Weak Year Old Male Goat

[Cyan the chicken parent]

Hello-
So, I have this approximately year old male goat named Khepri. The last few days he’s been seeming weak to the point that when his dad toppled him in one of their fights he has difficulty getting up if he tries to at all. He will mostly complain until I can get to him and help him up.
We have seen a slight nasal discharge yellow in color come and go- but can’t say I have seen any difficulty breathing.

I’m really worried about him- today he was behaving in a way that I thought it was the end…
I brought him out on a leash like normal from his pen to his tether but he resisted A LOT like he has the last few days to leave the pen. He ended up lying down half way through but not in the normal way they do, with their knees settled down and all- he just didn’t look comfortable. I sat with him for a while and let him rest. He got up a little later and I tried to walk him again- he resisted a bit and then fell over on his side. I wasn’t even pulling hard or anything. He looked like he was falling asleep and that terrified me.

We blamed his wobblyness the last few days on having been in a fight with his dad but now I’m convinced he’s sick- I just don’t know with what. We’re going to get some antibiotics soon to see if that helps, and we’re leaving him off his tether for today. Thankfully he ate some food mixed with some dewormer. We do deworm them regularly but thought it was a good idea to give him some to rule one thing out at a time.

I’m hoping someone knows what’s going on or has some experience- my own research gives me a hundred different ideas with no solutions other than a vet and we can’t afford one. I wish we could get actual answers for treatment instead of “shoving the problem” to someone else so to speak just to do the same things we are doing now.

Many thanks,
-Cyan

 

[cassie]

Does he act like he is blind? Does he press his head against the wall like he has a headache? If so, he has polio. Polio is caused by a thiamine deficiency. That is treated by injections of thiamine. You have to get thiamine from the vet. Another possibility is white muscle which is a selenium deficiency. It causes generalized muscle weakness. It can also cause heart failure. Get some BoSe from the livestock supply and administer it. If it is white muscle, you will see improvement in a day or so. In any event, the BoSe can't hurt him. Neither can the thiamine. Both polio and white muscle can cause some bizarre symptoms. If it was my goat, I would treat him for both. If either or both are what is wrong, you will know soon enough.

 

[Everose]

I would check his FAMACHA to assess how anemic he may be. How are his stools?
I really wouldn't recommend worming regularly, you're building up worm resistance in your herd. If he has a worm overload now he may not respond to any of your regular worming meds.
Definitely do what Cassie has said. I have had selenium deficient goats before and it really can cause all sorts of muscle problems.
Do you keep a goat specific loose mineral available to them at all times?

 

[Cyan the chicken parent]

Does he act like he is blind? Does he press his head against the wall like he has a headache? If so, he has polio. Polio is caused by a thiamine deficiency. That is treated by injections of thiamine. You have to get thiamine from the vet. Another possibility is white muscle which is a selenium deficiency. It causes generalized muscle weakness. It can also cause heart failure. Get some BoSe from the livestock supply and administer it. If it is white muscle, you will see improvement in a day or so. In any event, the BoSe can't hurt him. Neither can the thiamine. Both polio and white muscle can cause some bizarre symptoms. If it was my goat, I would treat him for both. If either or both are what is wrong, you will know soon enough.

Hi,
I haven’t seen him press his head like that onto anything and he sees his food just fine- he’s just incredibly weak. I’m going to see if I can find the BoSe in one of the local southern states stores or tractor supply. I feel like the white muscle theory is more probable but I’m going to try anything at this point.
Thanks for your response!

 

[Cyan the chicken parent]

I would check his FAMACHA to assess how anemic he may be. How are his stools?
I really wouldn't recommend worming regularly, you're building up worm resistance in your herd. If he has a worm overload now he may not respond to any of your regular worming meds.
Definitely do what Cassie has said. I have had selenium deficient goats before and it really can cause all sorts of muscle problems.
Do you keep a goat specific loose mineral available to them at all times?

