# Goat having muscle spasms



## Dmgunter (Apr 17, 2018)

We have a 1 month old goat it went down suddenly. It was fine one minute next time we went out to feed it (bottle feeding.) it was down could not get up. The legs were stiff the neck was crooked. We brought it in the house we gave it some vitamin B and selium. It is up walking now ( not normal but baby steps) but still will have the muscle spasms. Last night he was laying on his side leg straight out and stiff, the neck was arched back. Can anybody help me on what to do with this. Thank you in advance


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## dian_na (Jan 31, 2015)

What is his temperature? How often do you feed him and what are you feeding? I don't know where you live he could be dehydrated and cold. He seems to old for floppy kid syndrome. I would start by daily B12, heat light and lactate ringers. You can get it from vet or drug store. You inject under the skin 25cc sq of the LR. His body will absorb it. Krep madsaging moving his legs.


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## dian_na (Jan 31, 2015)

dian_na said:


> What is his temperature? How often do you feed him and what are you feeding? I don't know where you live he could be dehydrated and cold. He seems to old for floppy kid syndrome. I would start by daily B12, heat light and lactate ringers. You can get it from vet or drug store. You inject under the skin 25cc sq of the LR. His body will absorb it. Krep madsaging moving his legs.


Gzz my typing sucks. Lol 
You keep massaging and moving his legs not co stantly but keep them from locking up


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## Dmgunter (Apr 17, 2018)

I did not take his temperature. But he does not seem to have a fever. We gave him vitamin B and selenium. He was not walking for like 3 days. He is now walking but baby steps we are giving him goat milk replacer and we also now have him exposed to feed. We changed the brand of milk replacer to Land O Lakes it was Dumor. The feed store said that the Dumors feed is not good.


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## Dmgunter (Apr 17, 2018)

Dmgunter said:


> I did not take his temperature. But he does not seem to have a fever. We gave him vitamin B and selenium. He was not walking for like 3 days. He is now walking but baby steps we are giving him goat milk replacer and we also now have him exposed to feed. We changed the brand of milk replacer to Land O Lakes it was Dumor. The feed store said that the Dumors feed is not good.


He is not cold we have him in the house now LOL


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## dian_na (Jan 31, 2015)

Dmgunter said:


> I did not take his temperature. But he does not seem to have a fever. We gave him vitamin B and selenium. He was not walking for like 3 days. He is now walking but baby steps we are giving him goat milk replacer and we also now have him exposed to feed. We changed the brand of milk replacer to Land O Lakes it was Dumor. The feed store said that the Dumors feed is not good.


Have to hav temperature I could never tell by looking. I would give whole cows milk.


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## Dmgunter (Apr 17, 2018)

dian_na said:


> Have to hav temperature I could never tell by looking. I would give whole cows milk.


Cows milk like for the store or straight from the cow. I was told not to give it cows milk. But I know the person that had goat before us ( he was about 3 days old when we got him) she said she was giving cows milk straight from the cow.


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## dian_na (Jan 31, 2015)

Dmgunter said:


> Cows milk like for the store or straight from the cow. I was told not to give it cows milk. But I know the person that had goat before us ( he was about 3 days old when we got him) she said she was giving cows milk straight from the cow.


From the store you heat it a bit. Do you have other goats?


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## dian_na (Jan 31, 2015)

Have you seen him pee and poop?? I think he is dehydrated. Also this can happen if feed too much or too little. 7 days old, food change .... Yes go back to what he was getting whole cow milk from store heated. 6 oz about every 4 hours some might say 4 oz q 2 hours. Some old timers I hope will wake soon that can add to this.


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## capracreek (Apr 5, 2016)

Hope he gets better soon.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Get a temp on him. Low temp shows rumen problem. High temp shows infection.


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## Dmgunter (Apr 17, 2018)

dian_na said:


> From the store you heat it a bit. Do you have other goats?


I will try it.today he won't eat anything .


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## dian_na (Jan 31, 2015)

Dmgunter said:


> I will try it.today he won't eat anything .


