Pet Goat Found W/twisted Neck

[Radolf]

I'VE READ SEVERAL STORIES ABOUT GOATS W/THEIR NECKS TWISTED BACKWARDS, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHICH APPLIES TO MY PET GOAT MISS BABA.  ALL WEEK SHE SEEMED FINE EATINGS BLACKBERRY BUSHES, ALOE VERA CACTUS N GRASS, I ALSO MIXED OATMEAL WITH SHREDDED CARROTS WHICH SHE SEEM TO LOVE AS A TREAT. THEN THIS MORNING I AWOKE TO HER CRIES N FOUND HER W HER NECK TWISTED BACKWARD UP UNDER BODY, AND NEEDLESS TO A SAY SCARED AS HELL.  THIS IS MY FIRST PET GOAT. I GOT HER TO EAT DOWN THE WEEDS ON MY PROPERTY AND TO SAVE HER FROM THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE IN WHICH I BOUGHT HER. PLEASE TELL ME HOW I CAN SAVE HER, I DONT HAVE THE $ FOR A PRICEY VET..AM I STUCK WITH PUTTING HER DOWN?  I CAN PURCHASE MEDICINE TO TREAT HER AT HOME WITH A LITTLE DIRECTION ON WHERE TO PURCHASE THE MEDS. PLEASE I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME!! THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP AND HOPE YOU CAN OFFER.             SHERREESE          

ANSWER: It sounds like it could be goat polio, which causes the head to arch backward with what is called stargazing. If I am understanding your description. The treatment for this is high doses of thiamine, a prescription drug. It requires 12ml of thiamine every 8 hours. Also dexamethasone to relieve brain swelling. If you cannot get the thiamine you can get fortified B vitamins(over the counter) and give a high dosage of that. Google polioencephalitis in goats and you can read about it. Sometimes listeriosis is also misdiagnosed as this, and it requires 6ml of procaine penicillin per 100lbs every 6 hours. You may have to involve a vet, but you can also get the penicillin at the feed store. This may be caused by something she ate--she has an imbalance.

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THANK YOU FOR GETTING BACK TO ME SO SOON, BUT MISS BABA PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING BEFORE THE FEED STORE COULD OPEN.  NOW I'M FACED WITH HOW DO I STERILIZE THE AREA WHERE SHE LIVED? I HAVE ONE DOG AND AN ELEVEN MONTH OLD BOXER PUPPY AN WOULD LIKE TO GET ANOTHER GOAT AS A PET, BUT WOULD NOT LIKE TO PASS ON THE POLIO TO THE OTHER ANIMALS.  IS THE AREA STILL CONTAGIOUS AND IF SO FOR HOW LONG?  THANK YOU ONC AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP AND KNOWLEDGE.          SHERREESE  

[Veryl]

Sherreese,

I am so sorry you lost your sweet goat. Goat polio is not contagious--it is just a thiamine deficiency. They can get it from eating certain foods or overeating grain. It is a metabolic disorder. You should go around your yard and see if you can identify the plants. Could be that one contributed to her problem. Poor girl.

If you feel the need to sterilize, just muck out any bedding, put down lime and new bedding. Use 1 part bleach to 10 parts water and spray that on the walls. You really need to get two goats for pets. They really need each other because they are herd animals. So if you can, that's the thing to do. Thank you for helping to give at least one of these animals respite from the slaughterhouse.