Just in case the thread where I talked about this is missed I'll write about her here. Her breeder tells me she had goat polio which is a vitamin deficiency. It is not congenital nor contagious. It has left her nearly blind and wobbly legged. She is one year old, has never been bred. She's a purebred Boer goat. her sire is 10265426 HPF Hills Place Clancy. She can be bred if her adopter wants to. She comes with registration papers from the American Boer Goat Association. If she isn't placed she will be sent to the meat market. Her home is currently in Palmyra, NY which is about 45 mins from me in Canandaigua, NY
Dmail me if you are interested. She required more help than I can give a single animal right now.
MollyD
Does anyone want to adopt a blind doe goat?
omg we want to adopt her!! why does she have to be all the way in NY. I can't stand to think of her going off to be killed!!
Wish you were a lot closer Meg. She's a very nice doe. If her eyes hadn't gone blind she would have been show quality :-( So sad to think of her ending up on someone's table.
MollyD
I'd like to learn more about what she needs - Would you please d-mail me?
For goat polio, you must give Thiamine to stop the B1 deficiency she has. Thiamine must be gotten from a veterinarian, some do not keep it on hand. One other way to treat polio is by giving very large doses of Vitamin B complex which is given at 1 cc per 3 pounds, or Fortified Vitamin B Complex which is given at 1 cc per 20 pounds, she needs to stay on the Vit b until all symptoms have left. Vit B can be given orally. It is very unlikely you will overdose on Vit b as what their body does not use they pass out in their urine.
Please check out www.goatwisdom.com for any goat issues, be sure to get on the message board to meet some awesome goat people.
Cheryl
CPR Boer Goats
so its blindness can be fixed i thought it was permanet??
Vet felt the damage was permanent. Cheryl have you ever treated one and had it recover it's eyesight?
MollyD
Vet felt the damage was permanent. Cheryl have you ever treated one and had it recover it's eyesight? I just went over to that forum and placed a notice about the doe in the diseases area. Couldn't see a thread that was more pertinent.
MollyD
Hi,
Yes over time they can regain some of their eyesight. It takes time and dedication though. Not all will regain full sight, but some is better than none. I have found most vets do not know goats, and some just aren't willing to learn! I will check out your post on Goatwisdom and dig into my Goat Polio notes.
Thanks
Cheryl
CPR Boer Goats
Goatwisdom Co-Administrator
Hi Cheryl,
This vet is pretty good. Her practice is a large animal one but she has made a point of learning about goats. Of course she doesn't know as much as people who actually own goats but she has tried. When I was first choosing my goats I was able to talk to her on the phone for half an hour while she briefed me on goats (as much as she knew) shots, worming, food, quarters, that kind of stuff and all at no charge. Not many would take that step with a new client who hasn't even spent a dollar with them!!
I'll pass onto Jim what you've said :-) about regaining some vision.
Thanks!
MollyD
Hi Molly,
Give your vet a hug, as most would not do what she has for you. I have one vet I deal with up here in Washington, he is great about getting me the meds I need for my goats. I call him up, he asks why do you think you need this Cheryl, I give him sypmtoms and so on and then he normally says the meds will be waiting for you at the desk. He refers to the vet manuals quite often for goat issues. Wish more vets would get to know goats.
I would also suggest to Jim to give her a dose of Vit A&D now and then another dose in 15 days, can be given orally as these shots are pretty painful. She will not like the taste, but will get over that quickly. 1/2-1cc is all that is needed, this can help with blindness.
How long has she been this way? Is she still wobbly?
Cheryl
CPR Boer Goats
cprboergoats@msn.com
Hi Cheryl,
She got the polio this spring. I heard from Jim this morning that he's put her on Thiamine now every 4 hrs and he feels she's improving. He's reconsidering sending her to the market and may even end up keeping her! I was happy to hear that she has a reprieve for now.
