# Help needed please



## ang82 (Oct 6, 2012)

Hi everyone
would love some help please. We had a goat show up at our place 3 days ago. No-one seems to own her so not sure if she was dumped here. I know nothing about goats have never had them. She was very batted and sore when she arrived under under a vets advice we have treated her as best we can until we can have a vet visit end of next week. I have a concern she may be pregnant as her udder seems to get fuller each day we have had her for 3 days now. I have attached some pictures because due to the circumstances i do not know any of her history. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. If someone can tell me what breed she is that would be great also. 
She has a while to go before she will be 100% so hoping to find out as much as possible to help her
Thanks 








A photo of her rear end








Our battered and bruised girl


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It is hard to say. She might be drying up too. A vet could examine her and tell you. That is great that you are taking care of her. What have you done for her so far?


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Poor thing. She may be pregnant, or she may be someone's escaped milker. *Where do you live -- I actually know someone who posted about a lost brown goat recently. Wouldn't that be something if this was her??*

As for now, I would get some good hay. Goats need fresh hay every day. If she is pregnant she will also need alfalfa or alfalfa pellets for calcium (aids in delivery).


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## ang82 (Oct 6, 2012)

Thank you both for your help. Woodhavenfarm we are in Australia


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What part of Australia? There is a member on here by the name of Keren who is also in Australia. She may be able to give you better advice or even be close by.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

ang82 said:


> Thank you both for your help. Woodhavenfarm we are in Australia


Ah, well I doubt she traveled that far.


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## ang82 (Oct 6, 2012)

We are in Northern NSW Karen and so far we have given her penicillin and put spray on her wounds. She has lost half of one of her ears. All wounds seems to be healing well she is just stiff and sore. We have brought Goat pellets for her from our local rural store and lucerene she loves lucerene. Once again thank you for your help. If she was pregnant how far along would she be? just not sure what I need to have ready if she is


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Hi Ang, unfortunately I am in Perth so not close by. Poor girl looks like she has been through the wars - I'd be suspecting she's been chased by dogs or similar, with the wounds either bites or from panicking and running through fences. Good job with the pink spray and the penicillin. Here's a few things I would do:

1. Diet - the goat pellets and lucerne hay are good. I would include oaten hay as well, and dont let her overdo it on the goat pellets. A couple of cups morning and night will be fine to get her started. Check the protein level on the label - it needs to be at least 14% but 16 or 18 would be better. She needs clean fresh water - you might even try warm water with molasses and apple cider vinegar in it - she might like it, mine do. She also needs some minerals - you can get a goat block and/or a pony block from the feed store, or even a cattle mineral lick but make sure there's no urea in it. Otherwise some kelp (seaweed meal) or Livamol would be excellent for her. 

2. I would dose her with some Protexin, Nutrimol and give a shot of B complex. You can find all of these at your local feed store. Your vet may be able to prescribe an anti-inflammatory to help with the stiffness and pain. I use Flunixil/Finadyne. I would also worm her with something like Oralject Sheep and Goat Wormer or Caprimec (feed store again). 

3. She really needs a secure enclosure, I wouldnt leave her on the tether. To get back in shape she needs freedom of movement and space to roam and graze/browse. 

4. Check in her ears - does she have a tattoo or ear tag? If so these can be used to trace her back to her herd of origin. 

5. Have your vet do an ultrasound or draw blood for pregnancy diagnosis - hard to say whether she is bagging up or if she has been suckling kids. 

6. Regarding breed - if she is full sized, she is a crossbred dairy type doe. The colour pattern is sometimes seen when crossing alpines with other breeds, and it is also seen in rangeland (feral) goats. I'd hazard a guess she is feral/dairy but hard to say without seeing her. There is a lady trying to breed dairy type goats with this colour pattern and calling them Australian Alpine. It is not a recognised breed. If she is small, she could well be a miniature bred goat too. 

7. If you are on facebook, there is a group called "Goats Australia" where you might be able to find someone in your area who can help with things like nutrition, health care and routine husbandry such as foot trimming.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Bless your heart for saving that poor doe. Looks Alpine/? to me. I agree sounds like dog attack. Are there many dogs running loose in your area.

Ok, kids are carried on the right side, sometimes, you can feel for movement, just in front of the udder, I've felt them more on the right, toward the flank. Does her udder look "deflated/limp" ie drying up, or "plump" ie filling?

Keren gave great advise, I don't have more to add, good luck!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with Keren.

That was so sweet, to take her in and care for her.


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## Texas.girl (Dec 20, 2011)

A simular thing happened to me last year. One Friday night in Nov. I looked out my kitchen window and saw a young goat walking by. I live in goat country but at the time knew nothing about goats but have since learned a lot. I tried to find an owner but she had no tags or tatoos and no one responded to my newspaper ad. I really believe someone dumped her out here, not knowing Boer Does are worth a lot of $$. Her behavior screamed bottle fed baby. She still tries to get in the house. After deciding to keep her I named her Lawn Mower as my friend said I had to give her a name. Fortunately Lawn Mower was in good shape and I had access to lots of helpful advice on what to do for her (both here and locally). Plus I had a fenced vegetable garden in need of being cleaned out. Since then I have been given 5 abandoned kids to bottle feed and so Lawn Mower is no longer alone but has a happy home and a new fenced in goat enclosure. 

