Chat
07-22-2016, 10:46 PM
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.
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.
Happiness is a baby goat snoring in your lap