Emergency - wether down

When it rains, it pours! It's not my goat but my neighbors. It's a wether pygmy/dwarf and weighs maybe 25-30#'s Probably 6 months old. My neighbors are coming back from Las Vegas tonight at 10pm but their sitter was given instructions on Thurs that this wether was having urinary problems. They have had a little 3 mo old with stones we believe was due to getting into the chicken feed. Anyways, his belly is very tight and the rumen (upper left side is distended more than the right). His belly below is very tight, the rumen is still a little soft, puffy compared to his belly. He is pooping and he did urinate without straining but this is a tiny guy and I know so very little about goats. They did not give the sitter any instructions but to call my friend the cat/dog vet. She gave the sitter my # and I'm all of one minutes drive away. So, I gave the wether some baking soda (2 tsp) balled it up in a water paste and down the hatch about an hour ago. Then, the sitter walked him quite a bit. He was chewing his cud but not anymore. He was drooling before I got there, she told me over the phone. I have an 18 gauge needle I could stick his rumen with but he's not my goat so I didn't to that. He ate a little of Kashi with heavy mineral oil but just a very little. He now is standing in his pen in the house like he's in pain. He puts his butt up against the side of the cage and stands with his hind feet up near his front feet, looking very uncomfortable. I'm standing by with hopes of a quick reply! Thank you!!!

 

Re: EMERGENCY

ok, the sitter is going to be back about 6pm and she said she would give more baking soda and massage his belly and walk him. She seems very reliable. Thank You and I will keep checking here for additional ideas. It's 4pm now, is 6pm going to be too late?

 

Re: EMERGENCY

I called her, she's turning around and coming back and will call me as soon as she gets in their driveway. I'll hustle over there and give a hand. It should be about 20 mins or so. I'll keep checking back here till then.

 

Re: EMERGENCY

I'm back. Little Willie is better but not. We massaged, walked and walked some more and massaged a bunch. He gave us a bunch of little raisins and we just kept walking and massaging him. also, gave him baking soda with a little distilled water. Probably a Tbs or more. While the sitter took care of the other critters, I watched Willie in his crate, and he started drooling and hunching up. So, when she finished, I left her to continue walking and massaging. His tight belly did start to loosen up a little and was not so distended. But, when I watched him in his crate, it appeared that it started to go back to being quite tight again. So I told her he was not out of the woods yet and she's going to hang around till the owners (city ppl with hearts in the right place) come home, 10-11pm. The neighbors are really good about letting me know how things went so I will post back here with any news and updates. Thank you all!

 

Re: EMERGENCY

no. We didn't.

 

Re: EMERGENCY

Hi Stacey, geeze louise, can u believe my luck lately. No, nothing unusual, they're kept in a secure fenced in yard and small barn area. They do have access to lots of hay and the owners via cell phone think he's over eaten with the hay.

 

Re: EMERGENCY

also, the drooling is not foamy or anything, just like plain saliva dripping out of his mouth.

 

Re: EMERGENCY

hmm, maybe something in the hay?? At any rate, I don't have any activated charcoal and doubt my neighbors do. I guess, we have to wait for them to return. The biggest problem is, they don't like our livestock vet and refuse to deal with her, period. They're using a dog/cat vet but I know she will do her research.

 

Re: EMERGENCY

He is peeing without straining. Stacey, this is not my goat but my neighbors pigme (sorry, I'm old ) goat. He also is alert without coughing and has excellent balance, no inbalance issue at all. Is drooling, and stands hunched up with his hind feet up near his front feet and looks like he's straining to go poop almost. His belly is tight and his rumen, up high on the left side is distended out more than the right. He was raised in the house so we took him out to the barn and he turned around and would trot if one of us was in front (me) and jog on ahead of him to the house. A few times, by the time we got to the house, he dropped a bunch of raisins. He seemed better until we put him in his crate in the house and left him there for 20 mins. He stood as I said and was obviously uncomfortable. If he wasn't standing but walking around the kitchen island or begging at the sink, he seemed to be in good spirits. They should be home in another hour or so and I won't hear from them tonight but will post back here as soon as I do hear from them.