This is the same doe that had the goopy eyes a few days ago. That seems to have gone away, but now she's stands there and shakes. Still eating and acting normal except for the shivering. What's up with that???

-- gita (gita@directcon.net), December 13, 2001

Answers

Response to Why does my doe have the shakes?

What is the weather like where you are? Is she wet? Does she have shelter from the rain or snow? It sounds to me like she is cold. She should have hay available at all times, the hay fermenting is what keeps them warm. What about her body fleshing? If she is very thin, she may need a litle more fat on her bones, and to be wormed if she hasn't been wormed lately.
It could also be a fever, but I would check all the other factors first.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), December 13, 2001.

Response to Why does my doe have the shakes?

She has shelter, it's not wet, temp is around 50 degrees during the day, and the other does are not acting that way. Yes, she's on the thin side and always has been.

-- gita (gita@directcon.net), December 13, 2001.

Response to Why does my doe have the shakes?

What is her status among the other goats? Is she always being picked on, is she smaller, or do they have horns where she does not? If there is no dominance problem, where they are simply not allowing her to eat, has she been tested for CAE? It is a possibilty, if there are enough feeders and they are letting her eat, and she's been getting adequate grain.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), December 13, 2001.

Response to Why does my doe have the shakes?

Occasionally an animal shaking does not indicate cold, but rather a deficiency in minerals or vitamins, or possibly neurological damage. Animals which suffer high fevers will sometimes just not be quite "right" when they recover. If you suspect a deficiency, testing should reveal the cause. Sometimes a deficiency such as potassium can cause muscle weakness. I would consult the vet if the doe doesn't improve in a few days.

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), December 13, 2001.

Response to Why does my doe have the shakes?

She is the lowest on the totem pole - she never challenges any of the other does but at the same time nobody ever picks on her. All of the does are dehorned. She does get adequate food - I watch them eat all the time. She did just get over an illness which some people here speculated might be pinkeye. She seems to be beyond that but maybe it's taking her longer to fully recover.

-- gita (gita@directcon.net), December 13, 2001.

What do her gums and eyelids look like, pale or healthy red/pink? I suspect anemia. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), December 13, 2001.

I don't know about goats, but horses can suffer muscle fasiculations when they are having metabolic problems due to electrolyte imbalances. They look like they are shivering a bit.

-- Debbie in Mo (risingwind@socket.net), December 14, 2001.

I'm not sure about your goat - I would have said most of the things already mentioned. I, too have a thin, low pecking order, de-horned goat and she frequently gets cold in wet&/or cold weather. I put an insulated vest on her (snaps under her belly.) As long as it is kept clean and dry (which I make very sure of!) she seems much more comfortable. She is also one of those always been thin types, no matter what we do to fatten her up. Like some people, I guess. P.S. My husband suspects a calcium deficiency.

-- Deborah Stephenson (Wonkaandgypsy@hotmail.com), December 14, 2001.

Hi Gita, I have a goat who at one time had polioencephalomalacia- vitamin B1 deficiency (thiamine)- I recall her having the shakes (I thought she was cold and threw a sweatshirt on her before we found out what was wrong- then her symptoms progression was SUBTLE- minor tremors, at times staring blindly or dazed,grinding of teeth, loss of weight (she was eating normally but was also the lowest on the totem pole), depressed and tail down. At the same time she had biting lice visible on her back. Had to treat with concentrated B complex injections and Ivomec injection. She fully recovered. Immediate attention is necessary.

-- Jeanette Wright (ourfarm@dreamscape.com), January 19, 2002.

P.S.** I was told Polioencephalomalacia was caused by something effecting the goats' rumen- either moldy hay, too much molasses in feed (drastic change in feed like getting in feed bag) or antibiotics. In our case we believe it was antibiotics for shipping fever (we puchased a herd and treated for stress as well as dewormed). She was the only goat to get sick, but I believe she was the most stressed by the move.

-- Jeanette Wright (ourfarm@dreamscape.com), January 19, 2002.