[beeches4791]

Hi everyone,  I wonder if I could ask for some advice on Minnie, our beautiful but poorly little pygmy goat doe.

She is about 2 years old and this is the first time that she has been poorly.  She has looked a little depressed for a couple of days and today I've noticed that her poo is a little sticky and clumped together and her bottom is a little messy - not awful but not quite right either.  I've taken her temperature and that is absolutely normal and her lower eyelids still look nice and red.  She is coming out of her shed and eating normally but just looks a little disinterested in life.  I only gave her hay for tea last night instead of her usual concentrates and have noticed that she is drinking quite a lot. 

Wondering about getting a FEC done - does this sound like it could it be worms?

I thought she was up to date with innoculations as we were originally told to innoculate annually (after the initial double dose) but have just read online that is now recommended to innoculate six monthly.  What do other people do?

I would be really grateful for peoples thoughts and advice - we're only two years into goat and sheep keeping and so are still on our very steep smallholding learning curve! 

Many thanks,

Claire x

[clydesdaleclopper]

Definitely got an FEC done and given the time of year it might be a good idea to ask them to also check for fluke. Vaccination should be every 6 months using Lambivac.


Is she still eating okay?

[beeches4791]

Hi and thank you both so much for your super quick responses, I really appreciate it.

Minnie seems to be off her usual concentrates goat mix but is still happy to chomp through hay and any treats! I've also been making sure that she has plenty to drink (they do love their hot water and have a bucket most mornings!).  I've also tried some hot water with a little honey in it today which she seemed to really enjoy.

We'll definitely get an FEC done - would you recommend doing this through the vets or I've also seen that you can buy kits online that you send off direct to a lab for testing?  I don't mind paying more for the vet to do it if it's worth it but like many people have found, it's so difficult to find a vet who knows much about goats!  Although we have the same problem with our chickens aswell to be honest! 

Our vet had previously recommended Heptavac for both the sheep and goats so we've used that for innoculations up until now.  I'm conscious that there are lots of pros and cons of both Heptavac and Lambivac and that it comes down to whichever one the local vet recommends but am wondering whether it would be worth asking about changing to Lambivac.  When we moved into our house and started using the paddock, it had been left overgrown and empty without any animals on it for at least 7 years so I know the vet thought the risk of worms/infection was quite low so maybe they would be better off on Lambivac.  I'll have a chat with the vet about it again.

Her poo is not really runny or smelly and no sign of any blood so hopefully that eliminates Cocci.

Her tail is wagging quite a lot and she is quite affectionate but she seems quieter than usual at the moment - to me it feels like she's being affectionate because she knows I'm trying to help her rather than her coming into season.  Our other pygmy goat Misty seems to constantly be coming into season at the moment and spends all day racing around the paddock, bleating away and telling the world about it!  We just have the two girls at the moment - still working on my other half re getting anymore ;-) 

I did wonder whether she had caught a cold - the two pygmies are twin sisters but Misty is definitely head honcho and they have fallen out a bit over the last few months.  Misty was beating Minnie up when in the shed together at night so we split the shed so it has a top and a bottom bunk to keep them separate at night.  Minnie sleeps upstairs but that is the level that has the window (no glass, just a mesh panel) and so we wondered if she had caught a chill if the wind had been particularly strong one night.  We've put a cover over it now - a gap to allow ventilation but enough cover to hopefully stop any drafts as I know they can be prone to pneumonia.

I've not seen any shivering and her temperature was 39.6 which seems to be about spot on from the information I've read online.

We've got lots of ivy around the place so I'll get her some tomorrow to see if that helps perk her up - scarlet dragon, could you confirm what umbrells are?  I've googled umbrells but google just insists on showing me pictures of umbrellas!!

Thanks again for your help,

Claire

[pharnorth]

There is a preference for Heptavac for sheep because it covers more diseases, but I believe Lambivac is cheaper (?) and some say that it may be better for goats because of the possibility of overload, though my Vet was a bit dubious that that was a real issue, it did not seem a strong argument for Lambvac so for simplicity I use Heptavac for my goats and sheep.

Adult goats are more susceptible to worms than adult sheep, as the latter build some resistance. If you have both on the same paddocks you do need to be vigilant with your goat FECs. Since you suspect a problem worth getting the FEC done through the Vet this time at least as they will also advise you on outcome.

[harmony]

Tail wagging - probably in season. Not all are so vocal as your other. Mine are quite different.


My old nanny, 16 yrs, will follow any man when she is in season. Last time she headed down the field where we had workmen in the field surrounded by herras fence. She went round and round the outside trying to get in. When I went down to get her and asked "who smells like a billy then?" they didn't have a clue. Halfway back up the field she jumped over the wall and joined up with a young man on a hike. I had to go over the wall too and literally drag her home.

[Lesley Silvester]

Tail wagging - probably in season. Not all are so vocal as your other. Mine are quite different.


My old nanny, 16 yrs, will follow any man when she is in season. Last time she headed down the field where we had workmen in the field surrounded by herras fence. She went round and round the outside trying to get in. When I went down to get her and asked "who smells like a billy then?" they didn't have a clue. Halfway back up the field she jumped over the wall and joined up with a young man on a hike. I had to go over the wall too and literally drag her home.

Sounds like dementia to me. 

[beeches4791]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all your replies and my apologies for the delay replying.

I've had the FEC done by the vet and thankfully that has come back negative for worms.  The vet checked for Cocci too to be on the safe side and again, that has come back completely clear - so that's a relief.

I also asked the vet about her being on heat and he agreed that it could be that and echoed all your words about different goats reacting in different ways.  Harmony - the story about your nanny goat really made me chuckle!

He also suggested that we reduce the amount of concentrate goat mix that we give both her and her sister as he said that they may be gorging themselves and that that's upsetting her tummy. 

She does seem brighter in herself and has been out and about in the paddock a bit more today so hopefully she will soon be on the mend.  I'll be keeping a close eye on her and will take her to the vets if any concerns but am hoping we are over the worst.

Thanks again to you all for your replies, I endlessly google advice when I have any questions or concerns but it's just not the same as having advice from real people who have been through similar experiences, so I really am very grateful.