# Pregnancy Toxemia



## Dodge 'Em (Jan 13, 2011)

This is a new one to me. I raise Boers and am expecting my does to start kidding any day now. 2 weeks ago, one of my best does started limping. Not thinking anything bout it (I was battleing hoof scald) thought she had sore feet and doctored her with Pen48 and Oxytet on her hooves. The next day she was still laying around, so I took her in the barn. Had some trouble gettin up, but thought it was due to being SO heavy with kids (Indy was HUGE). She also didnt eat much, not at all like her. Got home after work, and still no improvement. So I called a dairy goat lady (we have no vets local who deal with goats) and she said milk fever, give her calcium and Karo. Started dosing with that. Got her up and she waslked around the stall 3 or 4 different times. Called out a vet the next morning, ( I knew I was in trouble when the 60 something vet kept calling her a ewe and my buck a ram) said she had Pregnancy toxemia and I was doing all I could do for her, gave her some B complex and drenched her with Magna-lax. He could do a c-section, but she was going to die and the kids were going to die anyway. He could give her some Dex, but she was going to die and her kids were going to die anyway. Said it was caused from her being too fat, or too skinny, Her being a large doe, carrying multiples, change in weather, (we had on day it was 70, the next 20) not enough feed (they have a feeder thats full all the time) not enough quality hay ( they are on pasture and have rolls of grass and baled hay, I have since started putting out alfalfa, too) Needless to say, I wasnt happy with his farm call. I opted to try and save her myself. Sadly Indy died last Friday night. Now I have ANOTHER one!!! I have been Power Punching her, Karo in her water and also dreching her with it, last night I got a Cal-mag-cobalt tube and gave her some of that. She is still eating and I make her get up and walk around everytime I go to the barn. But she has lost a lot of weight. This has been going on a week. My question is: I have several more does that look like they are having twins. I have started putting Karo in thier water tank to try and up the carbs ( I have read that a doe with twins needs 180% more carbs at the last 2 weeks that a doe with singles) and feeding them 16% sweet feed and all the alfalfa they can eat. I am terrified of loosing any more! Does anyone have any more suggestions? Am I messing up, putting the Karo in the water trough? They are all drinking the crap out of water now! LOL I have been raising Boers for 4 years and have never had this happen. PLEASE HELP!!!


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## harmonygoats (Nov 20, 2007)

Get some propylene glycol. We had our 1st goat do this, her feet swelled too. Use that and get some cmpk in case it's calcium.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Give her 2 tablespoons of seaweed meal (kelp powder) ASAP! Pregnancy toxemia is caused by the kids using all available minerals, leaving none for the mother. (Pat Coleby, Natural Goat Care.)


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

Drench them with a half and half mix of Karo and Molasses. Roughage is the best for them to eat since at this point concentrates(grain) is just going to make things worse. 

You need to get Calcium drench for them. 

If you have any pine trees try cutting down some limbs and letting them eat that.


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## jodief100 (Jan 15, 2011)

An article this month by Dr Sparks in Goat Rancher Magazine states that toxemia can be prevented by feeding 1 lb of corn per day in the last month of pregnancy. 

No personal experience, but Dr Sparks is well respected in the meat goat community. 

Good luck, I am sorry to hear of your problems. 

:hug:


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

Definitly need sugar in her, as Runaround said. Mollases mixed with karo or the propylene glycol into her. This happens most of the time in multiple births, or even in does that are overweight. When we raised boers, we only had two cases of pregnancy toxemia. One was carrying three, the other four, and both does were overweight before being bred. I chalk it up to the fact that they were fat goats that were used to getting all the 'good stuff'. Then kidding came closer and everything was getting sucked out of them, causing the pregnancy toxemia. But I could be wrong.


