# Retained Placenta, is it a lost cause? Help!



## Moushey1 (Apr 21, 2014)

First off, I want to sincerely thank all of you! I've learned so much by reading your forum along with another goat forum. I truly appreciate folks taking time out of their already busy schedule to help others (like me!).

We have a lovely Nubian doe that kidded Thursday night. She has always had large "litters" three or four kids. This time, she outdid herself! She had five kids. Sadly everyone was away (for various reasons that we couldn't change) when she kidded. I did make it just after her last kid was born. So, I know that she didn't pass the afterbirth and eat it. 
Also, I've read as much as I could find about treating retained placenta on this forum and another. I've followed everything that seemed to fit for my situation. 
Our goats are fed nice, mold free alfalfa. They also get their feet trimmed regularly, get fed good goat grain, loose minerals "free choice" as well as baking soda. We worm, vaccinate, BOSE, and copper bolus normally too. Our herd is small (5 milkers). I have a fixed income and a large family, so I desire to be a good steward and to take care of the animals that The Lord has blessed me with, but I doubt that a vet is "in our budget".

My question is:
Has anyone had success saving their doe with a retained placenta? If so, is she still able to kid, freshen and lactate like before? And, if you were able to save her, how did you do it?

I've followed all of the advice that I was able to gather that fits our situation. I gave her B vitamins, molasses (post kidding as usual), a shot of BOSE (also post kidding), probiotics, and waited about 18 of the usual 24 hour wait of passing the placenta. I rarely help the does in kidding, and try not to "go in" unless it's absolutely necessary. So, after waiting, I "went in" and found that her cervix was still dilated a bit, I could get 2 fingers in. She contracted/pushed often while I was feeling around inside. I spent a long time trying to get the placenta out, but all I could get were pieces. I tried hard to get a grip and help get it out, but without my thumb, it was hopeless. I also wanted to be so careful since a perforated uterus would be death! At this point I gave her Combi-pen 48 and electrolyte water. I spent hours after that researching what I could do. We did a lot of messaging the utter, trying to stimulate contractions, along with milking her with her kid by her. (Sadly, all but one kid died.) We bumped her stomach to see if we could feel anything unusual, like a thud that isn't internal organs. Sunday, we went outside and checked her after church. She was still dilated a tiny bit. So, I mixed some boiled and then cooled to warm, distilled water with some injectable Bio-mycin added to it. I very carefully slid a silicon tube with my finger covering the end of it so it wouldn't scratch her, up to her cervix opening. It wasn't open very much and I didn't want to risk perforation, so i only went to the opening (which is pretty much blocked by the placenta) and my hubby drew up the medicated water into a huge syringe and put about 200cc of this mixture into the tube that was in her. So, I'm hopeful some of it actually went into her uterus. We also gave her a dose of Bio-mycin (even though I knew that it would cancel out the combi-pen48). Now, the instructions that I am following I found on a thread here. It is as follows: 
Use the high end of biomycin if you are going to use a tetracycline for this, 3.5cc per 100 pounds subq twice a day for 2 or 3 days and then go to once a day and continue until symptoms dissapear, then give one more shot, which can be 10 days.

That's were I'm at now. We are milking her twice per day. She holds back most of the milk still.
I really hope that she makes it! Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you so much!
Kim


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## Artdrake (Feb 21, 2013)

Yes, I had quads and she got a terrible infection. I stayed the course and treated with LA200 and kept her drinking warm water, electrolyte. It sounds to me like you have done all the right things so far. Keep up on the antibiotic, the full course, if she were mine I would give her probiotic too. Keep her drinking too. You might also give her thiamin (b1) that will give her an overall boost and stimulate her appetite. You may have a few rough days here, but she can make it through- keep babying her along


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## DMSMBoers (Dec 23, 2013)

I had a doe kid last Sunday evening. She didn't pass the afterbirth an so by Monday I was worried. Called the vet an he asked me a few questions. Was she still eating? Yes. Is she taking care of her babies? Yes. Does she act sick? No. Told me not to worry about her. So I asked if she needed antibiotics. He told me not unless she starts acting off. So I was alil put off by this advice cause I wanted a dose of oxytocin, but he told me I didn't need it. By Tuesday morning she no longer had anything hanging out. Did she lose it? I have no idea but that was a week ago an she is doing great! So I went to vetserv an got me 10cc of oxytocin for 7.00 dollars an wont worry so much next time.


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## Moushey1 (Apr 21, 2014)

Thanks for the encouragement! I just got more Probios, so I'll get going again on that. I just re-read an old post that said 2000 mg vitamin C per day. I don't know what Vit C does, but it can't hurt.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I would put her on Penicillin for 10 days...continue the b complex daily and probios of course is good..her body should absorb any left....encourage her to eat if she is off feed..use green leaves, veggies or fruit to stimulate her appetite...


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Moushey1 said:


> Has anyone had success saving their doe with a retained placenta? If so, is she still able to kid, freshen and lactate like before? And, if you were able to save her, how did you do it?
> 
> Kim


Anytime I have a doe who has not passed her placenta within the usual 24 hours I give long-acting penicillin at the rate of 5 cc's/100 lbs and add an extra 3-5 cc's. That has solved the problem every time. If there is a bad smell coming off her backside, I will give it for 5 days. Problem solved.

ETA: Never pull on the placenta - that is a good way to kill your doe.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Agree. Needs a treatment of antibiotics if she did retain it. If she did, then its most likely she will never kid again. Her uterus will encapsulate the placenta and it will slowly be absorbed back into the body. But no reason she wouldnt survive.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Every doe is a little different, but female goats can take a lot of pollution in their uterus and pull through. Keep up with the antibiotics and keep a close eye on her eating and drinking and take her temp once a day. Expect a lot of strange stuff coming out her back end for quite awhile. Happybleats says they absorb it. I think it's more like it breaks apart into little chunks and liquefies and eventually drains out.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Forgot to add - I've never had a doe retain her placenta that did not breed back and successfully deliver live kids.


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