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Note: To those of you who read my farm animal stories with your young children by your side, please read this post alone before deciding for yourself how or if to share it with children.
Last Saturday was a lovely spring day, made even lovelier by your many kind birthday wishes. The house was clean, the porch swept, the animals munching peacefully in the goat yard, the roosters crowing, new chicks peeping in their brooder, and company on the way. All seemed right in Stringtown Rising Farm world.
At 2 pm, we found Honey down. We’d let him out of the goat house that morning. He’d eaten, browsed around the yard with Clover and Nutmeg. We’d looked at him directly as recently as 1 pm. At 2, he was down, couldn’t get up, and looked as if he might die. And we had no idea why.
Throughout the afternoon, we worked on various theories. Had he sustained some sort of internal injury? (There was no outward sign of injury, broken bones, etc.) We wondered if one of the big sheep had butted him too hard. Honey had a frisky little way of teasing them. Could he have had a stone, suddenly, lodge that quick and put him down? I administered vinegar, just in case, but there was no real sign that a stone was the cause of his distress. (A stone would usually be prefaced by a period of straining and crying, not cause a goat to immediately go down in such a severe state.) Could he have some other type of infection? What sort of infection would cause him to go down so fast with no clue in advance? His behavior throughout the morning had been normal. There are a couple of fairly uncommon conditions called goat polio and listeriosis that can cause goats to become very sick, but in both cases, there are usually advance symptoms and moldy hay/feed/silage is usually the cause (none of which is relevant here).
Our company arrived at the brink of this crisis, and did what they could to help–researching Honey’s symptoms on the internet while we were on the phone for hours. The first two hours were spent desperately pursuing mission impossible. Large animal (farm) vets are few and far between as it is (even in farm country), and on a Saturday afternoon before Easter? If we’d had a cat or a dog or a bird, there were emergency vets available. Not for a goat. In two hours, the closest vet we could find to call us back was in Maryland.
Honey appeared worse every minute. The vet we spoke with in Maryland told us to find some Banamine. Banamine is an anti-inflammatory that is sometimes administered for shock. She told us to call somebody with horses, that anyone with horses would have Banamine. By this time, we had called every vet in the phone book and were facing the panic-inspiring revelation that this was the end-all be-all of professional assistance we were going to get. An alternate title for this post could be “A Cautionary Tale” — a goat is not a cat, and after-hours/emergency care is not always available for farm animals. As one farmer said to me, “This is the ugly side of experience.” Now I know why so many farmers are amateur veterinarians–they have learned what we learned last weekend. And I also know why so many farmers are so generous in offering help in this type of crisis–they have been in our shoes and know how frightening it can be.
We spent the next couple of hours on the phone again–this time calling farmers. We started out calling horse farmers. None of them had Banamine. We called goat farmers. We called sheep farmers. We called farmers we knew and we called farmers we didn’t know. We’d call one person and they’d give us the phone number of someone else. We called friends of strangers. We had one phone line going all the time calling people and another phone line for people to call back where we had left messages. Everyone had stories about their own animals and advice. We went back and forth checking on Honey, looking at this, trying that. A farmer we’d never met before drove out to our farm and brought penicillin, administered the shot, and left us needles so we could give him more. (The penicillin was in case there was some kind of infection at work.)
But in the end, there was nothing we could do. By Easter morning, Honey was gone. This week, after several days of making Clover and Nutmeg GET UP!!! and prove to me they were okay every time they dared to so much as sit down for a minute (I’ve interrupted their naps so many times, they are barely speaking to me), I was able to get Clover in to see a vet for a thorough examination, to be sure there was nothing going on with the goats that I wasn’t seeing, and to discuss Honey. Clover is fine. The vet’s opinion, all things considered, as quickly as Honey was down and out, is that he most likely suffered an internal injury and, also likely, that we could have done nothing at that point to save him.
A popular book for novice goat farmers is Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats. (They also have one for meat goats, as well as guides for other animals.) The chapter on goat health includes this sentence near the beginning: “If an animal gets sick, all you need is the phone number of a veterinarian.” If writing this post makes one new goat owner throw that book against the wall and go out and stock up on emergency supplies, it will (almost) be worth having to write it. Last weekend, we had the phone numbers of dozens of veterinarians. What we needed were the phone numbers of other farmers and our own emergency medical supplies. Even if we couldn’t have saved Honey, we could have been better prepared to try. (Regarding the sheep, we are fencing this weekend to move them to a separate pasture, something we had already been planning. If it was indeed an internal injury caused by a scuffle between Honey and one of the sheep, it was a bizarre, isolated incident. Clover and Nutmeg don’t tangle with the sheep. Honey was a bit more frisky with them, and he did tend to dance around in front of them, taunting them.)
