# Is Esther depressed??



## justthemomforthejob (Jan 22, 2009)

It has been two days since Zippy died......Esther is pathetic. She bleats far more than normal and has gone off the bottle. Won't even take the nipple in her mouth. 

Can goats become that depressed and lonely or is she getting sick?? She doesn't appear ill...no bloating, nothing.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

yup she is depressed. As soon as you can do get her a buddy. Is she eating anything else? 

Try being out there more with her and giving her loads of attention. Do you have goats around you? can you take her for walks to visit them?


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## justthemomforthejob (Jan 22, 2009)

She is drinking water from her water bowl and is nibbling at the pellet. I took her on a walk and she ate some grass along the way and wagged her little tail the whole time. When I put her back in the pen, the bleating began in earnest again. I really do think she is depressed. She tried making friends with the cat but the cat wasn't so interested.

I want to get her a friend but I don't want to get just "any old goat" either. I am SOOO hoping I can find a female ND or Pygmy for her this weekend!!!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with stacey... they do get depressed....they don't do well ...being alone....


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

oh I am glad she perked up a bit when you had her out. Missing her friend is hard.


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## justthemomforthejob (Jan 22, 2009)

OK - I know goats need a buddy but this is bordering on the ridiculous! :roll: 

She is physically A-OK....I even took her temp. to make double sure that fever wasn't an issue in her not taking the bottle. 

Is it possible that her vaccination had this side-effect on her??????? She had it two days ago..,


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

nope.... she is just missing her buddy. they get very attached!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Here is something you can try....and it was by accident that I found it would work! 

A mirror placed in her stall or house where she can't break it...behind a panel or secured with fencing, she'll see herself but to her it's another goat. When I brought my Bootsie home at 6 weeks almost 9 years ago, she was the only goat for awhile, was in the house with me thru the day and would play and rop around with the cats...anyhow, I "lost" her in the house one day and she was super quiet so it took me a bit to find her...she was standing behind my bedroom door intent on the little goat looking at her! She found my full length mirror. Til her "sister" came along, that mirror was her best buddy! No more crying when she was put up at night as she knew her buddy was in her stall waiting for her.


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## cdtrum (Aug 25, 2008)

This is why we are getting a third goat......last month one of my boys got really sick and I thought if he dies what will I do about the other being alone and as you know, you can't find another goat overnight (at least I couldn't)! So we have another one coming the end of April.......all 3 are wethers.......my guys are just pets and very spoiled and it would kill me to have one left alone......my 2 boys I have now freak out if one can't find the other.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

She is very depressed and she doe need a buddy very soon. How old is she? The Mirror is a great idea. I would only do that for a short time until you can get another goat. They love to go running and jumping together and head butting.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

her buddy just died guys so it isnt like they purposefully kept her alone


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

StaceyRoop said:


> her buddy just died guys so it isnt like they purposefully kept her alone


 I did know her buddy just died and that is what makes it even worse for her. She had a friend and now it is gone. I am just saying to get another friend as soon as possible for her.


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## justthemomforthejob (Jan 22, 2009)

Well, we are getting another doeling this afternoon. The crappy part is that I don't know if Esther will make it that long....honest to goodness she acts like she is going to die. She won't walk around her pen...just lies there and occasionally gets up and moves.

She drank some of her bottle this morning but isn't even nibbling at the grass or hay. She seems "floppy" to me if that makes any sense and not "steady"....her pupils are larger than normal. No fever, no foaming, no bloating. Normal urine...normal poop. 

I swear, if Esther dies, I am SOOO done with goats. This is kicking my butt emotionally, not to mention what it's doing the the children. How I WISH I knew what to do between now and later this afternoon!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

can you bring her inside? I would let her run around the kitchen and just let the kids play with her. she obviously just wants the companionship. She still may not really like the new goat when it arrives so be prepared it may take time for her to adjust to a new buddy.


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## justthemomforthejob (Jan 22, 2009)

I have brought her inside.....she won't play or run or do ANYTHING but lay there and look like she's on deaths door. ARGH!!!!!

I just gave her some rehydration, just in case since she isn't drinking much from the bottle. We will see if that perks her up. I am going to go ahead and bring her in again...I thought I'd try her near the other animals and see what happened. Nothing.  

I am SOOOO much better at figuring out human kids than caprine kids!!!!!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

yes drench her with water - it doesnt take much for them to get dehydrated, and give her some nutri drench or childrens liquid vitamines. about 3ccs or so (or 1 tablespoon)

Cuddle her and talk softly to her. Some probios wouldnt hurt either. But if you dotn have any of that then yogurt works too


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I 2nd what others have said and it is good that you are getting her a buddy. But, you shouldn't get so down on yourself you are doing everything possible. :hug: .


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## justthemomforthejob (Jan 22, 2009)

When my sister and I got back from getting her doeling, Esther was dead. My son called me from the house when I was on my way back. I've no idea why my doelings died.....the only thing I can figure is that they ate something that was bad for them but what????

