[Guest]

i need some help with a doe. fern has been acting droopy for the last few days. I did the milking yesterday as dd is sick and her milk was down so I checked her temp. It's very high. Her udder is fine and no snotty nose or coughing. The problem she is 22 days bred. So I went with supportive to see if she was just coming down with a cold. She got BoSe, Vitamin b, probios. She is eating her grain on the stand and nibbling at hay she just doesn't want to have to deal with the other goats. So today I go to milk and the same thing. I did notice her acting funny when I was leading her to and from her pen. After I put her back I noticed the left side of her face by her ear is swollen. Went and checked and the swelling starts at the bottom of her ear and goes down. I cleaned her ear off and when I gently push on the swelling bubbles come out of her ear and it does stink like an infection.

So how do I go about dealing with this? Like I said she is only 22 day bred. I do have Some Oti-Clans left over from an ear infection in my dog. Can I deal with this without antibiotics or is this something that needs dealt with and rebreed later?

Thanks for the help. Again. Forgot to add she is a lamancha

 

[Feral Nature]

My LaManchas get icky ears like that but no odor or stink at all, and no fever. I am waiting to see the replies here for future reference. Sorry your girl is sick.

 

[Guest]

Ok- I went out and irrigated the ear. Nothing really interesting came out, did see some white liquid. the swelling starts in the lower ear and goes to the bottom of the jaw. It is very hard. It looks like my doeling that got hurt when her head got stuck in the cattle panel. If this is and injury to the jaw what does the high temp mean? I'm sure its not good. this does explain why she is still eating but is doing so slowly and why the grain is easier than the hay.

don't really know what to do for her at this point. Will go out and get a definite temp...temp is 104.7

 

[Feral Nature]

Do you have a herdmates temp for comparison? it sounds like she could have a temp especially if the jaw/ear area is bothering her. if the affected area is causing her to not be able to eat, i would definately think treatment is necessary. The sinus could be infected or it could be an injury or both. I would think penicillin except she is bred...so don't know. I don't give many antibiotics so would have to look it up for safety but penicillin is what amoxicillin is and that is what the "pink liquid" is that human kids get for ear infection.

 

[Guest]

Diane that has been my debate also. Her temp has actually gone down some. It has slowed down her eating some, she likes her grain more than the hay,probably because she has to chew the hay more. :/

 

[Sondra]

It could even be a tooth abcess that is swelling up to the ear. I sure would have her cked out. Did you get an actual temp on her really can't say much of how to dr without an actual temp. I never give antibiotics just because. you need to know what your dealing with.

 

[Cotton Eyed Does]

That is something that I would bring a vet in on. If it is swollen, it stinks and she has a fever then I would conclude it is an infection which needs treating with an antibiotic, but since it could be an abscessed tooth or a deep ear infection or even possibly a snake bite to the side of the face, I would have a vet look at it.

 

[Guest]

Yep...did get a temp..it was 104.7

 

[Sondra]

OK then antibiotic is in order as it banamine for the pain and temp. some dex might not be a bad idea

 

[Kaye White]

:nooo :nooo No DEX!!! Not at 22 days bred.

If this were my doe, she would be on banamine at 1cc/100# for at least 3 days,once a day, A broad spectrum antibiotic- Either Bio-Mycin at 3cc/100#'s once a day for 5 days or Naxcel or even Penn-G(6.6cc/100#'s) twice a day. The latter two will also take care of an abcessed tooth.

Be sure and watch the swelling for hair loss, coming to a head and possible bursting...thinking CL if she's not been tested. Sorry, there's just so many herds, I can't remember all them all.
Kaye

 

[Guest]

Thanks guys. Will go tend to her now. was even beginning to wonder with that new hay that we got it if one of those oat, barley, or wheat heads got stuck back there. Kind of like cheat grass and horses. At this point I think it could be a few things. As far as CL goes the herd was tested this past spring and was neg. and the heard I got her from is neg. and has never had a case of it. Same goes for here. But not to worry with a day like today I'm not even sure I know who I am. :crazy :help2

 

[Sondra]

OH darn forgot she was bred sure glad Kaye caught that.

 

[Guest]

Thought I would give an update.

Fern is doing much better. Fever broke yesterday. Swelling was down today and her milk is going back up. She is acting much better, not so depressed and sickly.

On a interesting note, the vet wanted me to check the swelling to see if I could get some puss out. So I took my needle and syringe and went on a puss finding mission. Only one prob., I couldn't find any. The other weird thing is that each time I would pull the needle out blood would come pouring out. It was as if the swelling was full of blood. Was the blood because of an injury, kind of like a major bruise?

Anyhow my girl is doing better and I thank you guys very much for the help.

 

[Feral Nature]

If the blood you were pulling was not from a vessel and was from some sort of pocket under the tissue than it was a hematoma or a bruise. Was it fresh or aged blood? sometimes a hematoma has old looking blood, sometimes you can't tell. A vein or artery will have fresh blood of course. The hematoma would be from an injury like a goat bashing her.

 

[Kaye White]

:biggrin

Fern is doing much better.

So glad for her and you! Now, don't stop the antibiotics until you've given the full course. Get rid of whatever she had going on.
Kaye