At 10:36 AM 4/11/2007, you wrote: >Without more information I can only do some experienced guessing. It >may be Milk Fever. If so, quickly get some calcium IV into her. >without knowing the time frame on these events I can only guess. If >this is within the first week since labor, it very possibly is Milk Fever. > >Cecil in OKla
IV should generally only be done by a vet, as it is dangerous. A safer way to treat milk fever is subq or orally. Sub-Q (in goats), give 40cc of a 25% solution of calcium gluconate under the skin in 3-4 different sites. Orally, about 8 ounces of calcium gluconate(PITA, and possibly dangerous)), calcium gel(mail order?), or several 1000mg tums. I had a nice Toggenburg doe die at the vet, getting IV calcium. I had Nubian a couple months later that I gave sub-Q calcium, and she recovered quite quickly. I talked to another local goat raiser, and she just stuffs tums down them. That is the slowest but safest method, and wouldn't harm her if she doesn't have milk fever. Does she have a low body temp? Trembling in the body, head, or neck? If not, it may not be milk fever. If she has a high temp, she probably has an infection. Another possibility is Ketosis, which requires administration of sugars. That can be diagnosed by smelling the breath or urine for a sweet smell, or by testing the urine with a ketone test strip. You can give food grade glycerine(glycerol), propylene glycol, or a mix of corn syrup and water. http://fiascofarm.com/goats/ketosis.htm http://fiascofarm.com/goats/milkfever.htm Sheep can generally be treated the same as goats, except the dosage of most drugs is about half that of a goat. This is a great website on treating goats both conventionally and holistically/herbally. Julian _______________________________________________ This message is from the blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
