sick goat question

[ItsADogsLyfe]

Sorry, the ever unpopular goat. I have a wether goat kid, 8 or 9 weeks old with greenish snot. I got him last Sunday. The woman I got him from is fairly new to goats and these were her first kids from her does. She waited too long to disbud and she had the vet do it. When I first saw them about 3 weeks ago I mentioned they should have been done sooner as even though they'd been burned they still had horns of about 1 inch. She did not band him either till the day before I got him. When she had the vet out last Sat to band him he decided his disbud job didn't work so he sawed off the horns to the head. So this poor kid is hurting on both ends. The woman I got him from had his head (and the little doe kid too) wrapped in gauze and vet wrap and when she took it off to put some salve on it it bled like a stuck pig. She rewrapped it and I decided it was probably best to just leave it and let it heal underneath. We've been keeping an eye on him and now it seems he's developed an infection probably. They aren't with me but are at a friends house.

So, does anybody have any suggestions? Should I use penicillin or is tetracycline good? I've never had this problem in all the years I raised goats. I would band and disbud at about 3 days to 2 weeks old and never had a problem.

[bcnewe2]

I'd probabaly go with PenG but maybe a call to a vet would have you doin something else. I use PenG when it's an outside issue other things for inside stuff. I think with all he's got, a vet call is your best bet. Wonder if it could have come from the disbudding.

Darn...sure sounds like he's got some crap going on. Poor little guy...even if he is a goat!

[The Good Shepherd]

I can not believe a "Vet" did this

[ItsADogsLyfe]

Well I figured since the horns are connected to the sinus cavity, any infection in the dehorning area may drain into the sinus cavity. I did go look at him tonight and I feel better about it. His nose is a bit runny, which may be connected to the dehorning as I just said. The mucus is not green, but he has been eating green grasses etc and that is the cause of the green. My friend didn't know. He actually seems a bit better than last time I saw him. Still not feeling good as he should, but he is eating and shows interest in food etc. I am going to make sure he's had a tetanus shot and probably give him some Penicillin just to make sure. The little doeling I got is doing fine. But then she was not banded at the same time like her poor brother. I hope the woman I bought them from tells this vet what he caused.

[gail]

Take his temp to determine if he has an infection.

 

Do you know if he has been vaccinated? If not, it may be advisable to either give tetanus antitoxin or vaccinate asap. The only problem with vaccinating now is that it will not provide immediate immunity and it generally is not good to vaccinate an already stressed animal.

 

I would treat with Pen-G for at least 5 days, twice a day unless you determine that there is no infection. I would also treat with Banamine for pain relief and inflammation. You will need to get banamine from a vet if you do not have it. If that is not possible, I would probably use baby aspirin for him. Note that treating with eiter banamine or aspirin will reduce any temp also & possibly mask an infection.

 

If you are getting warm, I would also spray with fly spray or put pine tar on the wounds to deter flies.

 

Poor guy - hope he feels better,

gail