# When does the belly drop?



## Perfect7

Does anybody know about when the doe's belly drops low and her sides cave in, in front of the hips, so that she looks hollow? It looks like the spine has "risen" or the rest of her dropped away. She kind of looks like a big blimp passing under a bridge! Just wondering if this correlated with any particular time in the pregnancy before kidding, or if it varies doe to doe. (No discharge, a little more bagging up but not anywhere near full, no discharge, and the drop was literally within 12 hours). Thanks!!


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## Perfect7

Well, I need to retract the no discharge. Just got in from checking on my girl and she had about a 3 inch thin string of amber colored stuff on the outside of her pooch. I first thought maybe some loose stools but it was light brown and she's had solid pellets all day (and again while I was out with her). She was extremely cranky with me tonight, very unusual. She's usually very affectionate but she didn't want me to touch her AT ALL. Her tail also looked odd, almost like she was holding it up higher and crooked. A good description would be her tail looked almost like an "S" shape when it's normally straight, like a broken tail or something. She doesn't have a full udder still, so maybe I'm just being a first time worry wart. :shrug: 
I'm sure I'll have to make a couple runs out to check on her again before I sleep peacefully. :laugh:


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## toth boer goats

she sounds close to labor.... if you are seeing a clear tube looking discharge.... how are her ligs? 
Does she look posty?
When is her actual due date?

I would keep an eye on her.... :hug:


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## Perfect7

The vet estimated by ultrasound that she was due end of July, beginning of August by the size of the single baby she saw. I just returned from checking on her again. She was laying down in their shed in the straw, facing a corner, and totally ignoring me (usually runs out for midnight treats). She is breathing 28 times a minute, then pauses breathing and holds her breath for about 10 seconds while moaning. I cannot feel her uterus tightening up and she's not trying to push. She lets me touch her but is otherwise totally ignoring me. I noticed also all day that her pupils have been big, and now she just is staring at the back wall of the shed. Biggest thing is she's "acting different". I'm getting our supplies ready and running a light out there....we weren't quite prepared for this yet, and it may not be labor but :shrug: 

 tonight.


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## Perfect7

Oh, sorry, I thought she lost her ligs yesterday but this is my first time checking ligs and I wouldn't know if it happened. It looks hollow on each side of her tail. No tube-like discharge, just one amber colored thin string. She's also belching a lot if that makes a difference.


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## Galavanting Goat

P7 you have me sitting on the edge of my bed (I have my laptop in the bedroom with me lol) I am severely sleep deprived at this moment after bringing a 9 day old emergency buckling home so here I am catching up on posts and here I am reading about your doe, 4 of ours are due any day and i'm more excited about yours lol.
How is she doing?....how are you doing?.....how many cups of coffee have you had?lol.
Your girl sounds like she's not far off, is it possible the vet mis estimated her possible due date? thats like 2 months away. Her ligs can come and go, if her tail is giving an "s" impression then i'm thinking, she has either lost them or they are very soft. If she still has them they will feel like a pencil on each side of her tail.
Some of our girls burp (usually in my face :roll: ) but you could offer her some bi carb soda in case she has a bid of gas build up. I'm not sure on the amber discharge but keep a close eye on her, we had one doe start with the amber, she lost the buckling (the bag burst inside of her) but the doeling suvived, someone with more experience should be able to help you with that. praying your girl will have a safe delivery, I bet she goes before my lot lol.


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## Perfect7

Thanks guys! I guess I'm posting this in the wrong spot but it's too late now! If she isn't in labor I'm playing the lotto tomorrow and will win! She is panting pretty heavy, wont look at me at all. She's staring at the back wall with huge pupils and I can't get her attention. I looked at her vulva, to which she quickly started flagging her tail, but it is swollen pink and opened up. She looks so uncomfortable! No coffee yet, but starting a pot and taking my laptop outside with me. Hubby strung up a heat lamp in there, so it's a nice red glow.  Like I said, we weren't quite ready for this. Thankful I was a paramedic and have a human OB kit on hand, plus iodine!
If this isn't labor, something else is seriously wrong with her. I hate to put it this way but it's an accurate description, she just looks stoned! I sat beside her and even turned her head to me and she kept focusing on that wall, panting. Okay,time to make coffee, drag the laptop outside, and wait!


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## toth boer goats

Wow ...she sure may be acting closer than that....can you take her temp?

Does the discharge have an bad odor? If so, and she is running a high temp she may have an infection....

The pausing... breathing ...may be........ that she is regurgitating her cud.... when she does this... is there a wad of cud in her cheek...that she spits up there?

Does in later pregnancy ...will moan more...as they are uncomfortable.... sometimes kids push on things... and it makes then uncomfy.... :hug: 

If she is not trying to push... then she isn't in true labor ....

Is she still eating...drinking water?

With the pupil dialtion........ I am wondering if ...she has the starting sypmtoms of milk fever.... :scratch: 

Is she stargazing or is her pupils just dilated?
Almost thinking goat polio...or Listeriosis.... if she is stargazing and not getting up.... :hug:


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## Perfect7

She's not staring upwards, just staring straight ahead. The doelings are in with her and usually she will get on to them for coming into her sleeping space. She's totally ignoring them and me, ate well this morning and this evening, moving around good. There was no foul smell and she's not chewing her cud. Her temp is 102? She's still not pushing and no more discharge. I guess I'll just sit out here awhile and keep an eye on her....maybe it's just me?


