Day 158 pregnant goat

[New Farmer]

My goat Dixie has been showing signs of labor for 6 days now. An experienced goat owner had me go in and feel for a kid in the birth canal. Nothing but thick white goo was found. I checked her hourly through out the night and still nothing. Should I get some one else to go in and check position of kids? I'm a first timer and am extremely worried. What do I do?

 

[Stacykins]

My goat Dixie has been showing signs of labor for 6 days now. An experienced goat owner had me go in and feel for a kid in the birth canal. Nothing but thick white goo was found. I checked her hourly through out the night and still nothing. Should I get some one else to go in and check position of kids? I'm a first timer and am extremely worried. What do I do?

What signs of labor is she having, exactly? Sounds like you already went in once and didn't find anything? Cervix was not dilated? Has she had any amber discharge? Amber signifies amniotic fluid, which means it is GO TIME. White or clear is just normal discharge, mucous plug and the like and doesn't mean labor.

Stage one of labor is the one that drives us nuts. And sometimes a goat who is just uncomfortable being massively pregnant can seem like she's getting into stage one, but isn't. Stage one is where she is getting ready to expel the kids, like the cervix dilating. Mild contractions appear late stage one, but not strong enough to force the kid out.

If she was in stage two of labor (hard, working labor where she is actively trying to expulse the kids), you'd definitely know. These are strong uterine contractions, most does have a hard time standing, though some can deliver standing.

Remember, that each time you put your hand/fingers in a doe you are exposing her to bacteria. Even if you wash up (definitely do it very well), glove up (if you have nitrile gloves, use them, if not make sure finger nails are trimming short and filed smooth, remove all rings and jewelry), and use a water based lubricant (PLEASE DO, it will make it so much easier on her) to prevent trauma/tissue tearing. Standard practice is putting the doe on a course of antibiotics when you invade her like that. Remember to weigh her to make sure she gets the proper dose, and give it for ten days.

 

[New Farmer]

Thank you for replying. We HAVE baby kids. One little girl and one big boy. Your reply was right on spot. She was not in labor at the time I thought she was and now that it is over I can look back and will be able to recognize all the signs next time.

I have no way of weighing her. The person I bought her from said to give her 3cc of penicilin which I did with another dose tomorrow. You do it for 10 days? I have plenty. Different people do things differently and all i want is to make sure she is well and no infection. I did everything I could to try and prevent it but realize the potential is high after having to go in. So far she is doing very well. No temp, taking in lots of fluids and eating well. Kids are doing well and eating well also.

I knew this would be exciting, but didn't think of all the stress it would bring with it. Definitley worth it but WOW!

 

[Stacykins]

Thank you for replying. We HAVE baby kids. One little girl and one big boy. Your reply was right on spot. She was not in labor at the time I thought she was and now that it is over I can look back and will be able to recognize all the signs next time.

I have no way of weighing her. The person I bought her from said to give her 3cc of penicilin which I did with another dose tomorrow. You do it for 10 days? I have plenty. Different people do things differently and all i want is to make sure she is well and no infection. I did everything I could to try and prevent it but realize the potential is high after having to go in. So far she is doing very well. No temp, taking in lots of fluids and eating well. Kids are doing well and eating well also.

I knew this would be exciting, but didn't think of all the stress it would bring with it. Definitley worth it but WOW!

The medical industry for humans demands a course of antibiotics needs to be ten days. Five days is ineffective at eliminating most infections. Most animal folks do it for less because of one reason: they're cheap. Medication, syringes, etc. all cost money. But if you want to do it right, treat for a full ten days. A single dose won't do squat, especially when it comes to penicillin.

Normal penicillin must be given twice a day. Long acting penicillin is once a day. A bottle will clearly indicate if it is long acting.

To properly weigh her to calculate a correct dose, you can measure her and do some math to get the number. Knowing a goat's weight is critical when it comes to giving any medication or wormer. Underdosing is just as bad as overdosing, as it leads to resistances.

Congrats on the kids! It is frustrating when a doe is due and she takes her time!

 

[New Farmer]

I am willing to do the math if you can tell me where to measure and how to calculate. Going to check the bottle now to see if I have short acting or long acting med.

 

[Stacykins]

I am willing to do the math if you can tell me where to measure and how to calculate. Going to check the bottle now to see if I have short acting or long acting med.

The link in my last post has how and where to measure, and the calculation to plug the info into. It is pretty easy, at least!