# Retained Kid?



## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

I have a doe that's 1.5-years and am pretty sure she's pregnant. Her sisters delivered healthy single babies on April 8 and June 12 (all are Nubian/Boer mixes) so I assume she was bred and would be due around roughly the same time. However, her udders bagged up in April but then reduced in May back to normal like a non-pregnant, non-lactating goat. Her belly sags down and her upper ligaments look like they've disappeared and it feels like she has something in her. She also had some vaginal bleeding for 3 days back in late April but has not shown any signs of illness or distress! She's still giddy, eats and drinks like normal, walks and gets up and down fine, has no vaginal leaking or odors, etc. Is it possible she's held onto a dead fetus this long without getting sick? If so, what can I do at this point? We have no vets in our area that do farm animals.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

She probably aborted back in April. She would not be OK if she had a retained kid.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

ksalvagno said:


> She probably aborted back in April. She would not be OK if she had a retained kid.


That's what I thought but then what could be up with her belly sagging? And is there something else that could make her belly feel like she's got some lumps in there? And we never found any remnants of an miscarriage, but that doesn't mean she didn't abort it.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

Here are 2 photos of her. The best she'd let me get because she thought it was food time and took off toward the bowls.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

There was a thread recently with a doe that looked just like that, but now I can't remember what it was. I'll see if I can find it for you.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Possible hernia maybe. That isn't pregnant.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

Suzanne_Tyler said:


> There was a thread recently with a doe that looked just like that, but now I can't remember what it was. I'll see if I can find it for you.


Please! Thank you!


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

ksalvagno said:


> Possible hernia maybe. That isn't pregnant.


Can I do anything for her if it's a hernia?


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

A kid can become mummified and stay inside the uterus for at least a year without showing any signs or the doe becoming sick. I had it happen to one of my does. The kid was pretty much a skeleton the next year when the vet removed it.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

lottsagoats1 said:


> A kid can become mummified and stay inside the uterus for at least a year without showing any signs or the doe becoming sick. I had it happen to one of my does. The kid was pretty much a skeleton the next year when the vet removed it.


I've read a bit about that process. It would cause her infertility maybe indefinitely, if not at least until it's removed, right? Is there any way to tell if that's what has happened without an ultrasound or surgical intervention?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I found it 

http://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/sagging-belly.192886/


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

Suzanne_Tyler said:


> I found it
> 
> http://www.thegoatspot.net/threads/sagging-belly.192886/


Wonderful! Thank you very much!


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

You are welcome


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Let us know what happens!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

She should be seen by a vet for the lumps there. 
She, may have cancer, worse case. 
Or as mentioned, not cleaned out from miscarriage.

Is she anemic?
If anemic, it can be caused by cancer or 
worms and/or cocci.

I hope it isn't serious.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

I don't believe she is anemic, but we did rescue a goat a few months back with Bottle Jaw and gave her the appropriate treatment of Probios, Red Cell, Nutridrench, vit B complex, Ivermectin, etc. until it was cleared up and she's completely healthy now, so we gave this goat those things as well in case she had worms and her appearance hasn't changed. My husband is convinced she has a decaying fetus inside because we never found any signs of a miscarriage (i.e. aborted kid) in her pen and he swears he can feel bones when he feels her belly, but she's been acting totally normal. There aren't any large animal vets near me so I've been relying on farmer friends and trying to research myself. 

We've debated trying to go in and see if we can pull anything out of her uterus, but we would really prefer to have a professional to consult with first.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Her cervix has to be open in order to go in. It will not be open. You need drugs to dilate it. You will have to find a vet for that.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

ksalvagno said:


> Her cervix has to be open in order to go in. It will not be open. You need drugs to dilate it. You will have to find a vet for that.


Yes, exactly.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree, don't try to go in, she is closed. You will hurt her. 
If it is a retained kid, in many cases they get really sick, as the kid begins to decay. If you feel weird bones, when feeling her, I would think she would be really ill if it were kid(s) that big. So I suspect something else. Try to find a vet, that is the only way you will get an answer. They can ultra sound or xray it.


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