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+--- Thread: Fractured Shoulder (/showthread.php?tid=1523)
RE: Fractured Shoulder - DownUnder Gal - 06-22-2016
Hello HHB. I will ask my vet about bute for goats. My goats have never been prescribed it - only my horses. I normally give a one off shot of flunixin I/M under vet supervision for pain/anti-inflammatory requirements. I've never had a goat with chronic muscular or skeletal pain except for Atticus who last year had a spot of stiffness/lameness over some weeks - the vet thought early onset osteoarthritis and so I tried devil's claw on the advice of a dairy goat breeder I know. It can be used long term as far as I know. Either it worked or it wasn't OA.
The initial dose of meloxicam Atticus had on Monday for his fx was 3ml, which I understand was for a 280lb weight goat. The vet said it was a deliberately high dose due to the pain he was in. Tomorrow we will drop the dose down to 2.5ml and then after that I'll be trying natural pain killers if I need to. No more meloxicam will be given at that point.
He's eating and drinking well and peeing OK. Cleaning out his enclosure while he's still in it is a challenge. "Excuse me Atticus, would you mind moving to your left for a moment?" The ACV is doing the trick - I'm pickling him from the inside out to help prevent UC. The probiotic yoghurt is helping his gut I think but the slippery elm is blocking him up which is the last thing I need. So no more of that!
Glad to hear Sam is on the mend.
A sheep grazier's warning and severe weather warning for damaging winds was issued earlier this evening. We are expecting snow on Friday. I'm glad the cozy factor is up in La Casa d'Atticus. I never thought I'd hear myself say that I wish it would stop raining (we've been in drought for a couple of years now) but I am well and truly "over" the rain for now. Am sending some to the Antipodes for you to enjoy
RE: Fractured Shoulder - DownUnder Gal - 06-22-2016
PS I have not had much luck with DE for parasite protection in goats - but it seems to work for our chooks. I find COWPs along with strict paddock rotation and regular poop scooping much more effective. Except for Koby when he first arrived, I haven't needed to drench any of the goats since 2013 (FECs done every 3 months on everyone). I'm all for trying natural methods as much as possible for treating my animals generally, in conjunction with modern vet treatment where necessary. I think the two go hand in hand and my vet seems open to the idea - she concurred that comfrey would be a good treatment for the fracture whereas lots of vets poo-poo natural remedies.
RE: Fractured Shoulder - Nanno - 06-26-2016
How is Atticus doing lately? Any updates? I've been worried about the poor fella.
RE: Fractured Shoulder - DownUnder Gal - 06-27-2016
Unfortunately he is critically ill - weight loss, in pain and refusal to drink for a few days now. Very depressed, still eating but not much. Still ruminating but there is a fair bit of undigested cud in his mouth at any given time, not sure why. The leg is healing well and is the least of our problems, I would say he is weight bearing around 80% on that leg now. The vet thinks some sort of kidney failure or beginnings of UC. Blood results should be back in a few hours. I just got a urine sample - he's been peeing regularly but just not much so I am hoping UC is not the issue. Have treated him with ammonium chloride in any case. Having to hyrdrate him orally 2 litres every 2-3 hours which he hates. It's 3am and I've just come in from the latest hydration. I can't give him any pain relief until the bloods are in. Have moved him to enclosure with a small yard next door to the one he's been in for the past week so at least he can say hi to his mates up close and not feel so isolated. I feel helpless
RE: Fractured Shoulder - Nanno - 06-27-2016
Oh I'm so sorry to hear this! I hope he turns a corner for you very soon. It's so hard when there's nothing more you can do and they're not improving. Is he interested in the other goats at all? If he is, I wonder if keeping him isolated is contributing to his illness. He may also be afraid of losing his status in the herd, which could really damage his ego and make him depressed. Poor fella. I think moving him to where he can see the other goats is a good move. Have you tried flavoring his water? I've found that adding molasses or gatorade powder to the water usually encourages drinking. Some goats also really like warm or even hot water in the winter. A slurry or hot mash may also be a welcome treat. These are easy to eat and have lots of water content. Carrots also have a lot of water in them. I remember feeding a lot of carrots to my horses to keep them hydrated on a three-day trailer ride across the country because they wouldn't drink the water at many of our stops.
Wishing you and Atticus all the best.
RE: Fractured Shoulder - hihobaron - 06-28-2016
DownUnder Gal
Hello DUG/Atticus
As Nanno says your doing what you can.
My next suggestion is going to sound kind if "Gross"
If you can collect a couple good urine samples they can be combined, and then left to sit 24 hours were they will NOT be disturbed. Then look for "Sediment" on the Bottom of the container, No appreciable sediment he is probably clear of UC.
