# Goat in distress labor



## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

I have a Nigerian dwarf. This is her second kidding. Need help ASAP! She's in labor, only one front leg is out. The kid is HUGE. I'm pretty sure it's dead. We can't find the other leg or head. She has quit pushing. Called several vets, no one is available. Ideas?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

All you can do is go in and try to manipulate the kid. I'd keep calling vets. If the kid is too big, she may need a C section.


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

Shoot I was hoping for something else. I've called all the vets around that handle goats. They're all on emergency calls. We've tried pushing the baby back in but it won't budge. All the vets said the baby is probably too big, maybe that's why we can't find the head or other leg. 

I had to stop, I just had surgery a few days ago so I can't exert much myself right now. My husband is trying his best. 

I have a feeling we're going to lose a mama tonight.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Can you take the goat into a vet office?


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

ksalvagno said:


> Can you take the goat into a vet office?


It's the same vets that are busy. There's not a lot available.


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

Maybe a fellow goat farmer? Do you have any veterinary schools around there? If you do you could check with them. I'd hate for you to lose her. I had one that I couldn't pull and my vet barely managed with her small hands. I don't know if I would have done a csection or not, but luckily I didn't have to decide. In my case the kid's head had bent around and was facing back although his body was still facing forward. She had to pull the head straight and then pull on the legs. The head kept flipping back, but she finally got it by holding her hand on top of the kid's head. One thing to keep in mind is that if you are too rough you can rupture her uterus. Good luck!


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

Davon said:


> Maybe a fellow goat farmer? Do you have any veterinary schools around there? If you do you could check with them. I'd hate for you to lose her. I had one that I couldn't pull and my vet barely managed with her small hands. I don't know if I would have done a csection or not, but luckily I didn't have to decide. In my case the kid's head had bent around and was facing back although his body was still facing forward. She had to pull the head straight and then pull on the legs. The head kept flipping back, but she finally got it by holding her hand on top of the kid's head. One thing to keep in mind is that if you are too rough you can rupture her uterus. Good luck!


I do have a friend that has been giving suggestions and trying to call for help too. I do have fairly small hands and I think the head has to be the way you described. I think my friend is going to try to see if she can help after work.

As far as vet schools, there's none around. I wouldn't even know where the closest one would be. Our career center is getting a vet program but not yet.


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Praying for you and your girl. I wish I could help you.


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## PippasCubby (May 13, 2015)

I am sorry to hear you are having troubles.

Try propping your doe's rear end up so that her hind end is higher than her front. This might help take some pressure off the kid so that you can push it back far enough to find the head and pull it around.

I also noticed that your profile says Ohio. How far are you from OSU? I believe they have a Vet school that you may be able to take her to.


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

PippasCubby said:


> I am sorry to hear you are having troubles.
> 
> Try propping your doe's rear end up so that her hind end is higher than her front. This might help take some pressure off the kid so that you can push it back far enough to find the head and pull it around.
> 
> I also noticed that your profile says Ohio. How far are you from OSU? I believe they have a Vet school that you may be able to take her to.


I think I'm 3 hours from osu


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

We got one baby out! It's dead. We have the front hooves of another out but again can't find the head


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## PippasCubby (May 13, 2015)

Good job getting the first out. 

I am sorry it is dead.

Good luck with the next. Crossing my fingers for you.


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

Not looking good. This one is backwards and stuck too. Its dead


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

Ok all done. Two dead kids but the mama is alive. She's standing and drank some molasses water. Keeping my fingers crossed.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Oh my goodness. I am so sorry you are going through this! (((((Hugs))))) SO glad Mama made it, though. She may be pretty sore after all that tugging. A shot of banamine will help her. My girl also swelled right up in the girlie parts after a rough delivery. I used Preparation H on the swollen tissues. It took my girl a full 8 weeks to completely heal up. So baby her!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Get Banamine from the vet. Sorry you lost them.


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

She got antibiotics. I probably will need some preparation h. My friend has banamine. Thanks for all the help. Some times it just helps to know there's people out there that care


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## PippasCubby (May 13, 2015)

Sorry neither made it. :-(

I hope your doe recovers.


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## bamaherd (Jun 14, 2017)

We are so sad to hear the babies didn't make it but are glad mama did. I had nightmares for weeks before our mama kidded. It was our first but mama goat's third. We pray she is ok!!


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## Ranger1 (Sep 1, 2014)

I sorry you lost them, but good job getting them out before they killed the doe.


