Expert: Goatlady - 9/3/2008

Question
i have a female goat approximately 2.5 months old. she is a goofy little mix and looks be a mix of a larger dairy goat. (she has airplane ears! ^_^ ) she hasnt been feeling well for the last two weeks. she keeps on falling over on her side and cant get up. we've caught her like this on several occasions. so she has been staying in the house. she remains really droopy. we have treated her for worms and coccidiosis. she still enjoys eating. two days ago we thought she had turned a corner her poop was pellets and she seemed to be stronger. but then yesterday her poop turned into a solid piece.

this morning she woke up with her eyes swollen almost shut. from 7am til 1pm we have seen her jaw swell up. she has also started coughing heavily.

medications we have been using:

red cell everyday .2 cc
concentrated  ivesco medicated goat worming feed 1 ounce throughout several days (we switched from safeguard to this medicated feed)
sulmet because she had scours.
we have been dusting her with y-tec python dust.
we have also been giving her some vitamins and electrolytes on a regular basis.

we are in arkansas.

thank you for any advice you might be able to provide.


Answer
Hi Angelica,

Sounds like she may be severely anemic with bottlejaw. Most likely from worms- the dewormers you are using are not very effective against the most dangerous of the internal parasites a goat can get- I would switch to Ivomec Plus or Valbazen right away (today if possible) She is in a potentially fatal situation so this needs to be done as soon as you can. The swelling you are seeing is more than likely bottle jaw- which can extend to the face and limbs and chest if severe enough. Also if she has lice a pour on ivomec is the best  thing to use  as it gets all biting and sucking lice. Use a syringe with no needle to administer - I use it  as 1cc/20lbs dribble some on the spine, you will have to dribble move some dribble and move some- to make the dose last all the way from neck to tail.  

This article has a color chart for checking stages of anemia in your goat:

http://goat-link.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=46

Ivomec PLUS and Valbazen are my choices of anthelmintics (dewormers)  - both get liver fluke as well as the nasty stomach worms that cause anemia. Valbazen is not safe for pregnant does or those who "may" be pregnant as it causes birth abnormalities. But Valbazen is a great dewormer for kids because they are more likely to have tapeworms which the Ivomec or Ivomec Plus does not kill.

Valbazen is a liquid suspension given orally at the rate of 1cc/10lbs of goat body weight.

Ivomec and Ivomec Plus are injectable cattle dewormers that goat owners use "off label" or "extra label" -meaning it has not been approved for use in goats but through experience by goat owners is commonly used safely.

I use Ivomec and Ivomec Plus successfully at the rate of 1cc/40lbs goat weight SUbQ injection for most goats. If they are severely wormy- I use 1cc/30lbs and ALWAYS SubQ in this case because of the possible bleed out from using it orally as explained in the BottleJaw Article in this website. If you are doing a routine deworming of your herd an none of the goats is  anemic, oral administration of Ivomec Plus is fine to do.  But keep in mind while it works  quick it also leave the system quick- whereas injections work at a slower rate and stay in the body longer.

There are 4 stages of larval development and in order to kill all 4 stages (which have an approximate developmental period of 10 days) we deworm 10 days apart for a consecutive 3 times- so you will deworm , then in another 10 days and again in another 10 days - then again one month later and then on an as needed basis.

I have an article with photos on deworming goats:

http://goat-link.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=46

ALSO does she have a fever? She may also have pneumonia in addition to the worms.
http://goat-link.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=100&Itemid=91

Major Causes of Pneumonia:
The 3 main causative agents of pneumonia are: Bacterial, Viral and Parasitic.
High humidity, close conditions, drastic change in weather conditions, change in environment,feed, or kidding (Sometimes referred to as shipping stress),  inadequate ventilation and dusty damp bedding are some of the most common antagonists for the beginning of pneumonia.

Most Common Clinical Signs of Pneumonia:
1. Weight loss
2. Cough
3. Nasal Discharge
4. Fever present sometimes not always
5. Raspy breathing
6. Difficult breathing
7. Anorexia
8. Scours
Treatment Choices:
Do not delay in treatment, early detection and treatment ease the seriousness of pneumonia greatly.
Different medications will work on different types of pneumonia. If you have not had a diagnosis by a Veterinarian, and are treating yourself- expect some improvement by the second full day of treatment. If you do not see this improvement, I would change the medication choice for treatment.

  1.  Bacterial Causes of Pneumonia -
         * Treatment with antibiotics such as Tylan200, Nuflor, LA-200, penicillin, tetracycline, Albon, and Gallimycin may be considered. Like most bacterial infections, veterinary culture and testing is recommended.


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