# Blind baby?



## neubunny (Nov 7, 2012)

We are thinking one of the nubian triplets - the buckling - is blind. 

His eyes have a whitish 'filmy' look to them. He spends far more time than his sisters lying quietly in a corner of the pen, he still stumbles when he walks and keeps trying to nurse 'incorrect' places -- sisters, mom's front legs, etc. 

That said, when he gets up, he still manages to head straight toward mom or sisters, and he's still managing to nurse enough to have outgrown his (originally larger) sister. 

Usually, by this point (5 days old) we would have mom and babies back in the main pen with the rest of the goats. Been putting that off to give this one and the smallest sister (who is still way behind the other two in size, though she is always up, jumping on everybody, and nursing every 10 minutes) some extra time. 

Anyone run into this? Does it sound like he is completely blind and orienting by other senses or maybe just partially blind? Likely to be permanent? And is he likely to get lost following mom out in the pasture? or will he follow just fine?


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

Put a bell on mom so he can always hear where she is.

Do his pupils react to light or dark? (constrict/dilate?)

Does he flinch if you move suddenly on each side?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would contact a vet and see what they say.


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## BrigiesBoerGoats618 (Feb 16, 2013)

Same here just noticed one of my kids eye is covered with a film and the other is fine she still nurses from mom but i tried moving my hand over the film covered eye no good response but the other eye is fine. She circles on side the eys good but she doesnt circle the other way if that makes sense lol. Should i be worried can it spread? It wasn't like this at birth, she is almost 3 weeks old.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree about having a vet look ay him..I would also check to see if his eye lases are turned inward..called entropion??
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/entropion(eyelid.html


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## BrigiesBoerGoats618 (Feb 16, 2013)

Think it could be pink eye? I dont see any injury from horns or anything like that.


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

Inverted eyelids can look like that, (white and milky)and will make the goat blind if not treated. Just needs a stitch or two from the vet...


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## BrigiesBoerGoats618 (Feb 16, 2013)

How can I tell if the eyelids are inverted? The il seems fine just the eye has the milky film covering it.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

The eye lid will look folded inward...the eye will most likley be puffy...look at your other little on look closly and compare iyour little mans eye..if you pull that bottle lid out and roll it you will see lashes..
also if you google entropion and hit images...you can get a look at what it is..


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## BrigiesBoerGoats618 (Feb 16, 2013)

Thanks will do.


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

interesting thread,my friend also had Nubian bucks just born with the same problem!they were quads and had to be assisted to be born.All 4 had to be put down?(I think 2 died?) as they were very weak and blind  someone sujested they didn't have enough colostrum or doe didn't have enough nutrition for the kids.But the doe is in really good condition and well cared for,maybe not enough Vit A?,teejae


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

Inverted eyelid is genetic, I believe. Ours had a watery eye from day two, and started turning white around one week. Not a reason to put them down though.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I agree with loggyacreslivestock..its a correctable issue and if caught early there should be no lasting damage ...


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## BrigiesBoerGoats618 (Feb 16, 2013)

No ulcer and eyelids seemed normal with eye lashes sticking out. Started treating for pink eye with la-200.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Let us know how it turns out. Good luck!


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## BrigiesBoerGoats618 (Feb 16, 2013)

Will do thanks guys.... Again. Lol


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

neubunny were you able to look at your little goats eyes? does his lashes turn inward? hows he doing?


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## neubunny (Nov 7, 2012)

In my case, not an eyelash issue - nor eyelid I think. 

He tends to hold his eyelids (which have really long lashes) at 'half mast' - almost as if normal light is too bright for him. 

His entire eyes are not milky - definitely not an inner eyelid or solid film. Just a milky spot in each eye - off center over the pupil - reminds me of (1) a rabbit we had that scratched its one eye badly. In the case of the rabbit, it took about 3 months and the eye healed completely. and (2) early stage cataracts I've seen in older animals (those don't heal - they progress).

I suspect this has something to do with how long it took mom to get these babies clean ... or that I was too rough helping clean faces. she was out in the main pen (not the kidding stall - two weeks past when we expected her to have them, early signs of imminent kidding had disappeared again so we decided to let her back in the main pen since it was such a nice day - sigh) and she scraped a hole in the ground to have them in. I found her trying to lick clean three kids that were lying in a very gross mud puddle. Two of the three (including the buckling) were barely keeping their noses out of the puddle. I yanked them out pretty quick and wiped the goo off their heads with the only rags immediately to hand (while my son ran to the kidding stall to get the bag with the nice soft rags).

Haven't managed to do a flashlight test yet for pupil response. 

Mom and triplets are now in the main pen with the other moms and babies. They seem to be hanging near the barn and haven't gone out to the pasture with the others (I've got one other mom who hangs close with her two kids -- and a wether self-declared 'babysitter' who won't go out unless everyone else does). The little guy seems to be finding mom OK -- and has also discovered the one doe we have who will feed anyone's babies. He does try with the other does too, and gets butted a lot for his trouble (fortunately none are too rough). He's also playing with the other kids -- though he gets knocked down more than anyone else.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Might have a vet take a look at him...if its a birthdefect then at least you knoww hat your dealing with...you coul duse a triple antibiotic cream like neospordin , just a tiny amount in each eye...see if that helps,,,sounds like he has a safe place to grow up : )


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## BrigiesBoerGoats618 (Feb 16, 2013)

Okay so the one i talked about here is her pics. There's just a white film over it. Now i just noticed today, grrrr, that her sisters eye was like this too, i guess i didn't look hard enough before but i am just now noticing her. Now her eye is different the lids seem to be folded in here is her pics as well. First4 pics is of the first one and 3 of the one i just noticed. You can tell hers is worse too.


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## ogfabby (Jan 3, 2013)

In cattle, they have what is called juvenile cataracts. I know calves, in time, will outgrow them and end up fine. They are more sensitive to light for a while. 

I had a bottle calf like this that ended up making a great heifer. She was completely blind at birth and fine by 5 months old.


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## ogfabby (Jan 3, 2013)

The second one looks like entropion.


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## BrigiesBoerGoats618 (Feb 16, 2013)

So maybe just give them both some ointment for a couple days? A week? To see if they get better than if not have the vet staple? What ointment do i use? Thanks.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I would see a vet for that...the longer its left the more damage can happen..


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## ogfabby (Jan 3, 2013)

You can use a triple antibiotic for eyes but the entropion will have to be fixed.


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## BrigiesBoerGoats618 (Feb 16, 2013)

Alright ill get ahold of a vet tomorrow.


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