HELP Goat Cant Stand

1238 Views 20 Replies 8 Participants Last post by luvmyherd, Apr 28, 2022

briannapj

Discussion Starter · Apr 27, 2022

About 2-3 days ago, I noticed my three or so month old buck was losing weight and having trouble standing on his own. Its been getting worse and worse with me having to help him stand all the time.
Just yesterday he was able to walk but now he can't. Standing has even become seemingly impossible now, as now he just cries and lays back down. His gums are now getting cold, he doesn't want to eat anymore or even take his electrolytes.

we called the vet two days ago but he was so booked up that we cant see him until 4:30pm today. Its only 11:40am right now and he's frail, cant walk or stand on his own, and is now refusing food. Please please help.

he was a bottle baby but has been off his bottle for 2 weeks now. He was plump andeating a lot until just so suddenly. He's had his CDT, he was on Cocci treatment a month or so ago.

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1 - 20 of 21 Posts

KY Goat Girl

· #2 · Apr 27, 2022

briannapj

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 27, 2022

briannapj said:
About 2-3 days ago, I noticed my three or so month old buck was losing weight and having trouble standing on his own. Its been getting worse and worse with me having to help him stand all the time.
Just yesterday he was able to walk but now he can't. Standing has even become seemingly impossible now, as now he just cries and lays back down. His gums are now getting cold, he doesn't want to eat anymore or even take his electrolytes.

we called the vet two days ago but he was so booked up that we cant see him until 4:30pm today. Its only 11:40am right now and he's frail, cant walk or stand on his own, and is now refusing food. Please please help.

he was a bottle baby but has been off his bottle for 2 weeks now. He was plump andeating a lot until just so suddenly. He's had his CDT, he was on Cocci treatment a month or so ago.

going to also try messaging the vet to see if we can come earlier.

21goaties

· #4 · Apr 27, 2022

What is his temperature? Yes he needs to be at a vet ASAP

Reactions: 2

briannapj

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 27, 2022

Cant go any earlier to the vet. No shot until 4:30. Ill try getting his temp

Inspiration Acres

· #6 · Apr 27, 2022

Have you seen him pee at all?

briannapj

Discussion Starter · #7 · Apr 27, 2022

He has peed plenty. Every time i stand him up he pees.

Hes drooling now.

happybleats

· #8 · Apr 27, 2022

Ugh. He sounds critical. Get his temp asap....if it's low..need to warm him up. How's his famacha?

Reactions: 5

luvmyherd

· #9 · Apr 27, 2022

I am so sorry. This veterinary shortage is making me crazy. I cannot add to the advice you have been given but I so empathize.

Reactions: 1

happybleats

· #10 · Apr 27, 2022

@briannapj how are things?

toth boer goats

· #11 · Apr 27, 2022

How is he doing?

briannapj

Discussion Starter · #12 · Apr 28, 2022

He made it to the vet. With the way his eyes were twitching and he was reacting little to nothing to things, we suspected something wrong with his brain. Polio maybe even. It was hard to tell. We all tried and he was given treatment but little dude passed away on the way back home. Thank you all for trying to give advice and help the situation. He fought his hardest

Reactions: 4

briannapj

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 28, 2022

I also wanted to ask a question as I was so stumped as to why he ended up like this I did some research. We have tons of ferns growing in the woods around the pin that sometimes grew inside of their pins. They munch on them a lot especially our two eldest boys so we always assumed they were safe, but now looking into it they could be brackens that can cause thiamine deficiency? Could this be why he possibly had polio, if so i feel terrible. They were not at all fed to them often but they do all tend to munch on some.

friesian49

· #14 · Apr 28, 2022

So sorry to hear he passed. My girls have eaten ferns before with no negative effects, but they haven't eaten a ton of them. I saw it was on the Fias Co edible list and so wasn't terribly worried about them eating it.

Reactions: 1

briannapj

Discussion Starter · #15 · Apr 28, 2022

Thats why I had always assumed myself that they werent poisonous, as for the last year my eldest especially (three year old boys, 2 yr old girl) have eaten plenty of them. The other four babies have had a fair share of them too but i have seen no negative effects.

But then again, I had another boy six months ago who passed away in a very similar way to this guy. This lead me to researching as it cant just be sheer coincidence. This boy had a little bit here and there as he would pick the ting amounts of growing ones in the pin, but he's never had as many as the eldest have.

Regardless, i think its time to clean up these ferns around the pens. Its better to be safe than sorry, I just had always assumed they are okay to eat

Reactions: 2

friesian49

· #16 · Apr 28, 2022

I agree, too many things to worry about - get rid of them if you think they are a problem!

Reactions: 1

happybleats

· #17 · Apr 28, 2022

Yes, braken fern can cause polio. Take a sample to a local nursey to see if that's what you have. If so..pull it all out of their area. When goats are not hubgry..hungry.. may sample a bit bit not eat consistently enough to cause polio.
Very sorry for your loss.

Reactions: 4

Inspiration Acres

· #18 · Apr 28, 2022

I'm so sorry, your in my prayers.🙏💗

Reactions: 1

toth boer goats

· #19 · Apr 28, 2022

I am so very sorry 😢

Reactions: 1

friesian49

· #20 · Apr 28, 2022

happybleats said:
Yes, braken fern can cause polio. Take a sample to a local nursey to see if that's what you have. If so..pull it all out of their area. When goats are not hubgry..hungry.. may sample a bit bit not eat consistently enough to cause polio.
Very sorry for your loss.

I'll have to check what kind I have, although since they are in the woods near the creek, my assumption is they are not bracken. Found this helpful link to tell the difference before this happens to someone else.

knotweedremoval.tips

🏡 What is the difference between fern and bracken?

A lot of people don't know the difference between fern and bracken, which can lead to them being planted in the wrong places or killed off by mistake.

knotweedremoval.tips

.

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