Your little girl is lucky to find someone willing to put in the time and money to care for her. I hope you find her owner or if not, either you are able to provide her a good home or find someone who can.


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## ang82 (Oct 6, 2012)

Hi Everyone
Thanks for your help and advice unfortunately she had twin boys on Friday night and both died.


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## Texas.girl (Dec 20, 2011)

ang82 said:


> Hi Everyone
> Thanks for your help and advice unfortunately she had twin boys on Friday night and both died.


Sorry to hear that :tear:

:grouphug:


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Oh gosh ... I have no words for you. I'm so sorry. It must have been all the trauma they had to go through. My heart goes out to you and the momma goat.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am so very sorry


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I'm not sure if this was suggested before ... but have you checked the momma's ear for a tattoo? Many breeders tattoo their goats for showing and registration. it will be a green ink tattoo, you may need a light to shine behind the ear to see it.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm sorry you lost the kids. How is she doing?


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Considering her physical condition, whether from attack or just negligence. It would be surprising if she kidded without problems. Poor girl, I hope she's ok.


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## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

Awww the poor baby! Thanks for taking care of her - you are doing a great job so far!  :hug: 

Sorry to hear about the kids, though honestly, in a way, it might be a good thing the boys didn't make it because she needs to just concentrate on getting better.


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## ang82 (Oct 6, 2012)

Hi everyone thanks for your kind thoughts. Although new to the goat world we were all devestated one little boy fought a good fight but in the end it wasn't enough he was unable to stand by himself and slowly went down hill despite our efforts.
We have checked for tattoos and done pamphlets and let local rural stores know but no one has come forward and given her condition i think i would struggle to not give them a piece of my mind if we did see them
"Lucky Bell" as my daughter has called her is doing ok, she has settled down about from the loss of the kids. She has ongoing issues though with her wounds they are in short terrible but we are slowly getting there. She also is very anemic and so so skinny it breaks my heart.
She sees us coming now and runs for cover from whatever we have in store for her I hate it but we are doing it for her own good and hope one day she will forgive us.


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## fd123 (May 29, 2012)

GOD BLESS YALL for stepping to the plate and DOING THE RIGHT THING!!! I wouldnt even try to find her previous owners if i were you! This girl deserves a better life than shes had and i have NO DOUBT that YOU and YOUR FAMILY will give her the BEST!!! Its obvious the previous owners could care less anyways or theyd be trying to find her...and they wouldve taken better care of her also!!....MAN....IRRESPONSIBLE ANIMAL OWNERS REALLY URKKK ME !!!!! Keep on tending to her and she WILL LOVE YALL for it!!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

fd123 said:


> GOD BLESS YALL for stepping to the plate and DOING THE RIGHT THING!!! I wouldnt even try to find her previous owners if i were you! This girl deserves a better life than shes had and i have NO DOUBT that YOU and YOUR FAMILY will give her the BEST!!! Its obvious the previous owners could care less anyways or theyd be trying to find her...and they wouldve taken better care of her also!!....MAN....IRRESPONSIBLE ANIMAL OWNERS REALLY URKKK ME !!!!! Keep on tending to her and she WILL LOVE YALL for it!!


She may not have gotten to that condition at her previous home ... we don't know how long she was away from home or what happened to her. It may be neglect but it could also be that she couldn't find her way back and got hurt on her journey.


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## Texas.girl (Dec 20, 2011)

Woodhavenfarm said:


> It may be neglect but it could also be that she couldn't find her way back and got hurt on her journey.


I agree. Without knowing how she got out, we should not judge. Where I live goats are plentiful. I have come across goats on the wrong side of the fence and been able to report the issue and days later seen the owners repairing their fence. Other times the owners live elsewhere and just lease the land. Their goats get out a number of times and it has taken talking to the sherriff to get the fence repaired. I know someone in town whose pet goat never once left the yard but while they were out of town for the weekend their goat disappeared. They looked all over but never located the goat and fear it was stollen.

I do believe my first goat (Lawn Mower-avatar pic) was dumped on the side of the road, as an owner was never found, and I really tried but she had no tags/tatoos. I think she was given to someone as a newborn and they got tired of her as she was a handful when I got her (wanted to be in the house with me). At the same time I have a Special Needs wether that gets so engrossed in whatever he is grazing on that I fear he will just keep going and be unable to figure out how to get back home. We put a bell on his collar and keep a watchful eye on him when we let him out of his enclosure. I personally would have felt guilty keeping Lawn Mower if I had not made an effort to find her original owner.


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