Goat news

Well yesterday morning I went to feed the goats and Miss was down.  Now usually they are both laying together but are upright with their legs tucked under them.  But Miss was flat on her side and the hay was kicked all around her like she had been trying to get up.  There was no reason she shouldn't have been able to roll to her stomach and get up.  I pulled her up and she was very weak in the back end and she wobbled and leaned on me a lot, but she did her elimination business.  Then she went back down.

Not good.

I pulled her back up and put down some grain and they both went for it so I was encouraged a little bit but new I would need to do some research on what had fouled my goat.  But I also had a doctor apt in St. Louis and was leaving with Rob to go to that after dropping him off at work.  I finally did some research at a friend's house and from the symptoms it seemed like she had meningeal worm which can eat the spinal column and cause paralysis.  It is usually passed from deer.

Deer in the area? check.
Goats been on grass? check

Ohh ratspit.

A quick call to a local large animal vet and they say they can get her in at 10, but I am in St. Louis and it is 8:30, and I have a doctor apt at 11.  Time to skip the doctor.

Rush home, get Miss back on her feet and haul her but into the back of the truck (took Camo too just so he wouldn't go buggo without her) and went to the vet.

Good news - likely not the worm.  She stayed up the whole ride to the vet (and from) and passed the nerve test.  This is when you try to let them stand on their ankle and not their hoof (seen it done with horses).  According to the vet Camo has probably done so major bruising while trying to breed her.  But they were both wormed just in case and Miss has a few days of anti-inflammatory shots.

So today they are separated and Miss is staying on her feet some more (was down again this morning).  She is grazing and seems content in the sunshine.