# swollen goat ~UPDATED~



## april (May 4, 2010)

Went out to milk this morning and found my best nubian in a strange way. Her left rear leg is very swollen and she isnt walking on it. Also, her face, neck and chest are swollen as well. She ate her grain but acts like she is in pain. Spider bite? snake bite? infection? Any ideas? I called the vet and Im waiting for a call back.


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## Guest (Sep 12, 2012)

*Re: swollen goat*

I would get some antihismines in her ASAP...While waiting for vet to call back.. Clip areas to find out if you have any bites or fang marks..


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

*Re: swollen goat*

Ditto what Barbara said.


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## april (May 4, 2010)

*Re: swollen goat*

Well, I talked to the vet. He told me to keep giving her Benadryl and Penicillin (I already was) and also had me give her a shot of dexamethasone which I did. She looks about the same today. The swelling came down a little but not much. She is eating her grain but no hay. She acts like she is in pain. I need to go get some Banamine.


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## april (May 4, 2010)

*Re: swollen goat*

Has anybody out there seen anything like this before? Extreme swelling in face, neck, and one limb with no visible cause? Anybody? The vet doesnt know either. :help2

I just went out and gave her another shot of Pecicillin and another dose of Benedryl. Still not much change. She wont walk on the swollen leg and seems to be in pain. The vet hasnt returned my call today. I wanted to see if he would sell me some banamine. (I wish I didnt have to go through a vet to get it!) I really dont want to take her in because after describing the symptoms in detail to my vet, he already told me that he doesnt know what is going on. I cant see paying him a $75 office visit to look at her and scratch his head. I can look at her and scratch my own head for free!


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

*Re: swollen goat*

The only thing I can think of is she got stung by several wasps/yellow jackets or osme other bugs you have there that don't leave a stinger. If the swelling were all in a similar area, it could be an infection in the foot that had really spread, but where it's the back leg and front of her body, I don't know.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

*Re: swollen goat*

Did you shave her to see if you could see any marks?


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

*Re: swollen goat*

I would keep up the Dex for the swelling. What dose did he have you give? I would give that for 3 days and then half doses for 3 days. Does she have a temp? Dex has been said to lower immunity, so watch for any secondary problems.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

*Re: swollen goat*

My money is on bites of some sort.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: swollen goat*

When GE was struck by the copperhead, the only way I saw the bites was with peroxide. I used 4 people benedryl every 4 hours, epi, banamine and dex. I wanted him in lala land because his head was so swollen, he was bit in the face. Swelling went down his neck and into his brisket, and pooled under his belly, although not his legs. It did take him a while to get over this, but he was better the next day.

You have to watch the swelling you can't let the swelling break the skin. Vicki


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

*Re: swollen goat*

What is the benedryl dosage you're using? The dosage is different when they're having a reaction. I think that's what Vicki was referring to above- 4 people benedryl. I want to say it's used at double or even triple the dose when there is a reaction, but don't quote me on that. I do know that the label dose won't touch it.


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## MayLOC (Oct 26, 2007)

*Re: swollen goat*

possibly a rattlesnake and possibly it bit her in two locations?or once on the side? Did you ever find any fang marks? Never dealt with copperhead bites,-and don't want to!- but rattlesnake bites are usually fairly prominant with two often blood holes so to speak. The swelling usually makes these holes look quite big and spreat apart. Even on hairy dogs, cows, horses, we can usually tell fairly easily. By day two w/o meds the swelling probably won't be down at all and the bite will probably be oozing. It makes animals miserable for a good week. HOpe that is what it is.


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## Bella Star (Oct 27, 2007)

*Re: swollen goat*

It's about this time of year when snakes look for a place to spend the cold winter months and a nice warm barn with loose feed and nice supply of fat mice is a ideal spot. I hope the swelling is down today :/


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## april (May 4, 2010)

*Re: swollen goat*

update: Sorry I didn't update sooner!
Well she is finally all better! She had to be on penicillin for a week, dexamethasone for 5 days (2doses 2.5 days apart) and benadryl for 6 days. The swelling slowly went down, then away. After it started to come down I could see that she had actually been swollen everywhere. Her under belly was saggy like a person who lost a ton of weight. Last week my best horse had a similar episode. Swollen back legs, swollen sheath, looked like an allergic reaction, no obvious cause. I put him on an equine antihistamine and banamine. It looks like we have some kind of epidemic on our farm! Two dogs came down with severely swollen muzzles as well. I dint know what is going on. I spoken with three very knowledgeable farm vets about it and they just say its some kind of allergic reaction. No one knows what it could be. I dont think its very likely that a snake got them all. We have lots of dogs that let us know if there is a snake around and I havent seen any (plus its getting too cold for snakes to be out anyway)
Thanks for the replys-let me know if you have any new ideas!


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## Trysta (Apr 5, 2011)

Is there a common feed all these animals get or a common area they all walk through?


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Our horse did the swelling thing once as a reaction to vaccinations. He didn't tolerate having them all at once and we found we had to spread them out over a longer period of time. One of our dogs had a bad reaction to something recently, as well. We're still not 100% certain what happened, but he was swollen around his mouth and all of his skin turned bright red. Later, a lot of it peeled like a sunburn. Weird.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

I had a doe with a vaccine reaction like that as well. She had a huge swelling on her side the next day, and then it spread all down her side. Gravity made the edema sink down to the belly area. It reminded me of giving subcutaneous fluids to animals, and where gravity makes it go down to the belly. Perhaps your doe got a sting up high on her body, or several, had a reaction, which caused the swelling, which then sank down to her belly.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Nothing to add. Glad she is better.


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## Heavens Jubilee Farm (Jan 5, 2012)

I would look for a yellow jacket nest. They are often found in the ground and old stumps etc. look for a fist size hole. They swarm when the feel vibrations close to their nest.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

I ditto the yellow jacket nest, I have had issues with those nasty things several years in a row until i got them all killed. They got me, the horses and the dogs. We all swelled up like a balloon. Fortunately they never nested near the goats.

We also have some sort of weed here that is growing all over. So far my son, a couple of the dogs and I have reacted to it with swelling and rash. Maybe there is some sort of plant they have all brushed up against?


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