# Placenta Retained?



## Macyllehub (Jan 6, 2013)

*Placenta Retained? Still having issues!*

Our doe kidded triplets on Saturday between 3-5:30pm. At 3, she was up and around and wasn't showing any signs that I noticed. At 5:30, imagine the situation of my city-raised-self yelping as I realize Mama has bloody membranes hanging from her and I hear babies!  I yelled at the kids to get my husband, about ran through the fence to get to her, barely remembered to unlatch the darn thing. I take a deep breathe and realize we have triplets, one is dead in the shelter, but two adorable wet goopy babies are in the cold! We swoop them up and take them in to dry and warm then bring back out to mama.

At 8 pm, she still has a lot of bloody membranes hanging in long strings from her, I know it's membranes (I'm a birth professional, it's pretty easy to recognize them), but I realize that she has not passed her placenta. I call a friend who raises sheep, she said sometimes it can take 3-6 hours, let her nurse and we'll be ok as long as I watch her.

Well, I came out every 2 hours all night, but didn't notice she delivered it. I know she could have eaten it, and she was squating a bit when I left her at 8 pm. Sunday morning I didn't notice any more membranes hanging and assumed she delivered it. Monday I noticed a faint odor when I milked her in the morning but in the evening didn't notice it and her back end was clean and clear of anything.

This morning I went out to let her out to graze a little while and realize that her back side is wet again. I know discharge is normal and perhaps I'm paranoid because I never saw the placenta, but is there a clear way to tell if we have a retention? Her tail was a bit mucousy and pink from laying on it, her back side just is looking a bit goopy but I don't notice a odor today.

I did "bounce" and don't feel anything that feels off in anyway but I honestly don't believe that I have enough experience to be sure. She is our first goat and I adore her!

She is eating a ton and is up and nursing her kids really well. They are doing great. She drank a good amount of water yesterday but isn't drinking as much today but is up and mobile, eating and nursing.

Am I paranoid about the missing placenta?


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

She could have eaten it or it could be in her stall somewhere; it is really flat & watery & easily covered by bedding.


----------



## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

Retained placentas aren't that worriesome in goats as in other animals like"if they don't pass within this amount of time they could die" bit. She probably passed it and ate it without you knowing - mine do that often. It's really not that big a problem, if she didn't eat it, it will either expel or reabsorb. Just watch for signs of infection or fever.


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Forgot to mention to take her temp.


----------



## Macyllehub (Jan 6, 2013)

I've checked bedding over a bit. There was a large amount of fluid with the kid that didn't make it. I swooped it up quickly since it was a bit scary for my kids to see the dead kid. There was a pile that seemed like a membrane bubble of fluid if that makes sense. 

I wasn't worried yesterday but today she has a big increase in fluid and bloody mucous. Like, quite a bit! Her tail is sticky from drying with it, and it's red in color.


----------



## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

Now make sure you clarify this with someone else but can't she give oxytocin to be on safe side?


----------



## Macyllehub (Jan 6, 2013)

I don't know how to administer that, I don't own any either. Is it prescribed by a vet?


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Macyllehub said:


> I've checked bedding over a bit. There was a large amount of fluid with the kid that didn't make it. I swooped it up quickly since it was a bit scary for my kids to see the dead kid. There was a pile that seemed like a membrane bubble of fluid if that makes sense.
> 
> I wasn't worried yesterday but today she has a big increase in fluid and bloody mucous. Like, quite a bit! Her tail is sticky from drying with it, and it's red in color.


A pile that seemed like a membrane bubble? That's it!
Fluid & bloody mucous is normal. She will be discharging off & on for several days. One day it'll appear she's all done then whoosh.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It sounds like she passed it. Keep an eye on her for 2 weeks, by that time, if she is still eating and acting alright, no foul odors, she is good to go.

She will discharge for a while after, this is normal. 

If at all in doubt, if you smelled a bad odor, you can put on a rubber glove and do a sniff test, by slightly putting you finger in there, to see if she has an infection at all. If it smells normal, than she is OK.


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I call the placenta 'the blob' lol it's slimy, and gooey and runny. Our does sometimes lick it, we've had them eat on it occassionally, some turn their nose up at it. So then we have to put it in a grocery bag so we can dispose of it....those things are slippery lol

Definitely sounds like she ate it, and I agree, we've had does dicharge for a few weeks. Our doe that kidded almost 3 weeks ago still gets a little goo now and then.


----------



## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

JaLyn said:


> Now make sure you clarify this with someone else but can't she give oxytocin to be on safe side?


She can but you still would want to do it while she is open. I keep some on hand but it is more for the sheep then the goats. With the goats if I have any doubt that they passed it I do 1 to 2 weeks of vitamin C.

I dose 1 desert spoon (yes it is a Pat Coleby thing) once a day for at least a week. If I know for sure they didn't pass it then I automatically do that dosing for 2 weeks. You can put it in water and drench (just enough water to dissolve it) or if you goats that love raisins you can take a sandwich baggy out some raisins in it and vitamin c and shake. Then hand feed or place in feeder. I have found with my goats the raisins covered in vit c work the best.

The cool thing about vitamin c is you really can't over do it. If you give too much they may get the runs but unlike drugs if your off a little bit nothing detrimental will occur.

Just keep an eye on her. I even give vitamin c to does that have a hard kidding and it seems to get them back on their feet faster.


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

^I do the same thing, but my goats love the vitamin C so much they just lick it up plain!


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

sometimes its very hard to see once hay and dirt stick to it. She would have have three..one for each kid born..if she is acting normal, no fever or bad odor I would say she passed them. : )


----------



## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

milkmaid said:


> ^I do the same thing, but my goats love the vitamin C so much they just lick it up plain!


I wish my goats would just lick it up. They are raisin-aholics though. . .


----------



## Macyllehub (Jan 6, 2013)

Vitamin C being given... 

How much blood postpartum is normal? We're seeing an increase, not a decrease. It's been exactly 1 week now and this morning I went out to let her out to graze and get some fresh air and her tail is covered in blood. It's mostly dried but it's a good amount and since this is my first kidding, I hate to call a vet if it's normal. 

She is eating a large amount, drinking great, nursing well and physically active still... At what point do you call the vet due to bleeding?


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

She is probably just fine. 
Blood from afterbirthing is deceiving. A tiny bit can look like a whole lot.
My girls have red unsightly bloody tails. If I run my thumb & forefinger from the base to the end, it will be several drops. 
Personally I wouldnt call vet unless she is running a temp or not eating & drinking or inactive. 
But it sounds like she's doing GREAT!
If there were uterine tears she would most likely have died by now, in which case most likely no one could have saved her


----------



## Macyllehub (Jan 6, 2013)

Thanks Nancy. I appreciate the insight. 

I know it's all a learning curve!


----------



## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Here's a week after kidding. Her tail was pretty red the first several days.
Click to enlarge.


----------



## francismilker (Oct 22, 2011)

I'm with JaLyn, oxytosin is the key if you're concerned about retained placenta but it is by vet prescription only. As long as she's not running a temp she should be fine though. 

I have been guilty of adminstering antibiotics to a goat with retained placenta in the past just to make sure. When they start passing it/reabsorbing it the discharge looks pretty nasty and I just wanted to make sure. 

The drug Albon is commonly used on dairy cattle because it has a short milk withdrawel time. If you have a vet and want to get extremely short withdrawel time, ask he/she for some excenel. It's synthetic but pricy.


----------



## Macyllehub (Jan 6, 2013)

Good information on drugs! 

Nancy, that is exactly what my does bottom end looks like!


----------

