mar 2012
  • Carmarthenshire/Pembrokeshire Borders
Re: Angora goat that cannot get up
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2020, 04:17:19 pm »
I realise this is an old post but thought I would add from our personal experience.  One of our billy kids was badly beaten up by the rest of the gang, stamped on and kicked around and was unable to stand at all. Appeared to have neurological damage, possibly even a broken back.


However, he was such a character that we resisted the temptation to pull the plug. He was eating well, just couldn't stand up and urinated and pooed where he was. Got quite smelly so we had to wash him several times. He was in a small pen next to other goats so seemed contented and relaxed. Stayed like that for 3 months, then due to a rearrangement in the shed he ended up in a much bigger pen for a time. Within 2 days he stood up (and promptly fell over again) but continued to try. We deliberately put his food the other side of the pen and he would get to his feet and wobble over to it to eat. Spent more and more time on his feet, getting better and stronger and more stable. Took him down to a pen in the garden where he proceeded to demolish the hedge over a period of days.


He was sheared a few weeks ago and looks much better, he walks confidently (and even tries to run!) and we are even starting to think about introducing some girls in the autumn. It took a long time for the inflammation to go down, muscles to regain strength and possibly even learning to walk again if there was nerve damage, but I think moving him to the bigger pen was the key move. With more space he had more motivation to move whereas in a small pen it wasn't worth the effort.


Just a simple (psychological) thing to try.

 

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