Severe Anemia & Starting Pneumonia...Update More Advice Needed

Tabitha Poll · Jan 13, 2021

She still will not eat or drink anything on her own. She is up and moving around on her own, but we are providing all nutrition at this point and have been now for 2 weeks. Does this just take time or are we fighting a losing battle? Of course we aren't giving up on her, but it's disheartening that she isn't wanting to eat or drink on her own.

toth boer goats · Jan 13, 2021

It takes time.

NigerianNewbie · Jan 13, 2021

Tabitha Poll said: ↑

She still will not eat or drink anything on her own. She is up and moving around on her own, but we are providing all nutrition at this point and have been now for 2 weeks. Does this just take time or are we fighting a losing battle? Of course we aren't giving up on her, but it's disheartening that she isn't wanting to eat or drink on her own.
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happybleats · Jan 13, 2021

It can take time. Took me weeks to get my girl back on track after being ill. I tempted her with leaves and blackberry vines and chopped carrots. At first she would act interested but not eat. Then she would meet me at the fence and nibble a few bites. In the mean time..try rolling hay into a small bite size ball and stuff it in her mouth. I did this with a buck with polio/listeriosis years ago...maybe she will chew it up and swallow and not spit it out. She needs rumen stimulation.. hay, leaves, vines..all help.
Best wishes

Tabitha Poll · Jan 26, 2021

Hi everyone - thanks again for all the advice you have all given. Suprisingly our girl is still with us. Her anemia is on the way to getting better I believe - she finally is getting some color back.

However, she still will not eat or drink on her own. We have been providing all the nutrition and hydration for her going on almost 4 weeks now. She gets up on her own and moves around her pen and will sniff the water and hay like she is interested but never eats. Silly question - can she forget how to eat/drink/chew after so long? She literally will pick a strand of hay up and move it around with her tongue and then it just falls out of her mouth. She also has had diarrhea now the past week or so. Varies between watery stool to paste. She has been given Spectoguard the past 2 days.

She has a variety of things available to her. Plain water, warm molasses water, alfalfa, grass. The one up se in the past 4 days she has been going to town on the mineral we have free choice for her. I know she it is because she was very much lacking I'm sure.

Any thoughts what we can give her to help her getting eating on her own again? She does have rumen sounds and her temp has been normal. She is not chewing cud but I would think because she isn't eating roughage? Everything we provide for her of course is liquid nutrients through drenching.

Tabitha Poll · Jan 26, 2021

I also should add we did a follow up fecal about 10 days ago which showed coccidia so we gave Corrid for 5 days. Her last dose was last Wednesday 1/20.

SalteyLove · Jan 26, 2021

It's almost exactly 3 weeks since the initial issue which is prime time for a parasite rebloom. I know you wrote you had a fecal done ten days ago, which caught the coccidia bloom but maybe was a little "early" for other intestinal parasites? I'm not sure on the exact dates of deworming you have done. What a bummer about the scouring again!

I would do a 3 day sequence of Banamine and B-Complex injections to boost appetite.

SalteyLove · Jan 26, 2021

Have you already tried offering evergreen boughs?

jschies · Jan 26, 2021

Can you get any leaves or evergreen needles for her? Also, are you giving her B complex daily or thiamine? That stimulates appetite. I would suggest that you give probiotics daily also. You can dissolve goat feed pellets or alfalfa pellets in water and give those to here with a turkey baster. Tell us exactly what you are giving so we can give better advice.

Tabitha Poll · Jan 26, 2021

We were actually just talking about getting another fecal done to make sure we were successful in getting rid of the worms. We did worm her again 10 days after the very initial dose, then about a week after that is when we did the fecal that showed the coccidia. So we will definitely get another fecal to make sure there isn't another bloom of anything.

I so wish it was summer so we had more fresh things to offer her because I feel it would help her want to eat. but ughh...Iowa winter. We don't have any pine trees near us...can it be any type of evergreen? There are random evergreens that grow in the ditches. I just want to make sure I don't give her anything that could make her worse.

So the smoothies we have been giving her daily include: spinach, pumpkin, canned corn, yogurt, timothy pellets or alfalfa pellets softened up, banana, carrots (it usually varies depending what I have on hand). I also add vitamin C and Dyne to them. She gets bluelite electrolyte drenches for hydration, flat dark beer for her rumen and probios and Vitamin B daily - the injectable type. I was also giving SubQ fluids at one point to combat dehydration.

JML Farms · Jan 26, 2021

Glad you have seen some improvement. It will take several weeks. Keep up the good work.

SalteyLove · Jan 26, 2021

Maybe you could grab a photo of the evergreens in the ditches? They are likely a type of Cedar or Juniper which would be fine.

I can't think of any that are toxic off hand but perhaps we could ID or confirm. Alternatively - perhaps a drive with some branch loppers and find a white pine along a rural road somewhere?

21goaties · Jan 26, 2021

To try to tempt her to eat..

Romaine lettuce
Tree branches
Whole peeled Banana
Whole Pumpkin (split open)
Could also try any of the types of hay they sell in bags at TSC and similar farm stores. The Standlee compressed bales (I think they have timothy, alfalfa, and orchard) and even the hay for rabbits like "timothy meadow" "orchard grass" etc. There' s also this stuff called hydration hay for horses. And the manna pro hi fiber chopped hay which is a blend of Timothy, oat and alfalfa hay with added molasses.

Molasses (small amount)
Peanut butter

I noticed that the standlee alfalfa pellets soften in water a lot faster than the dumor alfalfa pellets. If you need fast mush then you can also blend (or pound with a hammer) the pellets into powder and then add water

happybleats · Jan 27, 2021

Try rolling hay into tiny balls and stuffing in her mouth via the corner...just push it in there. Watch your fingers lol. I had a buck who was not eating on his own..even though he showed interest. I did the little hay balls. He loved it and ate every ball. Its slow..so expect to be there 30 to 40 minutes several times a day. Soon he ate on his own.
A fecal would be a good idea. Daily Probiotics may help the poop.

Glad she is hanging in there

SalteyLove · Jan 27, 2021

Just to make sure... This goat is tested Johnes negative?

21goaties · Feb 16, 2021

@Tabitha Poll any update?

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