NEWBORN KID FALLS IN WATER TROUGH

Following my axiom that the more tired you are, the more likely that a crisis will occur, while I was finishing up a very long day, loud screams came from the dams/newborn kids pen. Running over with a spotlight, I found a ten-day-old doeling frantically floundering in a water trough. I rushed her to the nearby Vet Building and did the following: Hung her upsidedown by her back legs to get as much water out as possible. Not much came out but her head didn't appear to have been under water. Dried her off quickly. She could not stand up. She was going into shock, so I gave her IM injections of 3/4 cc dexamethasone and 1/2 cc B 1 (thiamine). In a matter of minutes, she was up on shaky legs and calling for her dam. Took her back to her mother, she headed for the teat, bedded down with her sister, and was fine the next morning.

A postscript: A week later, this same doeling got her left front leg hung in something, was limping badly, and had a very swollen knee. Her rectal temperature was over 105*F. I gave her 1/10th of a cc of Banamine IM one time for the pain. She didn't need it on subsequent days. I also gave her 3/10 of a cc of Baytril 100 antibiotic IM for three consecutive days. Normally I'd give it for five consecutive days but the doeling was in every visible aspect OK after the first day, so I cut the dosing back to three days only.

I am now observing her to see what her next suicide attempt will be.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, Texas 9/11/12

CATCHING PNEUMONIA BEFORE IT KILLS

Summer is pneumonia time. West Texas has been dry with high heat and hot winds, but a storm blew through and suddenly dropped temperatures by 30*F. This is prime pneumonia time, especially for rutting bucks and young kids.

I decided to boost CL vaccinations since it is much easier on goats and people to handle them during the cooler weather. After CL vaccinations were completed, I noticed a yearling buck off by himself from his herd of ten. My gut said to check him out. In over 23 years of raising goats, I've learned not to distrust my instinct. Sure enough, his rectal temperature was over 105*F and climbing when I pulled the thermometer.

I moved him to the Vet Bldg where I treated him with Banamine given IM to get the fever down. I also gave him five days of IM injections of Nuflor Gold antibiotic. After the treatment regimen was completed and he was eating/drinking/peeing/pooping fine, I returned him to his herd. Here is what I believe happened: He had not fully adjusted to the drastic weather change when the CL booster vaccination was given. Probably the combination of the quick change in weather plus the CL vaccination plus being in full rut with nine other bucks put enough stress on his body that he was susceptible to illness. If I had not pulled him into the working area and treated him with Banamine and Nuflor, he might have contracted pneumonia and died by morning.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, Texas 9/11/12