Chat
01-04-2014, 11:36 AM
This is the second time I've seen these symptoms this week--last time it was Cuzco, and we attributed it to too much fruitcake on Christmas, but I know that's not the case this time. I went out to feed this morning and Petunia wasn't interested. In fact, she just stood inside the shelter shivering. All the other goats were extra lively this morning because of the sudden cold weather (snowstorm coming this afternoon). It doesn't look as though the girls drank much (if anything) last night, but Petunia doesn't appear dehydrated. She drank a few sips of warm water when offered but doesn't seem thirsty.
I brought her into the house and her temperature was 98.9. Yikes! No rumen sounds. She looks filled out around the flanks but not bloated. She was not groaning, straining, or crying, just very lethargic and shivering. Ears were cold, but eyes still bright and interested in her surroundings. She didn't want to lay down and groaned a little when I asked her to. Her skin twitches a lot whenever I touch her sides.
What I did: I gave her some probiotics with vitamins and offered warm water with molasses, but she didn't want it. I offered water without molasses and she took a few sips. She didn't want to lay down, but I made her anyway, thinking she'd warm up a little faster, and she seemed so tired. I laid her down on a blanket next to the wood stove and propped a hot water bottle against her side. She stopped shivering after about half an hour and she seems happy to be laying down finally. I get the feeling she'd been standing for quite a long time before I fed this morning. She has not tried to get up. She's not chewing her cud, but she has burped a little once or twice.
Any ideas what could cause this? Advice would be appreciated. She was fine last night, finished her dinner, ate the same thing everyone else did, and everyone else is bright and chipper this morning.
I brought her into the house and her temperature was 98.9. Yikes! No rumen sounds. She looks filled out around the flanks but not bloated. She was not groaning, straining, or crying, just very lethargic and shivering. Ears were cold, but eyes still bright and interested in her surroundings. She didn't want to lay down and groaned a little when I asked her to. Her skin twitches a lot whenever I touch her sides.
What I did: I gave her some probiotics with vitamins and offered warm water with molasses, but she didn't want it. I offered water without molasses and she took a few sips. She didn't want to lay down, but I made her anyway, thinking she'd warm up a little faster, and she seemed so tired. I laid her down on a blanket next to the wood stove and propped a hot water bottle against her side. She stopped shivering after about half an hour and she seems happy to be laying down finally. I get the feeling she'd been standing for quite a long time before I fed this morning. She has not tried to get up. She's not chewing her cud, but she has burped a little once or twice.
Any ideas what could cause this? Advice would be appreciated. She was fine last night, finished her dinner, ate the same thing everyone else did, and everyone else is bright and chipper this morning.