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## Dodge 'Em (Jan 13, 2011)

Hey Jessica!!! 
I have been giving Calcium drench and also some Cal-mag-cobalt. I lucked up and Wal-Mart had the big bottles of Karo on clearance for 1.75......I bought 17 bottles! 
She has all the alfalfa she can eat, 16% sweetfeed and Calf manna and Karo water in front of her at all times. She seems to be doing a little better tonight. Though she might be going into labor, she was stringing some this afternoon, but an hour ago, nothing. She is a red SA, triple Magnum bred. 
At TSC today I though me and a man who is having the same trouble were going to tangle over the ONLY bottle of Power Punch! LOL Dont come between a woman and her goats!


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## Dodge 'Em (Jan 13, 2011)

Well Silk had quad bucks today. 2 were dead and I had to pull 2. She seems to be doing all right. Thank ya'll for your help. I bought ewe and doe 'Sweet blocks" today at Rural King to put out for the rest of my does. I am still putting Karo in the water trough, they have all the alfalfa they want and a feeder full of feed. I have Equine Energy (corn and wheat germ oil) Power Punch, Pro-bias, Calcium drench, Cal-Mag-Cobalt tubes, and LOTS of Karo on hand for the future. I hate that I lost Indy, it was a hard lesson to learn. I have been tought a LOT in my 4 years of raising Boers! LOL


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## Plumbago (Jan 21, 2008)

As advised by milkmis drench her with 2 tablespoons of seaweed meal .. giving the doe seaweed in her grain feed and up her minerals


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

I am very sorry about the loss of the bucklings, I know ever kid counts :hug: 

Sounds like you are doin the right thing!

You may want to invest in women's pregnancy 'Ketostix'. They sell them at Wal-Mart and we used them on our does. Haven't used them in a while though (no ketosis or toxemia). Anyways, we used to carry around beakers in the kidding pen waiting for the doe to pee and then we'd catch the mid-stream. (Not the beginning and not the end of the pee .....lol) and we'd stick the ketostix in the pee and bring it right back out and wait. There are different colors on the bottle to show how good or bad the levels are. If it was really dark, it wasn't good and we'd give them straight mollases at that moment. 

Oh, and if you have a feed store near you, ask if they have any animal grade mollases that they would be willing to part with. We have a whole ten gallon jug! Its a lot cheaper then buying the small jars at the store. :laugh:


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I am so sorry for the loss, but better two then all four right? How is mom and the babies doing now? 

Good that you are on top of things. Keep us posted.


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## Dodge 'Em (Jan 13, 2011)

Well, things are going down hill. Silk laid on one last night and suffocated him. The runt is OK this morning, but mama isnt doing very good. I have drenched (Calcium, Karo, and Power punch) her twice so far and gave her a dose of Cal-Mag-Co, she hasnt eaten or drank anything. She has a big bag, but not much milk coming down. I am headed to town to get milk replacer, just in case. I have a doe that looks like she is going to kid today, if Silk passes, I will try and get Fury to take this buckling. I wonder if I rub Fury's kid's afterbirth on him, if she would accept him? Any thoughts?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I am so very sorry you are having such a tough go with this, If Fury kids in the next few days, if you have the little guy close to you and behind her when she delivers the first, she may accept him, be sure to get enough of the birth fluids on his butt and head.


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## ()relics (Dec 25, 2010)

Dodge 'Em said:


> ....The runt is OK this morning, but mama isnt doing very good. ..... I am headed to town to get milk replacer, just in case.... if she would accept him? Any thoughts?


It sounds like it might be a good idea to just pull the kid and start him on a bottle before you lose him or put extra strain on the doe...I would use Vitamin D whole milk instead of milk replacer....Last january I "grafted" an FB doeling, whose mother couldn't take care of her, onto another % doe that was in the process of kidding. After it was born, I immediately picked up the newborn kid, of the % doe, and seperated it from its mother. I took a towel and completely dried the kid, then used the same towel to wipe down the "grafted" kid, actually wetting her with the "junk" from the newborn kid. I took the 2 kids back into the doe, and laid them with her. I turned down the lights and left them. I checked on them an hour or so later and they were both standing and the doe was licking them. I continued to monitor them until I saw, for myself, that they were both nursing...She raised them both to weaning..Hope It Works that easily for you.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I am so sorry things are going badly...praying that things turn around soon.