Yes I thought that vet was pretty special to spend all that time with me. I also liked what she told me about the practice. They always have a partner on call and that person carries a cell phone for us to reach them. She did explain that if the on call person was tied up at the other end of the county there was little chance of their reaching us but at least they would call back asap. After the horrible experience with our horse's vet when he was dying and not only that vet didn't answer or ever call back but also another vet did the same thing having someone call back sounds wonderful. Since she's the vet for Jim's heard she has some familiarity with my goats too as far as the herd's medical history is concerned. She gave Jim an A++ for the condition and care of his animals.
I'll pass the info on the A& D to Jim.
Thanks!
MollyD
I presently know nothing about goats but want to eventually have one for milking. Can goats be kept in the suburbs leagally? (We have agood sized yard) If so, can she still be milked or did the sickness damage that, too?
post_oil_living thanks for your interest but this doe isn't a milk goat. She's a meat goat. They don't produce more milk than their babies can drink. In order for her to produce any milk she'd have to be bred which means you'd not only have her but her kids too. In addition goats can't be kept alone so you'd have to keep at least two goats plus her babies. A yard probably isn't a big enough place. It takes about an acre to feed 2 goats year round.
I don't know how keeping two dairy goats would work for you in your location. How big is a good size yard? Half acre or more?
I think you are very kind to even consider giving her a home and for that I thank you. She has improved a bit this past week and Jim is reconsidering his original intention of sending her to market so she may not be killed after all.
If you just wanted goats (not dairy ones) you might consider two Pygmy goats. They take less room and less food than full size goats. I don't know what your local rules may be but you should check for zoning where you live. Some don't allow any livestock at all.
Thank you,
MollyD
Oh, I'm so glad to hear she is improving! I'm keeping her (and Jim) in my thoughts. I wish, I wish I had a shelter and a fence for her. I've got the acreage... someday I'll have the rest.
Best wishes from PA
You can milk the pygmies as well! Good for your morn coffee!
I hope someday you do have the space for a goat windbalm. They are the best! I had a chuckle watching the twins this morning. I tried to make a creep for them out of an old dog crate. Well it didn't keep the does out but the boys had a blast climbing on it and jumping off over and over again! I finally had to tie it to a post cause I was afraid they were going to make it roll over with them on it.
MollyD
I had a goat when I was a kid ,no pun intended.
Her name was Nita ,she followed me everywhere and chased the car when we would leave.She chased the dogs if they came near me .She had horns.
A city slicker spur of the moment buy.mama saw sign 'goats for sale' put her in backseat back window and took her home.
The neighbors snunk through the fernce stole her and bar-b-qued her and I cried for a month.
how terrible! we have guard dogs running with our goats for protection. i have heard many times of people's herds gone missing!
without_oil, i was also going to recommend a pygmy goat. they would likely be classified as a pet, just don't tell them you plan to use the milk!
tf
But do remember that one goat will not get you milk! The doe has to be bred in order to have kids which is what stimulates the milk. In the meantime your doe needs another goat for company. Would you be keeping the kids each year when you bred her or selling them? All that has to be thought about before committing to a goat for milk. They are awfully sweet though.
MollyD
I hear cherry trees and nightshade are poisonous to goats . Thats why i don't have goats, because there are many of both cherry and nightshade here .
Cherry trees are only bad once they're on the ground. Like when a limb falls. Something makes the stuff in the cherry tree become toxic to them at that point. I don't know about deadly nightshade but it's poisonous to people. Most goats won't eat anything that is bad for them. Not more than a little nibble.
I'm in a black walnut forest here and they're bad for goats too but so far mine haven't bothered with them.
MollyD
Molly, thats what my father in law said about horses too. I think he was right. Our horse or donkey never ate poison plants here. And we have our share of them .
i let deadly nightshade go to seed, because the pests love them more than my garden, and it kills them. well fed animals won't bother with poisonous plants, they ahve more sense than us!
That's what I'm seeing here.
btw does anyone know if goats will or can eat burdocks? Mine aren't paying any attention to them but I noticed that first they ate what they considered the treats (raspberries and virginia creepers) next they went for the tall grasses. I'm wondering if the burdocks will have their day.