A good amount you have a problem. But with you pushing AC and oral fluids high sediment can also be from the AC dissolving the the UC.
At any rate keep him hydrated, feed him stuff he likes, MY inclination would like Nanno BP Shreds wet mash warm. With your normal goat feed mixed in with it.
Moving him were he can get as close to his herd is good to.
Did you wrap his shoulder like I mentioned? He may not like it but who likes to have a cast on or broken ribs wrapped up in a corset. Been their done that a couple times myself.
Both Not fun but he will learn to live with it. for the time it takes to heal good.
Push the fluids and like Nanno said "Flavor" the water with Gatorade/or something similar.
Sorry to hear Atticus is having troubles
Keep a Stiff Upper Lip
Happy Trails
hihobaron Blizzard,Fuzzy,Pete,Sam and the Troops in South Carolina
RE: Fractured Shoulder - Nanno - 07-22-2016
DownUnderGal, is there any news about Atticus? I've been concerned about him.
RE: Fractured Shoulder - DownUnder Gal - 07-22-2016
Hi Nanno and all, thanks for your advice and concern. It's been a harrowing month.
Atticus "crashed" on 1 July and we got a backhoe in for preparation for euthanasia early the next morning. I was a complete mess. He hadn't eaten for a few days and hadn't drunk any water on his own for over 2 weeks. I had been rehydrating him manually which meant over 200 x 50ml drenches a day. He hated it. We tried everything. He couldn't get up himself; it took two people to lift him with a sheet around his belly just so he could balance for a few seconds to pee with dignity. It was horrible. He had been diagnosed with idiopathic megaoesophagus, which is rare in goats and interferes with their ability to swallow and regurgitate. There is no known cure and the animal ultimately wastes away due to malnutrition. The oesophagus basically loses its muscular function due to nerve damage. There is very little information available regarding its occurrence in ruminants; consequently there isn't much in the way of recommendations regarding treatment. I have researched it like crazy, as has the vet. It is thought he suffered a blow to his neck at the same time as fracturing his shoulder. He also developed a bladder infection and a respiratory infection. And I think he probably had re-fractured his shoulder because that was coming good and then all of a sudden he couldn't weight-bear on it when he was standing.
But the spark came back in his eyes the morning of 2 July and the vet was sent away with a view to reassessing Atticus later that day. I wasn't willing to go through with the euthanasia unless Atticus had totally given up and we decided he hadn't. Since then, the vet has visited 4 or 5 times. I worked from home for 4 weeks so I could medicate him every couple of hours. He lost a lot of weight.
It is now week 5 and his fractured shoulder has almost healed. He is eating and drinking again and, on his good days, behaves somewhat like a goat should (being naughty). He is generally quite bright and can get up himself, which he does multiple times a day. He is still confined but we built him a new spacious sick bay and yard which is connected to his current enclosure and yard. So he gets a bit of different scenery if he wants it, and move between the two areas so he can always be near his goat mates. On his bad days he has difficulty digesting and I think he has a gut ache because of it. But it soon seems to pass. He eats whatever he wants and as much as he wants. UC is not a primary concern, I'm more interested in keeping his energy up and putting weight on him so he can fight for as long as he wants to. He has put on a little weight as far as I can tell. At the moment he is improving by the week but it's a long, slow, time consuming process. I've got a pet sitter coming twice a day on Mondays and Tuesdays to sit with him and feed him, now I'm back working in the office. I take him on short walks on his good days which he seems to enjoy. He turns 5 in October but he looks 12. His bladder infection seems to have cleared up. His cough is much better now that he isn't lying down so much. In consultation with the vet we have been experimenting with some medication; it seems to be doing some good.
At the moment the good days outnumber the bad days but this condition is likely to get him in the end. I don't think he'll ever be well enough to go back into the paddock with the others but he gets to visit them over the fence and I bring our miniature goat in for a visit occasionally. I am constantly assessing Atticus' wellbeing as best I can and right now his quality of life seems to be acceptable. He is a real fighter.
RE: Fractured Shoulder - Nanno - 07-23-2016
Oh, poor baby! I'm glad he's hanging in there and improving. You snatched him right from death's door. You couldn't possibly be a better "goat mom." I sincerely hope he keeps recovering and can be a happy, healthy goat again. Thank you for the update, and I'm so glad you didn't have to use that backhoe!
RE: Fractured Shoulder - Charlie Horse - 07-23-2016
When you have an animal get sick like that it creates quite the bond.