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

I agree with relics. Vitamin D milk is the best way to go. We have had great success with it and boer kids (well, any kid)
Im very sorry that momma laid on one! We've had it happen, and it feels like our hearts were crushed along with it...
If Silk lives and starts getting better I'd be rubbing and massaging her udder. She may be congested(or engorged) with milk, and you don't want that because it can lead to mastitis. rub it and massage it and contiously try to pull the milk down. It may take time...


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## Dodge 'Em (Jan 13, 2011)

Update: Monday Fury kidded a nice buckling, tried to graft runt on her, HE would have nothing to do with it. Tried a bottle, nope he wasnt going to do that either. Put him back with mom and held her bag so he could eat. Went out several times daily and did that. 
2 does kidded Tue. while I was at work. my 7A+ doe had twin bucklings, one was dead (she hadnt cleaned him much, he had a HUGE head. Myabe a Hydro?) Second buckling is doing fine. 
Next doe is an older brush doe that wasnt supposed to get bred, but she obviously had other plans. She kidded a buckling. Got her in the barn, still straining, thought it was just afterbirth. Next morning still has that afterbirth hanging, thought things were still OK. After work she still had that hanging, so I pulled....it smelled rotten. OH GEEZ! Went in, sure enough a HUGE breech, like to have never got him out. Gave her Pen48 and Dex. Thursday morning, she is still laying around some, her buckling is bouncing off the walls. Thursday afternoon, she had laid on him and killed him.
The red doe with the Toxemia and her runt kid had both died too.

Now, I have ANOTHER doe showing signs of Toxemia! I am begining to wonder why I am trying to raise goats!!! I have lost 3 does and 7 (not counting the kids that Indy was carrying when she died) kids in the past 2 weeks.
My barn now looks like a pharmacy, I have so many different things to give. Hopefully things are going to get better! LOL


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I am so sorry! :hug: I've never had this happen; I'm sure everyone has good advice. Not to be repetitive, but if you haven't already tried it, I really would suggest trying to find seaweed meal somewhere. Pat Coleby tells of a man who gave seaweed meal to his doe with toxemia, and the recovery was the quickest he had ever seen. I know it can't hurt; my does get it free choice and love it.
Do make sure it doesn't have urea in it.


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## Dodge 'Em (Jan 13, 2011)

I did get some Source SR. (first ing. is seaweed) last night. I dont know where I could just get seaweed meal around here. I want to thank everyone for their help.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Oh man so sorry you've had a rough season! :hug: 
What about thiamine?
I just lost a Nubian to what I think could have been preg tox, slightly acetone breath but no limping or swelling. I didnt think to give thiamine at the time maybe she could have been saved I dont know.
She went downhill fast, like about a day & a half. Molasses & calcium drenching didnt help her. 
Not to say it wont help your girls. Hang in there, we're rootin for you.


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

Wow  Im so sorry Kathy! :hug:

We had this happen, well not exactly the way you did, but lost several kids one year. 2 from one litter, one from the other and 2 babies from another. We were devastated, it was the first year we had a death rate over 5 percent.  So I know how you feel....
Hope everything starts to get better for you! And btw, I felt exactly the way you were feeling- "I am begining to wonder why I am trying to raise goats!!!" So, we got out of it for a little while, and now look at us. Minis have replaced the boers and we couldn't be happier!  You'll find your happy medium.


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## lovemygoatbabies (Dec 29, 2015)

I totally agree with the seaweed meal. I give it free choice to my goats and they haven't really messed with it much this summer, but they are due in February and have just recently started hogging it down. Their bodies must need that extra mineral now. I swear by the stuff!!


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

lovemygoatbabies said:


> I totally agree with the seaweed meal. I give it free choice to my goats and they haven't really messed with it much this summer, but they are due in February and have just recently started hogging it down. Their bodies must need that extra mineral now. I swear by the stuff!!


This thread is very old, from 2011


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Please be careful about using propylene glychol. It burns. It doesn't bother cows but it will bother goats. It also dampens their appetite, so it can make things worse. Molasses or Karo does the same thing without burning and other side effects.


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