My poor girl is not doing so well. We still have 11 days to go and she's not wanting to eat now. I am drenching her 3x/day with 50% Dextros, Amino Acid Concentrate, and Calcium Gluconate. Giving B Complex twice a day and probios.
I am finding it so frustrating (as with the honeybees) that you do everything right and still have problems. I have carefully measured their feed, they have fresh hay, water and alfalfa daily. They get a good herbal wormer and I have monitored them for anemia. They have loose minerals, baking soda, and get selenium treatments. They get their hooves trimmed and their coats brushed. Etc, etc, etc.
I feel like every problem you can have with goats has been thrown at me this first year from buying a goat who ended up having mastitis, to Kat's miscarriage and subsequent inability to be bred since, to this. Some days, I wonder why I bother.
Oh Kristin, I'm soo sorry :( I thought about this yesterday. My girl cut her ear and there is nothing I can do except keep it clean. I was also thinking about what if something goes wrong and the babies are dead or worse she dies. Would it all be worth it? We put so much time, money, love, and effort into our animals that it's devastating when things go wrong. Is there anyway to induce her labor? Is it too early for the babies to come out? Will she be better once the babies are out? It sounds like you have medicated her very well and she should feel better, and that it's the pregnancy that's keeping her sick.
ReplyDeleteYou are an awesome goat mommy! Keep your head up, I hope things turn around for her. Keep us posted ☺
The vet said I need to get her to 3-4 days before her due date to induce. That's about another week. She should turn around when the babies are born though I may have to bottle feed if they are taking too much milk from her so she can recover.
DeleteI was not able to get her to eat anything this morning. The vet said she may not since the drench is giving her energy.
I feel like a failure of a goat mommy.
Your not a failure!!!! I found this on the web http://users.csonline.net/7maples/inducinglabor.htm
DeleteIt says 10 days before due date, I would listen to your vet but also your gut feeling about when to do it since she's your goat, and you are doing everything you can for her ☺
Heres a forum about it too
Deletehttp://www.dairygoatinfo.com/f19/inducing-labor-29416/
I gotta go get some things done around here but I will be thinking about you and Trixie. Keep you spirits up, everything will be okay ☺
Thanks for the links and the support. She moved while I was back inside teaching and I think she ate some alfalfa because the little pile I left near her was missing. I forced a little bit of molasses water in, but she refused everything else I tried to give her. I will drench her again in about 2 hours.
DeleteKristin, this is sounding a lot like my Abby. Are you giving her Red Cell (at 1 oz./day) and Nutridrench? Or giving her shots of B Complex? Have you tried kelp too. All these things are what I did for Abby too late. If I had known, I would have started sooner. And what kind of hay is she getting? I don't know if it's the same for goats, but cows given late cut Timothy hay is BAD. Not sure about goats though.
ReplyDeleteThese are just suggestions for you to try for Trixie. I hate to see any goat like this so close to kidding. And maybe she's just tired. How old is she?
Oh, a friend of mine who has had goats for years and years, said to feed ALL the carbs they will eat. Like cookies, bread, crackers. And an apple a day too. Apples have a natural pectin that is so good for the rumin. I fed Abby all kinds of junk and she loved it all. Graham crackers, animal crackers... Good luck and I hope she'll feel better soon. You are not a failure. You are doing all you can for her. When she does kid, I would take the kids as they will pull more energy from her than she has right now. She needs to recover and get her strength back.
The vet said don't give her any hay but alfalfa. I was not able to find Red Cell, but am giving her B-complex injections 2x/day and a dextrose drench. I've been bringing apples, carrots, whole wheat bread, rolled oats, sunflower seeds etc, but she's started turning her nose up at all of them.
DeleteI wish I'd started to treat her sooner too, but a breeder friend of mine who has done this for a long time said not to intervene if she was eating. I should have gone with my gut.
I am wondering when I should have the vet induce. Ideally, I'd like to save all of them, but I don't want her to get so weak that she's not able to deliver!
Forgot to add, she just turned 6 years old.
DeleteShe's young. I have no idea why she would be doing this. But this lambing and kidding season so far has been just crazy, with all manner of things going wrong here. Just strnge things happening. I know that you are doing great. I got Red Cell at the Co-op. It's a generic brand, but the same thing. Tractor Supply also carries it. Nutridrench is just about the same thing. Also I heard to not give too much molasses to them. I gave a lot of warm water with Karo syrup and brown sugar and lots of baking soda and sea salt mixed in. The goats and sheep loved that. It gives them energy, like electrolites.
ReplyDeleteI know you are really busy and all, but I have nominated you for a Leibster Award. If you don't have time, or don't want to do this, I can understand. But if so, go to my blog to see to do. You are so sweet and I just love coming here to see what's up. I am sending lots of good thoughts your way for you and Trixie.