I have a goat in late pregnancy that is making me very nervous. Unfortunately, I don't know when she was bred but the other does aren't due until around March 26th. Her bag has been very full for at least three weeks. She had become depressed and stopped eating and getting up on March 2nd. We did a keto check that was positive on that day. We treated with propylene glycol and a molasses drench. Also started giving vitamin B shots and probios. After 2 days the test came out negative and she started eating somewhat. She also started getting up, although with some difficulty and just to move to another spot. We have kept up with the treatments and she seemed to have perked up quite alot. Over the last 2 days she has basically stopped eating her grain again and just eats hay. She is drinking water. Her ligaments in the back completly disapeared about 3 or 4 days ago. She has not had much discharge to speak of. I can feel the kids moving around quite alot on her lower right side. Her breathing is fast and her heart rate is up to 144bpm. Her temp today was 102.4. This is a first year goat who is/was quite large, although her conditioning seems to be disapearing rapidly. The vet wanted to induce labor when she first tested positive for pregnancy toxemia but we wern't comfortable with that because we didn't know when she was bred. Should we relax and keep working her through this with the treatments and exercise or is it time to call in the vet (we're pretty sure what he is going to say)? Brian

-- Brian (ourfarm@dreamscape.com), March 11, 2002

Answers

With everything you say there it sounds like time to call the vet. Since the ligaments are gone, the udder is full, and the toxemia is a problem that won't go away til the kids are born it would be good idea.

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), March 11, 2002.

Do you have other pregnant does? Do you know that you can put the ketosis strips under any of them and have a slight change of color. Unless you are seeing really dark purple with finger nail polish (acetone) breath, I would doubt you are really seeing ketosis. I would also be you a dozen donuts that if you treated this doe with calcium she would perk back up and start eating. If you lutelyse her today you will have kids in 36 hours, 13 days early will take all the skills you have to save them. Read this dicuss hypocalcemia with your vet, especially if your doe herself is young and growing, and treat her. Even if all it gives you is 3 or 4 more days, it helps the kids lungs to mature. If you are forced to lutelyse her to save the doe, at least give her some dexamethazone to hasten the maturation of the kids lungs, and have some Dopram on hand to stimulate the kids breathing. You will have bottle babies, you will have to keep warm, and more than likely tube feed for several days until their sucking reflex comes in. All dosages of drugs can be found at saanendoah.com we use 2cc IM of Lutelyse to abort/bring into labor. Here is the article to read on hypocalcemia http://hometown.aol.com/goatlist/hypocal.htm

Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 11, 2002.

Thanks for the responses. We did start giving cmpk today at noon. I've read that milk fever can sometimes prevent the doe from going in to labor. Is this the same with hypocalcemia? Brian

-- Brian (ourfarm@dreamscape.com), March 11, 2002.

Brian, go with VickiM's advice she certainly knows more than I do. Hope things work out, let us know how she does.

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), March 11, 2002.

Your advice was perfectly correct Vicki P!

Yes Brian, giving a doe calcium, in sluggish labor will indeed prompt harder contractions if the problem was hypocalcemia. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 12, 2002.

Yesterday, March 14, our doe was taken in for a c section. She had been induced early the day before. Her condition was getting pretty bad and she had not started to dialate. She had triplets but one doe died shortly after being pulled out. The doe also died a few hours later. The other 2 kids, a buck and a doe, are doing very well. Thanks again for everyones help. Brian

-- Brian (ourfarm@dreamscape.com), March 15, 2002.