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## Perfect7

Well, still nothing but her moaning heavy breathing. At one point she was breathing 32 times a minute, but then she got up, turned around, and layed back down. DH thinks it's because she's so big and miserable right now. He's probably right. I took pictures of her and will upload at a better hour. Poor girl looks like a waterbed with a head and legs. I can't see how she could hold out for two more months, but I feel extremely foolish right now.  
And Pam, I think you were right about her trying to regurgitate her cud while pausing to breath. :doh: I've never had ruminating animals before.  She paused again when I went out there, belched very loudly, and then began to chew.


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## crocee

I would lube up, go in and check. 2 fingers will not hurt her and you will know if she is in actual labor, the cervix will be open or starting to open. There may also be babies blocking the exit.


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## toth boer goats

Yep ...she is definitly chewing cud.... :wink:

DH is right.......If she is really big in the barrel area.....she may have alot of babies or big kids ...that are making her breathing space, smaller... and when she lies down.... it makes her breathing more rapid.... they.. also may be pushing on her insides and it may hurt..... so she is not wanting anything to do with no one..... her temp is normal... so that is good....

When she stands up..... is her breathing better?

When she gets up....is it always in one direction that she is turning.... you need to see how she walks..... if there is any weakness... or head/ neck.. is going in 1 direction....... we need to rule out polio or listeria...if it is...Treatment is needed right away... 
How are here eyes today? can she see?
This describes how to treat....
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12532&p=156249&hilit=star+gazing#p156249

If you feel you should seek a vet... I would recommend it..... :hug:

It isn't good... if she is just laying around all the time... she needs to get up and walk around a little more..... Is she just staying in the 1 spot? If the weather is good... I would make her go outside....for a while...or walk her around on a rope and let her nibble at things.... getting her to move around may help her some.....that is if.... she is willing to go on a collar/halter/ rope ...if she fights you ...then don't force her and stress her....

Pics may help .....

You are not foolish at all..... :hug:



> I would lube up, go in and check. 2 fingers will not hurt her and you will know if she is in actual labor, the cervix will be open or starting to open. There may also be babies blocking the exit.


I agree with crocee.... to find out if she is open.... wash up and check her....be gentle.... :hug:


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## Perfect7

Thank you all. She is up today and moving around, just not as much as normal. She moves slower and grazes in the pasture for maybe 10-15 minutes before lying down to chew her cud, all the while breathing heavy and groaning. I can hear the air catching in her throat before she pushes it out, she just seems miserable. Her eyes look very tired but she is seeing fine and moving in both directions. Standing up she breathes fine, it's when she lays down that it seems labored.
I did glove up and check, and no babies blocking the way. She would not stand for me to check the cervix, though. I did give her some nutridrench and wormed her with safeguard. Her eyelids are light pink, though I've wormed her twice with ivermec. I will pick up some Cydectin Tuesday if that doesn't work, but I think everything is closed until then. She's eating like a pig still, and even ran everybody else off from their grain this morning, so she's moving pretty good!
I'm getting ready to shrink and upload pics from last night. I *think* I feel ligs that are soft today whereas last night it seemed there were none at all.
If she still has two months to go with a single, we are in trouble.


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## Galavanting Goat

Oh my, I cannot imagine her waiting out another 2 months, what a beautiful big girl. She's hollowed out in the hip and tail area, some of our girls that are due within the week here havn't even gotten to that stage yet.


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## Perfect7

Thank you! I think she's just fine and it's me that needs help. :shrug: She's doing the same thing tonight but I told her no, I wasn't going to stay up all night giving her back massages in the hay. The good news is I have a birthing kit all ready to go now. :roll: 
No more labor postings for me until I see her pushing and legs are coming! And thanks to Pam, I NOW know that when a doe is laying down grunting as if in pain while holding her breath....she's about to chew her cud. This is NOT a contraction. :ROFL: She's just the only one of them who grunts and moans while doing so.
Last night I did give her a little baking soda mixed in with water and some tums, and it seemed to settle her burping and stomach rumblings a bit, so maybe just a belly ache. :scratch: I remember those days....


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## Galavanting Goat

oh you so remind me of me everytime kidding comes around but you're more sensible, see, i'm silly enough to stay and give the back massages in the hay (or sleep or count the cud chews lol), how many do you think she will have? she's got beautiful colouring. She reminds me of a sable with a Boer head, I think shes beautiful.


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## Perfect7

The problem with me is that she may no be due for another two months! :slapfloor: The vet only saw one baby, but I'm hoping there are at least two or it could be a big baby. Her coloring is the traditional boer white with red head, but the only lighting we had out there was a hanging heat lamp with a red glow so she looks some funky color! Kinda pink.  Since she's dropped I'm still checking on her frequently, but she still hasn't bagged up much so it could be awhile.


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## toth boer goats

HeHe...it is OK to worry we all do... :wink: ....I think... that she is just so big ......that she is very uncomforatable.... all the way around.......shoot... I would be.... if I was that big carrying a baby/ babies.....poor girl.... I feel so bad for her..... :sigh: I will pray.... that she will have at least 2 in there.....for you..... I can't imagine .....her having just one and being that size.....and has 2 months to go..... :doh: :help: :hug: ray:


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