# Post polio/seizure care?



## Ridgeline (Jul 9, 2011)

My doe came down with polio on the seventh. We think it's that, anyway. She had been acting slightly funny that night, stepping wrong and stumbling a little, but figured she was just being a wiggle monster because hooray, apple piece AND bottle of water!

On the eighth, when she was let out, she was acting like she was blind. I'd be standing two feet in front of her and she'd lose me if I stopped talking. About noon she started having what looked like seizures. One eye would start blinking rapidly, then her mouth would start twitching. Stopped being able to stand for long about one. Vet appointment was at two, and she spent the half hour car ride having seizures every five or so minutes. 
At the vet's, she got a shot of thiamine and we stayed around for a couple hours. Her seizures started getting more rapid, to the point that the last half hour we were there, she was seizing near constantly. Took her home with thiamine and vetrimycin. She got another shot of thiamine about five thirty, and the constant seizures finally ended about half an hour later.

It's looking like she's near blind. She can sometimes notice the bottle if I hold it in front of a light, but she doesn't react to much passing near her eyes or in front of her face. In fact, she acts startled every time we touch her. Her pupils seem to be somewhat stuck dilated. Doing a light over them, her pupils react very sluggishly. She can notice things like sliced apple if you hold it close to her nose, and she'll eat it. In a fashion.

She starts sucking and chewing at the air, and moving her face around in a small area, until she finds the thing or I shove it into her lips. She has trouble sucking on a bottle now, and I had to guide her nose around in the palm of my hand to feed her apple pieces. Take the thing away, and she'll stay still, chewing/sucking the air, with her tongue sticking out one side. She'll keep doing that for a minute or so. It's like her brain gets stuck.

I've got her in a darkened bathroom right now to try and protect her eyes. She's getting thiamine every six hours, and she'll get a dose of vetrimycin tonight. She had a bottle of milk, since that was the only thing she'd eat at first, then two bottles of water and half an apple.

I'm really thrilled the seizures have seemingly stopped entirely. I know it's too soon to see complete relief, but I keep staring at her and hoping that maybe, just maybe, she'll stand up and be able to see. Has anyone had a goat make a recovery from things like what she has? I'm mostly worried about her sight, but the stuck brain is a pretty big fear too. Is there anything else I can do to help her?

Oh my. Sorry about the wall of text. I'm just sitting here fretting a bit because I've never had this happen before and what if something that happened is very important? What then? You must tell them everything even vaguely relevant, Ridgeline!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I don't have any answers for you but I hope your girl makes a full recovery for you. :hug:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I am sorry you and she are going through this...I myself am dealing with the recovery of my 7 year old buck from Listeria/Polio.

I dealt with this Christmas of 2009 with my then 5 month old doeling Penny, she was on high doses of Pen G and B complex every 6 hours for 2 days, she never seized but did have some lingering brain damage while recovery was taking place...she had very bad reaction to total darkness and slept with a night light in the shed for almost 3 months.
Keep up the thiamine and be sure she stays eating and drinking, it does get better...heartbreaking at times but with consistent care, recovery happens.
My girl is almost 2 years old now and was well enough to become a mom and in February she gave me twin does.
My buck now only seems to revert back to the darting eye thing when I stress him with the needles, as of this afternoon though, he's much steadier and can focus his sight and I found him presenting symptoms this past Wednesday.

This is the link for Penny's polio issue it may help you gain some sense of calm and know that your baby will recover viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11975


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## Ridgeline (Jul 9, 2011)

That thread helps a lot, thank you. :hug: 

She can eat decently if I show her the bowl, but drinking is still beyond her. I have to squirt water in her mouth or put down a bowl and lots of towels and hope for the best. Eating hay is suddenly her favorite activity, next to licking the computer case and cardboard boxes and anything that exists at goat nose level. She is responding to things a few inches away from her nose now, so that's good.
Her poop keeps swapping between pills and large somewhat sticky clumps of pills. Should I give her something for that, or is it likely just stress?
She's walking a bit better, and can shake her fur and scratch her horns with one foot, but she can't take any steps backward, and her back legs are occasionally wobbly.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Prayers sent that way...... :hug: ray:


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

:hug: I hope she gets better for you.


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## Ridgeline (Jul 9, 2011)

:clap: She's drinking from a bowl! She's finally got enough mouth control back to handle liquids without dunking her whole face. Still soaking her chin when she drinks, but this makes me much happier. And keeps me from having to syringe water into her every few minutes. Goat demands are rather loud.
Sight is either getting better, or she's learned to rely on her ears and nose more. She's started tracking me with her head as I move between nearby rooms.
If she keeps improving at this rate, she will go outside and get to graze for a half hour or so tomorrow morning.
Thank you all :grouphug:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Wonderful!!! Recovery can be slow and getting them better never happens as quick as we want it to, but it does happen and it sounds like your girl is definately on the right path!


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

:leap: That is wonderful news!


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## Ridgeline (Jul 9, 2011)

Unless she suddenly backslides a lot, as of today, she is Out. Has most if not all of her eyesight back, very little to no back leg weakness left, and eating like crazy. You'd think I've never fed her.
The vet said I should keep dosing her with thiamine until she wouldn't let me catch her anymore. I half think the no catching will ever come, her favorite activity is nibbling on my hair. She's not letting me stick her anymore, though. When she feels the needle, she starts bucking, rolling and throwing a general fit. Do you think that she's just being a bit of a brat, or is she healthy enough to start backing off on the thiamine shots?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

According to my vet, as long as a goat is eating and the rumen is healthy, they make their own thiamine as well as other B vitamins, I am giving my buck thiamine tablets by mouth at this point and it's been a week yesterday that I started treating him, these are 50mg tabs of B1 and most pharmacy's have them...he's 50lbs and I give him 4 or 5 a day with his alfalfa pellets.

It's great that she's doing so well!! I know how you feel too...don't know wether to be excited or aprehensive.


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

Sounds just like my sheep that got polio. Went blind but her sight came back just fine when she recovered.


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