[Lesley Silvester]

Well, not poorly exactly but we ended up at the vet's today.

On MOnday night when I went to give her a bottle, I noticed Cloud had a mucky face on one side so thought I would wash it the next day.  Tuesday it poured again so I didn't do it then, last night I saw that she had a lump on her jaw on the same side.  This morning in daylight, I had a good look as realised that the 'dirty'face was actually a discharge from her eye.  I cleaned it as best I could then put her in the back of the car.  she enjoyed the journey and looked out the window the whole time.  The vet, who is very expereienced with goats, thought she had been based in the eye, possibly when pay fighting with Curry.  He popped some dye in to check for scratches on the cornea but it was clear.  He;s not oo sure about the lump but she has had an antibiotic/anti-inflamatory injection and I have another one to give her on Friday.

She is perfectly well in herself, takes her bottle, eats lot so hay and concentrates, bounces all over the place, so he's not too worried but said call him if she seems off-colour and go back if there's no change by Tuesday.

I've just cleaned her up again and she is still fine in herself.

Has anyone similar experience?

[countrywoman]

As it turned out, my experience was not similar but yesterday, after leaving my twins to play for 10 minutes while I fixed their bottles, I returned to splashes - and in fact puddles - of blood and one boy with his face a mass of red goo with a big solid blob hanging by his eye.  Above his eye where the disbud patch is was a fountain 15" high of spurting blood. 

I keep an emergencies box in the goatshed with a clean towel in and quickly wrapped him in it and put pressure on the fountain while I made a pad of kitchen roll and micropored it in place.  Glad I had the stuff to hand!  Then phoned vet for advice.

As you experienced goatkeepers have already guessed, he had knocked the disbud and a bit of pressure solved the problem.  I dressed it with Melolin and micropore then put a bandage around under the chin.  What I could not believe was the sheer volume of blood after only ten minutes.  If I had been gone longer I imagine he would have bled to death because it certainly wasn't clotting except for on his face, which accounts for the 'lost eye' blob that gave me such a fright!

Ah, the joys of animal keeping...

Like Cloud, he was keen to feed, had a sleep and then went racing round the paddock.  Hope Cloud continues to improve - my boy looks like nothing was wrong at all today!

[little blue]

bloomin' goat kids, nowt but trouble!!

glad both tales have happy endings, if they're not off the grub then they must be ok!

[Lesley Silvester]

Cloud's eye is fine now.  She had her second injection yesterday without even noticing.  The lump is still there though but the vet did say Tuesday so I won't panic just yet.  She is still as bouncy and and greedy as ever so can't be too bad.

[Lesley Silvester]

The lump was bigger by yesterday so I rang the vet and took her in today.  He stuck a needle in and drew some pus so it had to be lanced.  She made a dreadful racket, poor thing, especially when he was applying pressure to squeeze the pus out.  I couldn't believe how much there was and how solid some of it looked.  He then used a syringe to flush the cavity out.  She was fine as soon as he stopped, even when he injected painkiller and a long lasting antibiotic.  I now have to flush it out twice a day for four days.  I was dreading it but this evening, while OH held her, I squirted previously boiled water into the hole.  Nothing more came out so it seems to be clean in there.  She was as good as gold for me.  There is still a bit of a lump but he said that should go down.

[jaykay]

Good to get it cleaned out. Goats do make a racket, a lamb would have flinched then just stood there  I'm sure she'll feel better now she's had antibiotics and painkillers 

[countrywoman]

It sounds horrible both for her and for you!  Sometimes I think I'd rather be ill/injured myself than have to deal with it in others, especially when with animals you can't even try to explain that what you are doing is for their own good.  So glad you managed to get it flushed out with less problems than you anticipated - still not a pleasant prospect. 

Hopefully the antibiotics etc will start to fight from the inside and she will begin to heal soon.  A bit of sunshine would help - if only....

[Lesley Silvester]

Both flushings out went well today and still coming out clean.  She is such a good girl for me.

[Mammyshaz]

Poor cloud. It sound like it's improving. Keep up the good wor. Fingers and toes crossed here she recovers quickly