# Stiff necks in newborns?



## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Hi All!
Haven't been on here in a while - too much to do outside to spend time on the computer! :biggrin
I've got a situation that I would like opinions on. I have had a couple kids born this year with a strange issue that I have never seen before. I searched the internet, but haven't found a similar issue mentioned anywhere. So... here's the story(s)

The first kid that had an issue was a buckling from a set of triplets. When he was born, his head/neck was very stiff and he couldn't stand. He did have a bit of a difficult delivery, but not too bad. His sisters were fine. The buckling never was able to stand and died at one day old. We also had a set of triplets that had weak/buckled pasterns. After doing a bit of research, I decided I needed to add some Selenium, so was able to hunt down some BoSe and gave that to all the kids and expecting mothers (well, the ones that were in the right time frame for it anyway). The pasterns corrected after a few days of splints. Of course, bent pasterns could have just been from having three kids smashed in a mom, and not had anything to do with selenium, and may have corrected without the BoSe - but I felt I needed to do the BoSe.

So, after a reprieve from kidding for a few months, one of my last does to kid for the year delivered doelings on Sunday night. She is, of course, one of my best does. She had her own mind about who she wanted to be bred to and would have nothing to do with the young buck I had chosen for her, so she ended up being bred to the clean up buck, who just so happened to be her half brother. I absolutely LOVE the dam of the doe and buck, so I was not upset about the linebreeding even though I may not have done it on purpose.

Anyway, when Sapphire kidded, the first doeling reminded me way too much of the stiff buckling earlier in the year. She was in the correct birthing position and didn't have any difficulties being born. Her neck was very stiff when she was born and she couldn't seem to control it much. Her legs seemed a bit weak and one leg seemed a bit stiff. She had a strong will to live though. I didn't see her stand that night, but she drank her colostrum fine. She didn't seem to be able to lay sitting up like they usually do, but would lay on her side with her head stretched out.
The other kid seemed fine that night and also drank her bottle fine. We gave both of them 2/5ths-1/2 cc of BoSe.

The next morning, they were both still alive (I was sure the 1st born wouldn't live). The 2nd born doeling was laying stretched out on her side, but stood up when I touched her. But she had her head cocked really funny like she was looking at the sky with one eye. And it was off the left side a bit as well. Both kids have a very wide eyed look. The 1st born doeling was laying in the regular upright sleeping position. She was also able to stand, but seemed to have trouble with her left front leg. Her head was also held in a strange, tipped position. I hope this is making sense - it is hard to describe! 

In doing some research that morning, I decided to give them a Vitamin B shot. Gave them each 1/2cc.

By noon that day, both kids were walking around and their heads seemed to be put on straighter but still went stiff when they got picked up - it was almost like their balance was off. Today they look pretty good but still a little off. They continue to have good appetites and drink their bottles well.

Do you have any thoughts/ideas on this? Or any questions that might help narrow down the search for the cause? One other tidbit is that the dam is really wide-eyed since she went into labor. You can see the whites of her eyes even now, two days after she kidded.

Thanks for any help!


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## Goat Town (Nov 20, 2010)

What you're describing sounds like the classic symptoms of goat polio, especially with the head tipped to the side and looking at the sky. I think goat polio is treated with thiamin. I saw it in one of my kids four years ago and treated it with thiamin I got from my vet.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Yea, but how can a goat be born with polio? 

This sounds a lot like what some chicks do, whatever it is they always seem to die. 

Interested to know what this is as well.


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Goat Town said:


> What you're describing sounds like the classic symptoms of goat polio, especially with the head tipped to the side and looking at the sky. I think goat polio is treated with thiamin. I saw it in one of my kids four years ago and treated it with thiamin I got from my vet.


That's the closest thing that I found online. That's why I went with the Vit B. They did seem to improve that day. I gave it to them again today. I will probably continue to give it to them until they are 100%. Even if that is not the problem, from what I read, it won't hurt them.

But like Ashley said, can a goat be BORN with polio??? Seems really strange to me.


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## Cotton Eyed Does (Oct 26, 2007)

I had a doe deliver twins a few years ago. The doeling was fine, the buckling's neck was stiff and turned back a ways over toward his back. He could not straighten it out. It seemed to be painful if I tried to. I gave him Bo-Se a couple of times and over the course of about 2 weeks it straightened out on it's own. The only thing I could guess is he was caught up inside with his head twisted maybe? 

In your case it does sound like some kind of deficiency doesn't it.


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

UPDATE:
Both kids are doing well. When sleeping or on their feet, they seem completely normal (besides a little wide-eyed look - but that might just be the line they come from, which does have more of a bug-eyed facial structure). The odd thing is, when you pick them up, they kind of stiffen their neck and act like they are off balance. Weird. They can bounce and run and hop just fine though.

Here are some pictures of them:


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Sorry those pictures came out so big!


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Can't help with your problem, but wanted to say that those kids are adorable!


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Thanks Cindy!


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Yes, they are precious!


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