Projectile vomiting

[Ashley]

What is the baking soda and water dose that you would administer?

[Nanno]

I don't think I measured exactly. I think it was probably a tablespoon or two of baking soda. I don't remember how much water--probably about a cup. I swirled it around in a bowl until the baking soda dissolved then I sucked it up into a syringe and drenched her with it.

I tell ya! This little goatie is almost as hard to drench as Cuzco! The other goats are all pretty easy, but Petunia turned this thing into a wrestling match and she about chewed a hole through the syringe. And of course she makes the most pitiful groans and grunts the whole time. You'd think I was waterboarding her, to hear her tell it.

[Nanno]

Weird... a year later to the day, Jezebel is dribbling green saliva and occasionally vomiting a little. I noticed her beard was covered in yuck when I brought the goats in this evening and she looked a little "off"--not chewing cud, not eating, and standing like she was uncomfortable. She's not bloated.

I brought her in and gave her about 120 cc's of activated charcoal (half the bottle). It seems to indicate she should have a lot more--like two whole bottles worth--but it was enough of a fight getting even half of it down, so I stopped before all the charcoal ended up everywhere except in the goat. Besides, I want to have some left in case any other goats start showing symptoms. I also gave her 30 cc's milk of magnesia. I hope she'll be ok. I plan to check her through the night.

I'm thinking I must have something in the rhododendron family living somewhere on my property. I've looked for stuff that might be it, but I'm terrible at identifying plants and we have a lot of area to try to comb over. The goats were all down by the pond for most of today, though, so Phil and I will probably head down there tomorrow and see if we can find anything suspicious. Unfortunately, nothing is in bloom yet, which makes it really hard for my untrained eye to pick out different species. I hope none of my other goats get into whatever this stuff is! Last year it was only Petunia and it was only the one time, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that goats generally prefer to avoid this plant in case I can't find what it is they got into.

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

Look for anything that has a waxy looking type of leaf.

[Nanno]

Jezebel is fine and dandy this morning. She ate like a champ, but she doesn't want anything to do with me, poor girl. Planning to go down to the pond this afternoon and crawl around under the willows and scrub oak and see what we can see.

[Taffy]

I'm sure glad to hear she's doing well this morning. I hope you find the plant culprit so you can eradicate it!

[Nanno]

Yesterday was a fiasco. You know... one reason I didn't have children is because I didn't want to get barfed on. I don't do well with barf. For me, barfing is a group activity and once someone starts I have a hard time not participating. 

Last year we somehow managed to escape the dreaded projectile vomiting that seems to strike one of our goats in April. But this year it was Rocky. Phil and I were taking the goats for a walk and I noticed Rocky was making a lot of noise. He was making a soft, grunty "baa" nearly every time he took a step, almost like he had hiccups. Every now and then he would make a louder baa-aa, but he was keeping up fine and didn't seem distressed. About halfway through the walk, Rocky burst into a run right next to Phil, and as he passed by an enormous explosion of green goo shot from his mouth and nose. It covered the ground around us, splattered Phil's pants, and (of course) my face. It was horrifying. 

We got back to the house and I swilled Rocky's face and chest with water from the garden hose. I wasn't about to try medicating him as long as he was covered in that slimy green putrescence! First I gave him a shot of C&D antitoxin. He was surprisingly well behaved for the injection even though I had to give him 10 cc's.  Next I filled a drenching gun with activated charcoal, straddled the now wildly struggling little monster, and tried to force the nasty black stuff down his gullet. It was a rodeo. Rocky backed, bucked, plunged, threw his head, knocked me into walls and gates, bit my finger, and finally, as a last resort when I wouldn't get off his back, sent a rocketing cascade of vile, rancid, green slime all over my hands, my pants, and my shoes. I needed help. Phil held Rocky's backside in place (and got a painful scrape down his calf from a protesting hind hoof for his trouble) while I got the goat's head back and plunged the charcoal down his throat. A lot of it ended up on my pants and hands and on the goat's face, but he swallowed some of it and I'm sure it did him some good. At least, he stopped baa-ing pathetically after that and had a good appetite for his dinner. He was right as rain this morning. I'm not sure my pants or shoes will ever be quite the same. I hosed myself down before venturing into the house. I don't like things that barf on me. I avoided joining in the activity this time, but Rocky should be careful. If he ever barfs on me again I might return the favor!

   

Little stinker...
   

[Charlie Horse]

You think barf is bad. I have a little open-wheeled sports car. I participated in a group trip to the Black Hills a few years back with some other owners of similar cars. The Black Hills of S. Dakota are very scenic and have lots of winding roads which are perfect for sports cars, motorcycles, etc. And cows. A herd of them were crossing the road. The lead driver had his wife with him and he was going the fastest when we got to the cow crossing. Remember that these are open-wheel cars where your outside elbow hangs out and your face gets a lot of wind etc. This is what happens when you run over a fresh cow pie. Fortunately for the driver the cow pie went under the right front wheel and sprayed onto his wife instead of him. Whew!

[Nanno]

Oh boy, do I know about those cow crossings! I would not have liked to be the wife!

I spent a short time volunteering at a youth camp in New Zealand my senior year of high school, and there was a spot in the road about 100 feet long where the dairy cattle next door went from their pasture to the barn and back twice a day--that's twice a day in both directions, so four crossings altogether. It was a treacherous patch of road. Cars and vans would hit that stuff with an almighty SPLAT and start slewing sideways and fishtailing, trying desperately to find traction. We walked that way once or twice a week to get to the swimming hole and hiking trail on the other side. You generally came away with green slime up to your ankles. The stuff on the bottom never had a chance to dry because there was a fresh, wet layer deposited on top every morning and evening. It didn't stink as bad as the goat puke, but it was still bad.