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## wifeof1 (Mar 18, 2016)

.
So very sorry for all you just went through. Hope the mama gets well soon.


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## New-goat-mom (May 21, 2017)

Oh my goodnrss. I just saw this thread. I am so sorry you went through that and lost the kids. I know that had to be so scary. Glad you were able to save the momma. You did a great job.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Most importantly you got the kids out. It is a heart wrenching nightmare when they have expired but I commend you for all your hard work. You did what had to be done.


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

Glad the mom made it. Hopefully she pulls through it OK. Mine got too big this year when she went a week overdue. It likely would have been OK, but I started increasing her concentrate a couple of weeks before she was due. I was trying to avoid a fast grain transition like I had trouble with the year before. This year I don't think I will go over 4 cups of concentrate a day and do that only a week before she is due.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am so very sorry. 

Great work getting them out, heads back are so difficult.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

That was a rough ordeal for you all. Since the doe will have unnedded colostrum and milk, you will have to milk her out so she does not engorge. So sorry you lost the kids.


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

Goats Rock said:


> That was a rough ordeal for you all. Since the doe will have unnedded colostrum and milk, you will have to milk her out so she does not engorge. So sorry you lost the kids.


That's going to be hard. We've never been able to milk her in the past. She goes crazy.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

So sorry you lost the kids  

Do you have a milk stand you can put her on? You can try to dry her up (low protein diet, only milk enough to relieve pressure, peppermint eo) but it will be hard so soon after kidding.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Tie her head up semi snug to a post and one back leg, the side you will be working from, just so she cannot kick your hand and the bucket. 
Wash her udder with iodine/water solution and dry her well before and after milking.

I am sorry to say, you will have to milk her and keep an eye on her udder, so she doesn't get mastitis.


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

toth boer goats said:


> Tie her head up semi snug to a post and one back leg, the side you will be working from, just so she cannot kick your hand and the bucket.
> Wash her udder with iodine/water solution and dry her well before and after milking.
> 
> I am sorry to say, you will have to milk her and keep an eye on her udder, so she doesn't get mastitis.


 I'm not even going to bother with a bucket. This little goat is so fiesty if you touch her udders. Both back legs come off the ground. Plus with my surgery I can't get her on the stand. I'll just attempt to milk into the floor. Thanks


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Good luck to you! Darn goats always pick the worst times to cause problems!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Can you get someone else to help you get her milked? All goats hate their udders touched. 
If they are in pain from being too tight, they will fight anyway, it hurts. She needs relieved or will get mastitis. Which takes more work and time. 
If the goat is jumpy now, wait until she gets mastitis and you or someone who wants to treat her with "today" and trying to get that into her teat orifice is going to be a nightmare. 
I hate that you are hurting and don't mean to sound pushy, but she needs attention.
Tie up the back leg side you or someone will be working from. If you have to use 2 ropes to get her back leg locked down, then do so. But don't go too high.

Milking onto the ground isn't the best option. But if you have to, I guess that is what has to be


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## Davon (Sep 22, 2017)

Hopefully she will surprise you. Right after my goats kid I think they would let me milk them anywhere. I guess the oxytocin they release when they kid makes them want to be nursed on. Good luck!


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## TexasGoatMan (Jul 4, 2015)

Hate to hear the bad news. Yes I am a little late on this post but just now read it. I have a neighbor who had some issues with a ND doe while in labor. She called me and when I got there the baby's head was out but nothing else. My hands are large and I could not make entry but her daughter who is 16 was there watching and ask if she could try and mama told her to go ahead. Thank God for small hands. She was able to enter and find the front legs, one at a time and bull them out and when she got the second one out the baby slid out with no other problems. I thought it was going to be dead and was surprised when it took a breath and started moving. In no time the kid was being cleaned up by mama and has done well since.


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## rhawks (Sep 21, 2014)

TexasGoatMan said:


> Hate to hear the bad news. Yes I am a little late on this post but just now read it. I have a neighbor who had some issues with a ND doe while in labor. She called me and when I got there the baby's head was out but nothing else. My hands are large and I could not make entry but her daughter who is 16 was there watching and ask if she could try and mama told her to go ahead. Thank God for small hands. She was able to enter and find the front legs, one at a time and bull them out and when she got the second one out the baby slid out with no other problems. I thought it was going to be dead and was surprised when it took a breath and started moving. In no time the kid was being cleaned up by mama and has done well since.


Luckily my 16 year old had small enough hands to get the babies out. I could only get mine in up to my wrists.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Thank goodness for your 16 year old.


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