The hardest week ever

We have had ND goats for several years which means with 10 does we have had many kiddings - all without any major issues.   Last Monday our 3 year old Hali delivered three beautiful doelings.  She did well for the first day, but by that night she was down and we suspected ketosis.  The next morning when she appeared more sickly we took her to the vet who determined that she had mastitis.  We were shocked since nothing had been noticeable the night before and she had a normal temp.  He explained that mastitis can progress very quickly so it was entirely possible that it screamed up overnight.  He sent us home with antibiotics, ToDay,  and Banamine.  Of course we pulled the kids and relocated them to the house so that we could care for them as mom could no longer nurse them.  By the next morning (2 days post-delivery) it was clear that she was in trouble.  We bypassed our regular vet and took her to the specialty hospital who determined that it was an extremely aggressive bacteria and, although offering very little hope for recovery, added one additional antibiotic to try to combat the bacteria.  We followed the protocol, tried to get her to eat, and milked what we could.  Last night we lost our precious Hali.  Thankfully we were with her when she died.  What made it doubly painful is that just that morning we took the smallest of her kids to the same hospital because, although she had been fine for the first 5 days, she was now suddenly having difficulty sucking and her heart rate and breathing raced whenever she ate.  Even trying a syringe exhausted her so we knew we likely had something major going on.  The vet opted to keep her for observation and tube feedings overnight.  This morning they called to say that Pepper did in fact have a very enlarged heart with fluid accumulating around her heart sac.  The only treatment was to drain the fluid which came with its own set of risks, but that would only help her immediate issue - it would not solve her heart defect and she would continue to worsen.  So after losing Hali last night we had to put down one of her babies today.  Hali was well loved and will be greatly missed by us and her herdmates.  Little Pepper barely got a chance at life, but she made her way into our hearts from the moment she was born.   The other two doelings who think jumping on my couch is acceptable are an incredible blessing....the loss of my two girls is incredible heartache. 

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  • Thank you, Judy.  It's been rough each time as you know much too well.  I am so grateful to not have lost any of my does though heartbroken about the little ones.

    I am happy for you (and Cali and Halo) the the little ones are back in the barn.  It is so precious that your wether is being a guardian for them.  It seems a great thing you are keeping them even though it was not the original plan.

    Judy Metcalf said:
    [snip]

    Glenna Rose - How tragic for you to have had so many losses.  I am so sorry.

  • Thank you, Elizabeth.   

    As an update - Hali's two girls, Cali and Halo, have been back in the barn for a week or better.  They are thriving and my kitchen floor is clean once again!  They absolutely know the sight of mom and dad....especially if we have a bottle in hand.   They are best buddies with my other new mama's quads and watching the 6 of them play together is pure joy.   The other does have taught them much about hay eating and who to avoid and they are always under the watchful eye of our wether who enjoys playing peek-a-boo with all the kids (which is hilarious to watch!).  He seems to understand that Cali and Halo are alone and, although he and I have had our issues over the years, I am grateful for his attention to the girls.   I wish Hali was here to see them...I know she would be proud.  Our initial plan was, as always, to sell them, but we have decided to keep them to carry the lineage of their mom (she was from a championship line) and will likely sell one of the other pregnant does instead.  

    Glenna Rose - How tragic for you to have had so many losses.  I am so sorry.

  • So sorry!

  • Thank you, Deborah.  I am certainly getting tired of burying kids!  Eight of 24 buried - that is way too high.  Worse, with more knowledge or being there at birth, every one preventable.  Three (two last year and one this year) lost because I was not there, and last year I was gone less than half an hour!  This time I checked before I left and no signs of impending labor so now I know she is like her Aunt Summer and gives no warning.
    I am so very lucky to have not lost my doe as Judy (and you) did, and I am very aware of that good fortune in all of the heartbreak.
    Hugs to you both!!!

    Deborah Niemann-Boehle said:

    I'm so sorry to hear about your loss yesterday! {{{hugs}}}

  • I'm so sorry to hear about your loss yesterday! {{{hugs}}}

    Glenna Rose said:

    Please accept my heartfelt condolences. I wish I could say I could only imagine how you feel, but I have had more than my share of kidding heartbreak.  In fact, just today, I came home to two babies, one alive with mom and the other dead at the edge of the pen.  I don't know if his bubble didn't break and they came too close together for mom to get them both cleaned off in time (but had cleaned him later), if she stepped on him, or if he got too cold (it was in the mid 40s).
    I am so glad for you that you have the two little girls who will never give you back your stolen heart.  I know that Hali and Pepper will be in your heart forever.
    {{{ Judy }}}



  • Glenna Rose said:

    Please accept my heartfelt condolences. I wish I could say I could only imagine how you feel, but I have had more than my share of kidding heartbreak.  In fact, just today, I came home to two babies, one alive with mom and the other dead at the edge of the pen.  I don't know if his bubble didn't break and they came too close together for mom to get them both cleaned off in time (but had cleaned him later), if she stepped on him, or if he got too cold (it was in the mid 40s).
    I am so glad for you that you have the two little girls who will never give you back your stolen heart.  I know that Hali and Pepper will be in your heart forever.
    {{{ Judy }}}

    I am so sorry for your loss....and your doe's.  Despite the sadness,  I hope that the surviving twin brings you both much joy. 

    I looked at some of the pictures on your page and the doe with the child looks amazingly like my Hali...especially the close-up pic.  They made me smile. 

  • Please accept my heartfelt condolences. I wish I could say I could only imagine how you feel, but I have had more than my share of kidding heartbreak.  In fact, just today, I came home to two babies, one alive with mom and the other dead at the edge of the pen.  I don't know if his bubble didn't break and they came too close together for mom to get them both cleaned off in time (but had cleaned him later), if she stepped on him, or if he got too cold (it was in the mid 40s).
    I am so glad for you that you have the two little girls who will never give you back your stolen heart.  I know that Hali and Pepper will be in your heart forever.
    {{{ Judy }}}

  • Oh, my goodness! I'm laughing, but it sounds like you have a lot of work ahead. Some kids just seem to find more trouble than others. We had one kid that jumped up on a CD player within a couple of days. He was bouncing up and down on it while it was playing a CD, and somehow that broke it. It always skipped after that. And I had a lamb that chewed up the charging cable to my laptop. It was kind of frustrating at the time, but those memories make me smile now.

  • The goal is to get them outside by week's end.  The low tonight is 24 and after being in the house, I fear it's just too cold.   They are adorable, but today I had to move a baby gate because they figured out the stairs. We are sitting in the dark on this rainy day because I had to unplug every lamp as the cords and plugs are so enticing.  I also had to remove them from a table top lest the knock over the lamps....unplugged as they are.  And as if that were not enough though I have no idea how, they have figured out how to unlatch the door to the fireplace insert.  Thankfully, there is no fire going!   Not to mention that I will have to rent a steam cleaner before company comes for Thanksgiving.  In all my sadness there is joy....I think that's what you call it when you have baby goats in the house!  :)

    Thank you Deborah for being so very kind. 

  • Their final resting spot sounds so beautiful and peaceful. I'm all choked up. 

    I know what you mean about those kids in the house. Oh, my! But it's good to get them out as soon as possible. They'll handle it much better now than they will later. Years ago my youngest daughter had a couple of house goats that she didn't evict until they were a month or more old, and that was truly heartbreaking. They had been sleeping with her and spending all their time with her, and they were terribly sad when they were put out in the barn. I don't think they had any idea they were goats. 

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