MollyD
as browsers and ruminants, my understanding is that they have the senses to pick out and nibble on just what is at it's most nourishing prime. and since i am right near them whil ethey browse, i can verify they stick to eatin gone or two things for a while, then move on to other types f plants are they mature, so the burdocks WILL have their day!
YEAH!!! I hate burdocks!!
MollyD
I wish i was closer, I take in sick, negelet goats.Rascal was a reject from his mama. Have one doe with a crooked neck,got kicked by a donkey, was left to die.I live in SC.My heart goes out to this precious goat.
It's very unusual for donkeys to kick goats, Lots of people around here keep them to protect their goats and other animals.
Poor little goat, they are so cute and most of the time sweet.
Rascal05 seems like everyone who would want her and can give her a proper home is too far away. Now she isn't being neglected in any sense of the word! She has a very nice pen and time out of it everyday for exercise but that isn't the same as life with the herd. Jim is afraid the herd would hurt her if he put her out with the does and kids. He's got about 80 in that area alone. So far she's been living in the barn which is space he keeps for does about to kid and those who just have. In other words she is using precious space but he isn't begrudging her that. Cheryl (Goatwisdom) feels the doe may regain some sight in time. I had the impression when I saw her that a) she could detect movement and b) she was straining to see out of one eye.
MollyD
so what happpened with the little blind doe?
He's decided to just keep her tf. Which is probably for the best since he has the set up to take care of her.
MollyD
good, maybe he can treat her eyes and help her too...
I'm on a goat email list and this was posted:
"Ruben is a blind 10-11 mo old, bottle raised wether. Boer or boer
cross I was told (I haven't seen him yet). He is beyond sweet and
loving! Will just press up against you for petting. Gets around
very well once he's been introduced to a new enviro. Has almost
supersonic hearing. Still prefers to drink from a bottle but now it
is just water instead of milk replacer - he DOES drink from a bucket,
the bottle thing is just to 'pamper' him.
I was first made aware of Ruben about 3 mos ago when I recieved a
phone call from a 10yr old girl who'd bottle raised him as her pet.
IMO, her parents had NO forethought of what to do w/ an adult goat
and while I admire their willingness to step up and help this poor
little blind goat avoid his immediate death at the farm where he was
born....once he got 'too big' they also were ready to ship him off to
slaughter. The parents said they'd wanted to teach their daughter
a 'good life lesson'....What was the lesson? They couldn't seem to
tell me.
So I made some calls and found a woman willing to take him in. We
discussed at length the special requirments of a blind animal - super
sturdy fencing to keep predators out, NO electric fencing for him to
keep running into and that he would need a buddy animal to keep him
company and help guide him around, among other special things like
making noise when you came toward him and not moving his buckets
around.
This woman has had him for aprox 2 mos and has done NONE of the
things we'd discussed. They are using their horsetrailer as a little
barn for him and he only has access to a small (10X10) patch of
grass. She says she feels so sorry for him being cooped up that she
lets him run loose to graze when she's home but that she just can't
keep up the requirments of watching him "ALL the time". They have
also been letting their dog 'play' w/ him b/c they feel he is too
lonely.
This is NOT a good situation for ANY goat, much less a special needs
one! They had great intentions but didn't follow through.
I'll be picking this guy up this weekend (6-14) but I can't keep
him. I also only have a small patch for him to graze seperate from
my goats (25X20ft) and safely enclosed.
I'll get him wormed and his CDT.
Please no one else wanting to help him short term!! Ruben needs to
get into a stable home asap.
I'm in north-eastern NC but will consider farms from a distance away
if we can work out transportation.
Holly A
252-331-5254
ayscuezoo@yahoo.com
Permission to crosspost widely - Ruben needs to network ;) "
If anyone is interested in helping this little guy Holly has listed her email and phone # near the bottom of her message. Trying to get the word out on this little wether.
MollyD
great idea! why don't you also post this in the farm life and/or homesteading forums... with the title listing him in NE NC...
Thanks tf I just did that
MollyD
The little wether has found a home in Virginia. He's being shipped to his new owners. I will post any further information I get on this here.
MollyD
great news!
Yes it is!! One down and how many thousand to go?
MollyD
make a difference, ONE at a time...