It ain't nothing for a temp. U can uase a people thermometer. Just stick it in his butt like a baby. Also as sal ... Was commenting on get some probios from feed store. It will say for cattle. You never said if he is urinating. Grain isn't such a goid idea teally. Hay better he"s too young for any of it really


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## jschies (Aug 15, 2014)

Get a temp on him. That is where you should always start with a sick animal (sometimes I have to remind myself!!) If his temperature is low, his body will not digest any food. That is why people are asking for the temp. It is just as important as a high temp. 

Is he interested in the bottle, but then won't suck on it, or is he not interested at all? He sounds like he really needs help. I wish I knew what to tell you. I would consider floppy kid syndrome and also look at polio/listeriosis. It definitely sounds neurological.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Please get a temp, then we can advise further.


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## Dee01 (May 18, 2018)

I don’t know how to start a new post so I’m putting this here in hopes of some help.

I will start by saying this goat raising is completely new to me and I am basically learning as I go. I have a 1 month old boar goat. He has been bottle fed since birth as his mother was unable to feed him. 2 days ago, he was suddenly unable to us his back legs and was extremely bloated. I have been readin articles and it sounds very similar to floppy kid syndrome. I took him off the bottle and gave home baking soda and water every 2 hours yesterday and last night, then started electrolytes this ,owning early. His stomach is no longer bloated and he started pooping again during the night last night. He seams very alert and he does appear to still have feeling in his legs (so no paralysis), he just can’t stand and use his back legs. I am keeping him off milk until tomorrow or gen the following day. I have been giving him penicillin twice daily as well. Does this sound like FKS and what do you think the prognosis is? How else do I need to treat him? He had become the pet since I have bottle fed him since birth (and he was the first born of our new heard). I hate to think he will not recover from this.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

What is his temp? What kind of milk?


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## Dee01 (May 18, 2018)

Land o Lake Pronurse. As for temp., I don’t have a thermometer on hand. This is all new to me so I am completely unprepared for this. In addition, our resources are limited as I live in a one-horse town. I plan to go hunt some meds down tomorrow somewhere but not sure where I need to start.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would do the electrolytes, then I would give him whole cow milk from the store. Put a pinch of baking soda in first bottle of the day. You could add yogurt to the bottles. You also need a thermometer and get a temp.


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## Dee01 (May 18, 2018)

So, whole cow’s milk is better than a replacement? What temp is normal for a kid? Since he was not able to get colostrum at birth, is there something I should be doing to make sure he isn’t deficient of anything. We have talked to a few different goat people who said there isn’t much to do when they don’t get colostrum but I’m thinking there has to be something...


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## Einhorn (Jan 2, 2014)

make sure you heat the milk as you would for a human baby. I am not sure what temp, but it should be warm. I'm sure someone will be able to advise more specifically!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

This kid is too old for FKS and for any kind of colostrum replacement. 

I would start treatment for polio/listeriosis 
B complex and penicillin every 6 hours. 
He's at coccidia age as well but, I would get him on his feet before starting prevention.


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## shoafplantation (May 18, 2018)

Colostrum can be bought at Tractor Supply. Likely other ag stores too. It is in powder form. Can be kept in freezer for emergencys.


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## Dee01 (May 18, 2018)

Goathiker, would that cause his stomach to fill with gas and cause him to stop pooping? He was so full of gas I was afraid something would rupture. Once I started giving him baking soda and water, the gas was gone by the following morning and he had started pooping again.


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## Dee01 (May 18, 2018)

So, update on my little goat. I took him to the vet the next day (Saturday) and the vet said he probably was butted by another goat and had some swelling in his back. We started treating him for that, and he seemed to be improving and was able to stand and take a couple of steps. This morning we woke up to find he has diarrhea and won’t eat. I am trying to get fluids down him, at least but he will hardly take anything and is coughing. I know I have read that not getting colostrum is almost always a death sentence but I was hoping since we made it over a month that he was in the clear. I really hope he can get lined out but it has been one thing after another since he was born. This is all new to me and this was my first (litter?) so It is pretty heartbreaking. 

We bought his mother shortly before she kidded and we aren’t sure if maybe she was ill when we got her. She had trouble birthing and lost one of the triplets at birth of the two remaining this one was the runt and was unable to eat and has been bottle fed since birth. The mom progressively got worse and died Saturday night while being treated at the vet.

On another note, we bought two other nannies at the same time and they have both kidded and had healthy babies, one set of triplets and one set of twins.


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