[Tgmcr]

I have a coming 4 yo. Doe due to kid April 5th. She hasn’t been very interested in food for the past couple days, she just kind of picks at it. She also had some clumpy poop. Today and was laying in the snow with her legs straight out. I went out and she got up, but didn’t come to me like normal. She wasn’t interested in food at all, or water. She then sat down right in front of me. I managed to get her into my horses barn and put her in a warm stall. She has access to hay and hot water, she’s not interested in either. She looks kind of dazed and is standing pretty post legged. She also stretches every few minutes. Her ligs are still completely there and her udder isn’t full or anything. No discharge right not either. She just looks uncomfortable. My normal vet isn’t available so I called another. He said he could be here in about 4 hours and advised me to give her a shot of vitamin b and some nutridrench.
I just have her 3ccs of vitamin b as per recommended by the vet, and gave her the nutridrench. I took her temp yesterday and it was 102, I’m going out to take it again right now.
Is there anything else I can do for her? She did something similar to this last month and I had the vet out within an hour, but by the time she arrived she was acting better. It worries me that she hasn’t been wanting to eat much the last couple days though, which didn’t happen last time.

 

[wheel-bear-o]

Do you have ketone strips?

 

[Tgmcr]

Yes, I tested for ketone on Wednesday when she started acting off and it was normal

 

[wheel-bear-o]

I would definitely test her ketones again just for peace of mind if you can. She is right at the time in her pregnancy when toxemia can become a concern and the added stress of cold/snow can bring it on if they are on the edge. Even if it's something else causing her to lose her appetite, it's possible her lack of intake could put her into ketosis. I'm glad you brought her into the barn. Is her temperature normal?

If it were me I'd check for rumen sounds and then probably start trying to get caloric drenches into her to bolster her strength - dyne or power punch, maybe, or corn oil and molasses.

 

[ksalvagno]

Test her again for keytones. I'd also give her another 3cc of B Complex and also give her probiotics. I'd also consider polio/listeriosis along with ketosis.

 

[SalteyLove]

I'd drench 30cc of molasses karo or corn oil and retest the ketones anyhow.
But dehydration may be a major part of the issue. Are you familiar with tenting the skin to see if she is hydrated? Offer her hot water or flavored water to get her drinking.

 

[happybleats]

Good advice
I would also drench her with 60 cc of 50/50 mix of molasses and water. If she's getting ketosis you should see an improvement with this.

 

[happybleats]

I would also do 30 cc of a carrot and celery juice. It's packed full of needed nutrients and can support a calcium need. Just juice 2 each and drench it to her if she won't slurp it up her self

 

[Tgmcr]

Thank you for all of the advice. I had to run to work for a couple hours until someone can come in and cover the rest of my shift. Her temp is normal still. I have my sister watching her while I’m gone. She’s waiting for her to pee to test her ketone again. She knows a little about goats but not much so I have her offering her molasses water and I will drench her when I get home. I’ll run to the store and get some corn oil, celery juice and carrot juice

 

[wheel-bear-o]

Another way to stimulate them to drink on their own is to try a drench of concentrated electrolyte mixture. I'll do one or two 30cc doses and often that will make them thirsty enough to go for the bucket. Bonus if you have the kind that has dextrose.

 

[Tgmcr]

I just got home and she’s definitely more alert. My sister said she slept next to her the entire time I was gone. Still not interested in eating or drinking much, and has yet to pee. The vet is on his way now

 

[NigerianDwarfOwner707]

I agree with all the advice but check her FAMACHA score in case of parasites too.

 

[Tgmcr]

She just got up and peed on the blanket my sister was using as I typed that (oops!)
To me it looks like it could MAYBE be trace..maybe a little darker than it did the other day..I’ll see what the vet says.

 

[Tgmcr]

Just finished up with the vet. Everything looked good physically. Her heart and lungs sounded good and babies were moving all around. We pulled blood to run a CBC and are doing another fecal. He said to give banamine and keep up with the vitamin B. He said it sounded like she was starting to show symptoms of polio but we may have caught it quickly.
She still has no interest in eating so I will be drenching her in a little while when she settles down again.

 

[ksalvagno]

If polio, then you want to give the B every 6 hours around the clock.

 

[Goats Rock]

Goat Polio is not the same as human Polio, it really has nothing to do with human polio (which is a virus that attacks the spinal cord and nervous system) - which is why so many goats get it and unless you've seen it before, it gets missed. (sorry, I've told people that is what their goat may have and they argue because they don't think goats can get polio!)
Polioencephalomalacia (Polio, PEM).
It is neurological starting in the brain caused by a thiamine deficiency. (Not viral, like people).
Goats are particularly reliant on one of the thiamine-dependent methods of glucose metabolism. The brain is usually the first noticeable organ to suffer from a shortage of glucose. Signs of polio vary. Animals can show a slow progression that starts with being off-feed or a mild diarrhea. (from Dr. Curt Vlietstra Pipestone Veterinary Clinic )

If you caught it early, that is great, you have a great chance of reversing it!

 

[Tgmcr]

I gave her a dose of vitamin B at 6, I'll go again at midnight and set an alarm for every 6 hours.
How often should I drench her?
I'm really hoping that if it is polio we did catch is fast enough that she is okay, and if it is something else hopefully we get to the bottom of it quickly. Her blood results should be in on Tuesday.
She did perk up when I got home from work. She had been sluggish and sleeping for most of the day, but when I got home and the vet saw her she had a little bit of spunk in her. She was nibbling at my shoelaces and jumping up on the stall walls to try and see into the isle. She did show some interest in some alfalfa hay and a little grain as well.

 

[ksalvagno]

Is she eating at all?

 

[Tgmcr]

She is eating a little. I put her and her daughters together again because I didn't want her stressing about being alone, so its hard to know how much she has eaten now. Before I put them back together she was eating a bit of hay. When I put grain in their bucket she did start to eat some of it. I'll offer her some more grain when I go back out tonight to see if she wants any.

 

[ksalvagno]

So it sounds like she is improving. I'd keep up with the B Complex. I'd also do daily probiotics. Do whatever else the vet told you to do.