Well, I took her for the longish drive to the vet that knows goats. I have some questions for all of you goat folks here. He believes she has ingested a small piece of metal. He felt that it wasn't really worth doing x rays as there wasn't a real threat to her life and not much that could be done about it if that was the case. Also, she is on Naxcel as she was running a slight fever and even though I had her checked for worms last week and she came up neg, she came up pos for worms today so she was wormed. The vet said he would rather see her on sheep minerals than the cattle minerals as he thinks there is enough copper in feeds and in the browse for a goats needs. He thinks the magnesium available in the sheep minerals is more important.

Does anyone have any experience with an animal that was thought to have ingested something indigestible and how did they come through it all? As I am prone to worry, I am now really worried. He didn't seem to think it was a big deal, but he doesn't love this goat either. Ease my mind or devastate me, I just wish I had experience to draw from, and will take yours vicariously. Thanks a bunch.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), March 23, 2001

Answers

I know for cows who swallow metal (they call it hardware disease) the vet will feed the cow a magnet. This will remain in the body and attract the metal and hold it in place. I don't know if you could do this with a sheep using a smaller magnet or not...worth asking your vet.

-- Amy (gshep@aeroinc.net), March 23, 2001.

Doreen from what I saw you are a very intelligent person. How could anyone but God see into the rumen of a goat and diagnose a piece of metal in thier? Naxcel is a great antibiotic, albeit must be made from gold :) maybe it will nip something in the bud. Any vet who tells you that in Texas that your copper level from a feed store feed and hay will be enough for your goat, and to feed copperless sheep minerals doesn't know what he is talking about. First even with our custom mix, goats are classified as sheep&goat (one word) and the nutritionist will not take it upon themselves to be liable for putting extra copper into your feed, so you are purchasing feed with very little copper, unless you use cattle feed. I would love to know what, how much and what route he had you worm :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 24, 2001.

Well, he wormed her with...PANACUR. I know that's not the best. Also, regarding the xrays, I just wasn't sure I wanted to do that since she's pregnant. But I have been tossing it around and think I'd better do it just so I know for certain.

Here's what he did to come to that conclusion...he took the temp, felt all over her, looked in her eys, mouth ears..no mites, pulse, respiration etc. Everything was good except for the temp. Then he got behind her and had me hold her head and he pushed up on her abdomen, seemed kind of like a Heimlich manuever. He asked me to say when/if I heard her expel a bit of air. He did this 5 or six times and twice I heard her grunt. Then he checked for worms and blood in the stool. No blood. Which made me rather happy. He said that the grunt was an indication of some pain in the stomach, which stomach, I don't know.Would you think xrays would harm the kids? I try to avoid them, but this is bugging me, and I don't want to feed her a magnet, unless there is a definite reason to do so. Yes, the Naxcel was rather expensive...way. Do you think he was just trying to get me to pay for xrays, too? I HATE not knowing what is wrong! I asked about checking her levels in blood work and he siad that it was rather limited, and judging by her appearance she wouldn't show any serum deficiencies in her blood, but that didn't mean that she needed more or less of something in her diet.

I guess I had better call the ag extension and ask if there is any copper in the soil here. I don't know and I don't have the slightest idea how to check for those things either. I have been feeding her a mix of cattle and sheep minerals because the cattle minerals don't have magnesium in them, and the sheep doesn't have copper.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), March 24, 2001.

Also, I told him what I was feeding, I get a custom mix and add salt, but no minerals to the feed.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), March 24, 2001.