Early stage ketosis?

[Cara]

One of my does stopped eating yesterday. She is heavily pregnant, due on 3/15. She was laying down when I went to let them out for the day, and I had to get her up which isn't normal. She didn't want her grain and didn't eat hay all day. She was grinding her teeth and stargazing a lot, and her eyes looked dull. At first I thought she might be feeling under the weather due to being pregnant, but I was getting worried by last night so gave her some corn syrup, molasses and corn oil. This morning she was brighter but still didn't want her grain and hadn't eaten a noticeable amount of hay overnight. I gave her more of the mixture every 2-3 hours this morning, then turned them out in our yard as the only thing she would eat was dead leaves. She grazed a bit and was as active as my other doe (who's due any day now). When I penned them up tonight she nibbled some alfalfa but didn't want grain. I gave her another dose of the mixture, and she seems more alert. She is pooping so I guess she must be eating something, but she hasn't been eating nearly as much hay as usual. Does this sound like the early stages of ketosis? She looks more heavily pregnant than my other doe despite being three weeks behind in her pregnancy. She isn't an easy keeper, and I think I may have overdone the grain.

 

[ksalvagno]

The other possibility might be toxemia. Do you have a vet that you could call and look at her?

 

[Cara]

It's more a case of us having to take her to the vet, he's quite far away. She doesn't seem very unwell, and I worry that the trip might cause problems with her being three weeks away from kidding, but at the same time i'd hate to let it get out of hand before we start treating her. She does have a very small amount of mucous but it looks healthy to me.

 

[lockedhearts]

I don't know about pregnant goats, but my pregnant horses at that stage sometimes are just uncomfortable and don't want to eat for a few days, then baby shifts and they feel good again. Maybe that is all it is.

 

[Cara]

She has suddenly looked very pregnant in the past couple of days (she isn't bloating). My other doe did seem to reposition her kids a week or so ago. I was worried she was going into premature labor as our neighbour's idiot dogs got into the pen and were bothering them the day before. She would stretch a lot with her front feet up on something, and her bump appears to be lower in her belly since.

 

[nop169]

Although the symptoms are not specific I would also be concerned that it is early onset Ketosis. Propylene Glycol is used to treat Ketosis & is not harmful even if it is not ketosis. Ususally given for 3 days - orally - about 2 ounces per day. You can find propylene glycol at a feed store, vet office or a local pharmacy - it is not very expensive - a gallon here costs about $18.00. I urge you to research ketosis & propylene glycol & treat her asap. Good Luck