# Nigerian goat suddenly died.



## Stone08 (Jan 13, 2013)

Hi everyone, I'm just looking for some comfort as to why my baby goat passed away yesterday. He was about 9 months old, Nigerian whether. I got him and his brother when they were just 5 weeks old and bottle fed them both. I have been feeding them alfalfa and sweet feed and they always have plenty of water. 
About 3 weeks ago my lab got into the goat pen and attacked my little goat's ears (Baby boy Bleu). Both ears were bleeding and had sores on them but not bad enough to where I thought they would need to be amputated. I received advice from someone to clean the area with bactine antiseptic and pain reliever (benzalkonium and lidocaine) to help keep from infection. cleaned the wounds about 2-3 times a day. After about 2 days I noticed one of his wounds was yellow which I know is a sign of infection. I continued to clean the wounds and after about 5 days, his wounds started to scab up and the yellow went away. I thought after they had begun to scab that they were healing and figured he was ok. I went out to feed my goats yesterday and my little guy, Bleu was lying on his side in his goat house dead :,( 
Was it the wounds that got infected and killed him? That is the only thing I can pinpoint this to be from. 
Also my other goat (Blitz) is now all alone. Will he be ok or do I need to get another goat. He has not ever been alone because they have been together ever since they were born. 
Please help me understand I'm not a goat expert but I love my goats. Any advice would surely be appreciated. 
Thanks!!


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I kind of think possibly the stress got to him. Goats don't do very well under stress. Their immunes go down and things can go wrong. Maybe his immune system went down and he had worms or cocci flare up quickly and that did it. But without a necropsy it's hard to say for sure. It could have been anything really...maybe something totally unrelated.

I would definately get another goat for your other one. He's probably pretty lonely without his buddy.

I'm so sorry for your loss. :hug:


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## MissyParkerton (Nov 24, 2012)

What a sad, sad, story. So sorry for your loss. I couldn't say whether the little guy's ear wounds could have been the cause of death of death or not. How was he acting otherwise before he died? Was he urinating ok? Male goats, especially wethers, need the calcium/phosphorus ratio in their diet balance 2/1 or even 3/1 to help prevent urinary calculi stones, which can be fatal. Alfalfa is generally 5/1 cal/phos. It would be a good idea to mix yours 50/50 with a good grass hay to bring the ratio more into balance. How much grain are you feeding? Excess protein is a culprit in urinary calculi too. My boys get less than 1/2C/day. Many people don't feed grain at all. The grain should also have the correct 2/1-3/1 cal/phos ratio. Also, be sure to offer a loose goat mineral free choice so they get the minerals they need. They don't get enough or the right balance from grain and hay. If it were me, I would definitely get a companion for your remaining goat. Goats can actually die from loneliness. Other than being lonely, how is he acting? Make sure he's urinating ok.

Again, I'm so sorry you lost your little Bleu.


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## Stone08 (Jan 13, 2013)

Thank you both for your reply to this. I'm extremely sadden by this and I would like to prevent any further problems with my goat and future goats. 
Thank you the advice on the feeding and mineral needs. Like I said I'm pretty new to owning goats so I will be sure to incorporate this into the diet. 
Bleu seemed to be acting normal after the dog attack. He was urinating ok I thought however I did notice about 2 days before he died that he seemed to be a little standoffish. Usually when I bring out food to their pen, they both would coming running to the gate and follow me until I put their food down. When I went out to feed 2 nights before he died I saw him cuddled up in the goat house and he would come our voluntarily. Which was not usual for him but I guess I sort of shrugged it off thinking maybe he was just trying to warm up ( I live in Utah and its been pretty chilly lately!) I coaxed him out and pet him for a few minutes and picked up and put him in front of his food. He ate a couple bites then slowly walked back to his house. I thought it was odd but honestly didn't think he seemed weak, or sick or anything. Ugh it just breaks my heart that I was not thinking he was sick and could have helped him:,( 
That was the only time out of 3 weeks since the attack that I noticed anything odd.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

the infection could have moved to his brain.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I am so sorry. :hug: That is very sad. Like others are saying, it could have been anything, related to the dog attack or unrelated.
The main precaution against UC that most people take is to feed ammonium chloride or apple cider vinegar, a little each day. This seems to prevent UC regardless of the Ca/P ratio, but it's always a good idea to balance minerals and feed less grain. In fact, wethers can usually do great without any grain at all as long as they have a good quality hay and maybe some grass or browse.
Yes, the other little guy does need a buddy. I can tell you love your goats very much. They are blessed to have such an attentive human! :hug:


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## PearcePastures (Oct 6, 2012)

So sorry for your loss.


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## MissyParkerton (Nov 24, 2012)

I give my boys 1/4 tsp ammonium chloride/day mixed into their grain with a little agave nectar so they can't taste it so much. My vet told me that without the correct cal/phos ratio the ammonium chloride would do little good. It will be also be important for you to give BoSe (selenium) injections, or selenium/Vit E gel orally if you live in a selenium deficient area. Here's a link to a map so you can check. If you also live in a copper deficient area (the same site has that map too) you may also need to supplement with extra copper. If you do a search on this forum you will find lots of info about these 2 minerals.

http://mrdata.usgs.gov/geochem/doc/averages/se/usa.html


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## MissyParkerton (Nov 24, 2012)

MissyParkerton said:


> I give my boys 1/4 tsp ammonium chloride/day mixed into their grain
> 
> Oops, that is supposed to be 1/4tsp per 50# body weight.


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## audrey (Jul 17, 2012)

You could get a necropsy done to find out for sure.


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## Stone08 (Jan 13, 2013)

Thank you all so much for the love and advice! Thank you for the web link! i will look up my area and find out the deficiencies. 
My other goat is very lonely and is constantly crying since his brother died. I will need to get him another buddy for sure. 
Another question: I've heard about mixing apple cider vinegar in the water. How much would be recommended? I just don't want to give too much. He has a 5 gallon water bowl.


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## Stone08 (Jan 13, 2013)

This is the county I live in. Would I need to use supplements?


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## PearcePastures (Oct 6, 2012)

*Under 0.5mg of selenium per kilogram of soil is considered deficient. Over 3mg is toxic to goats. Goats require 0.2mg (ppm) Other factors can impact your goat's selenium intake though.
*


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Half a tsp of apple cider vinegar per day is what I recommend for Nigerian dwarf adults to prevent UC. Approximate how much water they drink in a day, and put enough in the water so they get about 1/2 tsp per day. Or give it in the feed.
I've read that you can give less, like 1/2 tsp twice a week for a standard sized buck, but I prefer to be on the safe side. You really can't overdose on that stuff.  It's good for them and they love it. They'll even slurp it up plain.


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## Stone08 (Jan 13, 2013)

I will give this a try today for my other goat. I'm looking into getting 2 more goats soon


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Vinegar is a double edged sword. You can use it to neutralise your water to PH 7. Giving it as an additive however actually makes the system alkiline not acidic. The body quickly gets used to it being there and it quits doing anything at all. 
Researching your area is the first thing to do. Calling your university large animal program is a good start. Ask them what kind of urinary stones are most common to goats in your area. They should also have an idea of what causes them. Then come back here and let us know and we will help you learn to prevent that type of stone. 
Your area is also very low in phosporus. Is there iron in your water? Is your soil high or low PH?


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