| This is Porky <aka: Willow*Blu Bucky's Dream> He is a 3 1/2 month old Purebred Nubian Buck weighing in at around 25#.. He is being treated for Bottle Jaw <Intermandibular Edema> This is a very serious worm infestation. It's called Bottle Jaw for a several reasons: Worms feed on the blood vessels of the goat and are constantly moving and sucking blood... leaving holes where they were previously feeding..as the goats head is down grazing in the pasture the holes leak and drain into the lower jaw & under the goats chin causing the swelling.. as the jaw fills it hardens.. This condition is most commonly seen in goat kids.. This could be very deadly.. ********************************************************************************** I first realized Porky had a worm infestation problem when I went to worm all the critters on 6/13.. I usually check all the animals gums at each worming to be sure the wormer is working for them. (Some wormers have to be rotated out <which means you can't use the same wormer each time or it won't be effective - the worms will be ammune to it>) When I checked Porkey's gums they were whitish grey <they should normally be a dark shade of pink>..this means trouble so I gave him 1cc <oral> of Ivermec <a 100# dosage> on 6/13/04 and another 1cc <oral> dosage on 6/14... Since it usually takes a few days to notice a difference I waited..he seemed much better after those two wormings..so I left him to graze with the rest of the herd - We had constant lightening storms that whole week so I didn't get a free moment to check him again, although I noticed he was much slower than normal going from the pastures to shelter in between down pours...he was still eating and drinking normally tho.. <Normally I would have treated him for 3 days - checked him again after another 3 days and maybe given him another 3 days of treatment if he still seemed "wormy"> On 6/25/04 we noticed Porky had a small swelling under his jaw..he seemed fine otherwise..since it was so stormy I never got a chance to give him another dosage of Ivermec that day.. On 6/26/04 the swelling had spread all under entire jaw to his throat and was hard & warm to the touch <fever> He seemed depressed although he was still eating & drinking normally and his gums were white again. I gave him the following treatments: Vitamin B Complex - 1cc IM > (IM = In Muscle) <Normal dosage in healthy Adult Goats: 1 - 2cc(ml) IM twice weekly if necessary> <Normal dosage in healthy Goat Kids: 1/2cc(ml) IM twice weekly if necessary> For sick goats I have safely given 1cc<IM> each day for up to 4 days in kids and 2-3cc<IM> once a day for up to 7 days.. Composition: Thiamine (Vitamin B1) - Niacin - Vitamin B6 - d-Panthenol - Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) - Vitamin B12 - ********************************************************************************** Nutra Drench - 6cc AM & 6cc PM <Orally> Contains: Glucose - Vitamins A - D & E among many others - Trace Minerals - & Amino Acids (Builds blood - worms drain the blood of Iron, which will make the goat anemic <very thin blood> without prompt & proper treatment the goat will soon go off feed, develop diarrhea, and begin to rapidly lose weight, dehydrate and eventually die. Nutra Drench builds the iron back up in the blood, gives the appetite back, and makes all the goats organs function properly again. <Must be given 2-3 times a day in younger goat kids - Morning & Night essential- to keep the blood built up since worms do attack very quickly and will undo all that you have done and send you and the goat back to square one..> ********************************************************************************** Ivomec Plus - 3/8cc Orally <all I had left> Normally I would have given him a 1cc dose <100#> and the same dosage each day for 3 days... then I'd skip 3 days and use the exact dosages on him again. Then wait a week and give him a normal 50# dosage of 1/2cc... ********************************************************************************** Within only 4 hours after this treatment the swelling was mostly gone.. He was still eating and drinking as usual..No loose stoll.. <If the goat had a loose stool it would mean that the worms have all but taken the goat down..one of the worse signs you could see in this case> ********************************************************************************** 6/27/04 6cc Orally - Nutra Drench No wormer left Swelling all but gone..he seems to be a bit stronger... Face 1 - Face 2 ********************************************************************************** 6/28/04 20cc Orally Nutra Drench - 1cc IM Vitamin B Complex 1cc Ivomec Orally 5G Probios Orally Swelling about the size of a quarter..skin is loose under jaw where swelling was.. He is still slow in movements and gritting teeth as if in pain now....Still eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom normally....No loose stools.. ********************************************************************************** 6/29/04 Woke to find Porky weak and not able to stand....he had been laying in ants and had peed where he lay.. Within 10 minutes of finding him like this we had rushed him to the vet..where he seized 5 minutes after arriving... The vet finally came and examined him to be sure there was nothing else we could do.. he was dead... He examined Porkys gums and asked me when was the last time I had wormed him.. I tell him it's been an ongoing thing since 6/13.. He shows me Porky's swelled belly and tells me the worms had taken him down too far and he had been in bad need of vitamin B shots..I explained to him that I had been giving him Vit B complex shots.. and Nutra Drench...along with the wormer.. He then tells me Porky was the second baby goat today to be brought in and die shortly after.. we both agreed that the rain was breeding the worms and making them hard to control.. He said that even with worming every 2 weeks he still lost goats to them.. I told him this was my first one to lose to worms.. He suggested worming every 2 weeks and keep a constant check on the gums, belly and under the jaw.. especially in babies..and that just because the swelling under Porky's jaw had disappeared that I should have still been worried...that the fluid had drained into his belly giving us false hope that he was getting better.. ********************************************************************************** As I sit here looking back & kicking myself... there have been lots of lessons learned with.... #1 Even though it was raining for days at a time..I should have stayed on top of worming Porky.. even if it meant bringing him inside..if I had it to do all over again that's just what I would have done.. this way he would have been able to fight the worms off and new worms wouldn't be under him everywhere he stepped.. not to mention the rain just made him weaker..grrr #2 I should have started giving him Nutra Drench & Vit B shots when I first noticed him slowing down a bit in his normal activities..if you notice a goat who normally grazes as part of the herd, begin wondering off on his own...even if he's grazing and looks healthy... this is not a healthy sign...check him right away to see what's wrong.. 9 times out of 10 it's the beginning of worm infestation.. #3 Even though he didn't show any signs of infection I should have given him antibiotics along with everything else from the beginning... just in case..I'm not so sure Porky didn't develop a cold or worse with his ammune system being weak & all this rain.. #4 Even in deep summer where days are 90 degrees and above in the rain.... an animal who has become anemic get's chilled very easily.. and any animal owner knows that when a sick animal get chilled..he could go down hill very quickly.. ********************************************************************************** WILLOW*BLU BUCKY'S DREAM <Porkchop or Porky> Born March 7, 2004 - Died June 29, 2004 Porky belonged to my 9 yr old daughter Jade..as does Porky's mother Cynamon.. She is heartbroken over the loss of her baby..as are we all.. ********************************************************************************** Bottle Jaw Info Links: http://www.goatworld.com/articles/bottlejaw/ http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/htm/bc/180504.htm http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/thingoat.html http://www.jackmauldin.com/diseases.htm ********************************************************************************** Disclaimer : Any information I add to my pages are simply situations that I have been in and things that have worked for me, in my herd. I am by NO means a vet and I am not endorsing it's use in anyone elses herd. You should consult with your vet for any info that you are unsure of |
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