Hi,
I checked his stools and they seem pretty normal- small black balls. I’m not quite sure what FAMACHA is. His temperament is better but I’m still going to get the BoSe.
As for the dewormer he was already due for another dose- we were just prompted to try that first since it was time for a new dose any how.

I don’t have any goat specific minerals that I know of. The ground here is pretty mineral rich but I wouldn’t be able to tell you what exactly it’s composed of.

 

[Everose]

I’m not quite sure what FAMACHA is.

If it's light pink or white he's anemic.

 

[cassie]

I forgot to mention anemia. As Everose says, just pull down the lower eyelid and look at the inside. It should be a dark pink. If it is pale pink or white he is anemic. The paler it is the more anemic he is. Any soft swelling on the lower jaw? That is a sign of bottle jaw and it means he is suffering from a severe worm infestation.

 

[Cyan the chicken parent]

I forgot to mention anemia. As Everose says, just pull down the lower eyelid and look at the inside. It should be a dark pink. If it is pale pink or white he is anemic. The paler it is the more anemic he is. Any soft swelling on the lower jaw? That is a sign of bottle jaw and it means he is suffering from a severe worm infestation.

Hello,
I didn’t feel any swelling on his jaw but the inside of his eyelid is medium to light pink… how I go about treating him for that?

we’re feeding him selenium rich foods exclusively to see if that helps get his levels up till we can pick up his selenium gel in a couple days. We help him up when he wants to stand and walk or pee and he lets us know when he wants to which is incredible. He’s good at calling for assistance instead of hurting himself trying and I admire him for that.

We’re planning on giving him a bath tomorrow when the rain clears up. Going to the bathroom lying down at night tends to not be very easy.

I just hope we can help the sweet thing get better..

 

[Everose]

Hello,
I didn’t feel any swelling on his jaw but the inside of his eyelid is medium to light pink… how I go about treating him for that?

https://thefreerangelife.com/anemia-in-goats/
I use b vitamins, red cell, probiotics, and nutri drench. Do you have any of these on hand?
When did he have his last copper bolus?

we’re feeding him selenium rich foods exclusively to see if that helps get his levels up till we can pick up his selenium gel in a couple days. We help him up when he wants to stand and walk or pee and he lets us know when he wants to which is incredible. He’s good at calling for assistance instead of hurting himself trying and I admire him for that.

Please do not completely change his diet, you could be giving him a horrible case of diarrhea by doing so, goats are very sensitive.

We’re planning on giving him a bath tomorrow when the rain clears up. Going to the bathroom lying down at night tends to not be very easy.

Is he lying out in the rain? I would only recommend spot cleaning him with a dry brush and some warm wet rags, goats that get soaking wet will become hypothermic very quickly and that could be a massive blow to him right now.

I just hope we can help the sweet thing get better..

He sounds really sweet

Do you hear bubbles and gurgles inside of his stomach? Has he had access to any chicken feed or poisonous weeds?

 

[cassie]

Hello,
I didn’t feel any swelling on his jaw but the inside of his eyelid is medium to light pink… how I go about treating him for that?

we’re feeding him selenium rich foods exclusively to see if that helps get his levels up till we can pick up his selenium gel in a couple days. We help him up when he wants to stand and walk or pee and he lets us know when he wants to which is incredible. He’s good at calling for assistance instead of hurting himself trying and I admire him for that.

We’re planning on giving him a bath tomorrow when the rain clears up. Going to the bathroom lying down at night tends to not be very easy.

I just hope we can help the sweet thing get better..

You treat the anemia by worming him. Your best bet is to collect a stool sample and have it tested for parasite load and then go from there. A fecal test should not be expensive. Ask what wormers are effective in your area. For that matter the guy at the feed store might know. Unless you have reason to suspect a copper deficiency do not give a copper bolus. Too much copper is deadly. The selenium rich foods may or may not help at this point.