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HELP! Goat with high fever.

4K views 118 replies 10 participants last post by  toth boer goats 
#1 ·
One of our does had a fever of 105 yesterday morning. I gave her a shot of banamine and gave it 12 hours. Last night the meds had worn off and she was back up to 106. Gave more banamine and 12 more hours and started a course of antibiotics. Now her fevers up to 107. She has not been eating well, but her poops seem normal.

We had switched to soaking their feed (not even fermenting, just soaking) Monday and she didn't like it so she wouldn't eat it. By Tuesday evening she still wasn't eating, so we switched back to dry food. She gobbled up about a cup and then that night wasn't sure she wanted anymore. Yesterday morning she wasn't eating well and had a fever.

We've called our vet, but she won't be able to get out here until at the soonest later today. Is there anything we can be doing to help our doe until the vet gets here?
 
Discussion starter · #2 ·
She is in milk and was eating about four cups of feed a day. 2 cups alfalfa, 1 1/2 cups grain, and 1/4 cup BOSS. She's slim, but not skinny. Has a fantastic coat and her nine-week-old twin boys are eating and growing well and seem healthy themselves.

We're thinking that maybe her refusal to eat the soaked feed caused this, but we don't know. She had eaten soaked feed in the past without complaint, but even when refusing the soaked this time she was still eating dry just fine.

It's all so sudden and wierd!
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
Bio-Mycin.

I'll try cold compresses, but I doubt she'll let me. Yes, I just gave more banamine.
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
With pneumonia, would her breathing be off?

It doesn't seem to be. The only thing I noticed this morning was her nose was wet, but it could have just been water or allergies. 🤷‍♀️
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Can you call your vet for some Draxxin or Exceede? They‘re a stronger antibiotic or Nuflor even. You won’t necessarily see visual signs of pneumonia but her lungs could be filling. Keep a good eye on her temp because it can drop suddenly and that’s when the real trouble starts.
Our vet won't prescribe anything unless she's check the goat over, so either way we have to wait until this afternoon for that.

I will watch her like a hawk!
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
Should I quarantine her in case this is contagious? (Obviously pneumonia isn't.)
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
Also, could she possibly have an infection from kidding this far out (the babies turned 9 weeks yesterday)? We didn't have to reach in or anything, it was a fairly smooth labor.
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
You could see if she’ll take some garlic, oregano, or orange peels to help boost her immune system in case it might pneumonia. To give a little extra on top of the meds while waiting for the vet.
I guess if we're having to throw out her milk because of the meds it doesn't matter if it tastes like garlic. 😂
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
How’s your girls fever now?
She doesn't have one right now, hovering around 102, but it's probably because of the banamine. Thank you for asking!
 
Discussion starter · #19 ·
That’s great. I’m so glad her fevers down.
Did the vet arrive and give you meds for her? If so what did they say?
She hasn't yet. She's a one-woman operation and wasn't sure if she'd be able to make it. Fingers-crossed!
 
Discussion starter · #20 ·
Every time I read this I am again so grateful for our vets. Unfortunately the female quit (I want to know if she went somewhere else because I just might follow her) but the male is also good and will give us what we need just based on symptoms we give them over the phone and will allow us to keep stuff on hand so we're able to jump on it if an issue arises.

Hope your doe gets better! Anxious to see what your vet says.
Yeah, we actually had to get banamine through a friend because our vet wouldn't give it to us just to have on hand for in case. I get that she doesn't want to just hand out meds to random people, but still!

She's the only vet we can find for our area, so we're sticking with her for now, but there's a place thinking about doing goats, so if they do we're switching!
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
Have you called the local county extension office? Their 4-H/FFA leaders might be able to help you find a vet who would work with you better.
No, we haven't. Will look into that.
 
Discussion starter · #23 ·
Yeah, we actually had to get banamine through a friend because our vet wouldn't give it to us just to have on hand for in case. I get that she doesn't want to just hand out meds to random people, but still!

She's the only vet we can find for our area, so we're sticking with her for now, but there's a place thinking about doing goats, so if they do we're switching!
It is going to be a bit awkward explaining how we got banamine, but... oh well!

When my goat has a fever of 107 and I'm not sure I can get a vet out to see her, I'd rather have meds that I got from a friend without my vet's consent!
 
Discussion starter · #25 ·
Say if you weren’t going to let me have any I had to get resourceful to save my goat. But in a nice way…I’m rather blunt but my vets used to me.lol😉
Explain that you’re not going to abuse it but feel it’s necessary to have on hand for situations like this. Ask for a prescription and get it from Jeffers or have Jeffers contact the vet.
Well, if I have to I will, but her fever's back up to 106, so we ain't sayin' a peep about the banamine! She'll never know the difference, and maybe she'll prescribe some and then we've got extra! 😂

Thankfully, she is headed out here now!
 
Discussion starter · #26 ·
Even though she's got a fever again, she did just eat about a cup of grain, so that was good! I just noticed earlier this afternoon that the poor thing has lost her hay belly. :(
 
Discussion starter · #29 ·
You could see if she’ll take some garlic, oregano, or orange peels to help boost her immune system in case it might pneumonia. To give a little extra on top of the meds while waiting for the vet.
BTW, I gave her a some orange peel, but she wouldn't take the garlic. Thank you for the advice!
 
Discussion starter · #30 ·
Well, I got four extra doses of banamine. 😂 Vet says it's not pneumonia or mastitis, probably a bite of some sort. She said to update her in the morning and she'll be available to come out tomorrow afternoon if need be.

She said to withhold the milk for 36 hours. We're fine with us not being able to drink it and, if we have to, going ahead and weaning the boys. However, we just banded the boys, so we are wondering if the little bit of banamine that they'd get through her milk could help them out a bit. Thoughts?
 
Discussion starter · #32 ·
I always give banamine before I band it’s 1cc per 100lbs so you’ll need a tiny amount for them so use an insulin syringe or 1 cc syringe to measure it. and you can give it orally.
Sorry, I was asking if you thought that they could continue to nurse while their mama is on it.
 
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Discussion starter · #37 ·
How’s your girl this morning. Since you started the Biomycin you need to complete the 5 day treatment schedule unless the vet told you to stop. Its Important.
She had a temp of 103.9, so either a low end fever or she's just got a higher average temp than other goats. I still went ahead and gave her banamine because the vet said to give it last night and this morning and see how she is in the afternoon. She did eat all of the food I gave her while milking, so that was progress!

Hm. We didn't tell the vet we were doing Biomycin because she probably wouldn't have liked that we were self-treating with an antibiotic. She seems like the type to avoid antibiotics unless they're desperately needed and told us that if Rosie wasn't doing better by this afternoon, she would stop by check her out and prescribe some.

So she made it sound like she doesn't want Rosie on antibiotics. How big a deal is it if we don't finish the course since I've only given it once?
 
Discussion starter · #39 ·
The vet pulled up the four doses of banamine into syringes for us. Based on her instructions, we likely won't use the other two doses, but they are already in syringes. How do we store these, or are we going to have to throw them out if we don't use them?
 
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