The week before last I had an URI run through my herd. This is the first time in all the years raising goats that this has happened. I would see one or two at a time but never like this. It came at the most inopportune time as the Easter cabritos were hitting the ground. I got out in front of it and with the help of the vet we were able to get in under control. However, I lost one of my largest nannies and have another one that is not able to nurse. My vet performed a necropsy on the nanny and she did have pneumonia. We are waiting for the cultures to come back. She had beautiful twins--one of each--and luckily they took to the bottle when their mom died (5 days old). Fast forward to last night.....
I went out for the 10:00 feeding and this doeling--Mini--was the first to nurse. I noticed after she finished she curled up under the chair instead of jumping around as normal. After I put the others up I went and picked her up and noticed she was coughing and was very congested. I took her inside and her temperature was 102.9. I gave her a dose of Excenel and within twenty minutes she started to bloat. I tried massage but it progressed and I gave her Therabloat. She began to scream and wirth in pain and then fell unconscious. I thought she had died. I was inside the house and the only needles I had at my disposal quickly were 20 gauge. She was lying limp in my lap but I could feel her heart still beating. I prayed first and then I pierced her rumen and the air began to escape. I did this twice. Her heart rate began to slow and her breathing became more regular. It took about five minutes for her to regain consciousness. I then ran into the barn and grabbed the CD antitoxin. I tried to get 5 cc SQ into her but accidently pierced through and through so I only got about 4 cc in. However, she began to seem more relaxed. I gave her 0.1 cc of Banamine in the muscle. I could not believe she was actually alive! She curled up beside me and about an hour later the bloat came on again very rapidly. I set her on the floor to try to get her to walk but she began screaming and stretching and then looked like she was trying to summersault. She was having a seizure. I quickly gave her 5 cc more of the antitoxin and in less than 3 seconds she was quiet and the bloat resolved. I then gave her Combipen and B complex. She finally fell asleep around 0330 and woke up this morning with tail wagging and wanting to eat. I gave her some electrolyte solution--she was not happy about that--but thought it was probably not best to give her milk. I then called the vet.
The vet told me he thinks she will make it and the worst is over. I told him I think there was Devine intervention and this little goat has a purpose in this world and it is not for Easter dinner! He told me to get her back on the milk as soon as possible at half the amount she normally takes and to keep her on the Excenel for 5 days. He told me he prefers Pedialyte to the electrolyte powders for the kids. I brought her to work with me and she is resting comfortably but will not take the bottle--milk or Pedialyte. Her cough is better but she is still quite congested.
I know this is a long post but I just wanted to share my experience. It is imperative that all goat owners--especially ones that are breeding--have CD antitoxin on hand. I have to order it as our local stores do not carry it.
Any thoughts out there or other experiences with this?
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