Not sure where to go from here.......LOVE little goats........don't want another disaster.......


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

:hug: I am so very sorry! Do you have the baby with you now? The one to replace Esther's sister? If so, then please do try and get her a playmate. Don't let this discourage you, there was definately something else going on with the 2 doelings, the stress of losing her buddy brought on stress and therefore an underlying problem came to a head. :hug:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I have to agree with Liz I have heard and seen goats depressed but never die from it in such a short period of time! I am so so sorry  :hug: you are a good goat mom, do remember that!


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I agree there was probably another under lying problem and you shouldn't give up! :hug:


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## justthemomforthejob (Jan 22, 2009)

Do you think it could have been something genetic since they were sisters?? I just think it's so bizarre how they died within 72 hours of each other but nothing about their environment or care had changed in the least. I had had goat kids here before...never as my own "pets". 

My friends do keep their two yard ornaments up at the barn and once the wether became very ill on Christmas Eve...but of course! NOTHING was open. I made it to the feed store and managed to set up a goat ICU in a large dog crate with a heating pad, etc. etc. and pulled him through pneumonia with some antibiotics I gave him IM and prayer. 6 years later, he is still going strong. I have also bottled raised orphaned goats for the local humane society and they did just fine...no problems in the least. They were very healthy when they went to their new homes. 

I would really like to try again but wonder if I SHOULD. Maybe this was a message that I should stick to human kids. We were just approved to adopt three children from foster care...maybe I should just stick to what I do best. 

No, I don't have a new doeling....my sister was the one who found that one. It had a sibling, a buckling, as CUTE AS PIE but I really didn't have any desire for a wether and something told me that Esther would not be alive when I got home so I didn't buy him. However, I have learned of a Pygmy Mommy and her little doeling that are at a rural animal shelter about a hour north of us. I am in contact with someone who works in animal rescue and who knows the shelter staff. She is going to talk to them and if they agree, she will transport the baby to us. I just don't know.........my confidence in goat raising is VERY low.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

it very well could have been genetic, a strange case of depression or two fluke things that happened so close together.

I hope soemthing works out for you in the near future. :hug: 

Congrats on the new kids to be a part of your family


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Why not get mom AND baby? Then when that baby is weaned you will have the benefit of milk earlier, and mom's do raise very friendly babies, provided the time is spent playing with them. I don't have bottle babies here and all of my kids born are imprinted from birth, very friendly and socialized. If you do get the pygmies, I think it would be best to get mom as well. Milk yield can be very high and is as sweet and as nourishing as ND milk.


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## justthemomforthejob (Jan 22, 2009)

Thanks, Stacey. I really do appreciate all the support from you guys. I will give it a little time and see what happens. Meanwhile, I plan to "lurk around" and learn all I can from you wise and helpful goat folks if that's OK.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Yes I agree, mom and baby would be great - they already have a bond and you wouldnt need to be trying to find another goat. Pygmy milk is one of the best milk out there!

Lurk all you want and ask questions. We are happy to help


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

OH my goodness. My heart just sank when I read this. PLEASE do not think it is you. I do agree that is might be something with them. I do not know if I missed it somewhere, but I do not remember the age, they could of had Cocci and it hits babies FAST.

By the way CONGRATULATIONS on being approved for to adopt three foster kids :clap: . That just proves you are a very loving and wonderful person that any goat would be so glad to call you MMMAAAAAAAAA. 

Keep the faith and give some adorable goats a loving home.


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## justthemomforthejob (Jan 22, 2009)

I have been talking to a friend via the internet who raises Boers....she suggested late onset FKS and after reading up on it, I really think that could be it. The more I read, the more I think so. They were from a quad birth...one of their siblings died at about a week or so old. The man we got them from had another doe kid a couple of weeks later and I was set to get that doeling but she died at a few days old. Hmmmmmmmm.......bad luck on his part? He only had about 7 goats so that seems like a lot of dead kids to me for such a small, small herd.

If it was FKS that killed my doelings, do I need to do anything before bringing more goats in? I haven't read that far........

Thanks for the congrats on the children - we are very excited to adopt again (Our 18 month old daughter was our 1st adoption & has been such a wonderful experience & blessing!) and can't wait to be "matched". Our desire is for 1-3 children....any race...either sex, ages 0-5. Three more would bring our "grand total" to 9 children, 1 son-in-law & 1 grandson.  Of course when one adopts from foster care, the reality of siblings of adopted children coming behind them is ever present so we could easily add more in the future, We would always want to remain open to our children's siblings. 

Thanks also for all of the support. You all are so welcoming and just so plain nice!! I will stick around and learn all I can!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I dotn know much about FKS. I suggest you starte a topic and ask for input. That way you get the attention in this area that you need. 


Yes that is very strange that so many kids died from one place. Last year I had one die and it was enough to send me over the edge into doing major overhall and sold a lot of goats because I was overcroweded. I want the best for my animals so I had to part with them even if i didnt want to. I have since had a barn built and new pen so I am all set for this year and with less goats


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