This is, by the way, unrelated to the decision to get Pepsi. As anyone knows who has lost a beloved animal, you can’t replace them. We’d decided to pursue fainting goats just a few days before we lost Honey. Pepsi does give us something to look forward to, though. Life on the farm goes on. I also want to say I’m sorry to bring you such a sad post, but I didn’t think it would be fair to not let you all know what happened to Honey. This is a real farm and these are real animals, and sometimes there is real heartbreak.
Honey was a little goat with seemingly no purpose in life. He didn’t have a “job” on the farm. He didn’t make wool or provide milk or lay eggs. He was wethered (neutered) so he wouldn’t breed, either. He was, in fact, free, a product of buckling overflow who came as an add-on with Clover and Nutmeg. He was, pure and simple, a pet, and he was a delight. He was sweet, somewhat submissive to the domineering does of his world, but he was a playful little thing. He loved to dance on two feet, and oh my, he was a tease.
He is dancing on two feet with angel wings now…..
….way up there, somewhere, in a sky full of cookies.
He was loved.
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on April 18, 2009
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I’ve enjoyed reading your stories about Honey and your other animals and I love the photos. I’ve also enjoyed the recipes.
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Enjoy those heavenly meadows little Honey.
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hugs from PA
connie
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Thank you for sharing your grief with us.We love you.
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Cece
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~Jenny~
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So sorry about Honey
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I am so very sorry. I know what you’re going through. We lost Little Monty in the same way. He was fine one minute and down the next. A very experienced goat momma said that it was most likey a urinary blockage. I make sure my wethers drink lots of water, I put Kool-aid, apple vinegar or sugar in it to make it yummy. They drink so much they pee ALL the time.
Poor dear little Honey, may there be no fences in heaven.
Lisa
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N. found a snake that WE, the parents ran over in the driveway. N. about was hysterical and made me pick it up and take it to the yard, in the shade, and put a clay pot over him–so the cats won’t eat it. N. is 8, but he just doesn’t handle death well.
N. was watching an ant on the sidewalk and of course a few minutes later-he is gone. Well, he cried about the damn ant for 3 hours, even through dinner at the restuarant! He still remembers it years after. Death is a trauma to the mind, especially something that you loved and nurtured.
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Suzanne
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This won’t make you feel any better but alot of people are experiencing this in their herds this year. last year too. Mostly younger yearlings.
enterotoxaemia is what comes to mind with your girl. hits them fast and kills quickly. For the future…. get some CD Antitoxin (not the toxoid) and keep this on hand. It is ONLY for the onset of Toxic poisonings brought on by stress. acidosis, bloat, clostridiums. when they go down the rumen stops working, they start getting toxic. So even if the goat was down with something else, this will help get rid of any toxicity build up. It buys you time…. and if you buy nothing else get this.
Get the banamine you now know –so important. You can buy the paste or the injection. Metacam is also something i have used on goats. This is what small animal vets would have on hand, rather than them having banamine. BUT the CD antitoxin is a life saver literally. And even if you don’t think its entero related i still give at ANY SIGN OF DISTRESS in the goat.
Again, I’m so sorry to hear this. It sadly is an “experience” that we all go thru. And too true. We all must become the keepers of our herd. I have the best vet in the world that “knows goats” but she doesn’t know them like a breeder does. Those ins and outs and tricks that we all pass on to each other truly is a life line.
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- Suzanne – the other suzanne
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Hannah just slumped in my arms and I though she had a stroke or something. We got her to our vet (then we had a farm animal vet in that practice), and they gave her Nuflour, a potent antibiotic, and thiame to help with the rumen. They knew she had something neurological going on and suspected Listeriosis and suggested we take her to Virginia Tech Veterinary School Hosp. I did, and they weren’t all they were cracked up to be. Unfortunately, they deal more with horses, cattle, and alpacas, and rarely see a goat. In the end, I had a huge bill and after Hannah’s necropsy, it was still “suspected Listeriosis” but not confirmed. So, in essence we really didn’t know what had happened. Two weeks later, a wether kid suddenly had a seizure and died right away.
By this time I told one of the breeders I purchased a goat from, that I was just going to quit and not have goats at all. She gave me a pep talk and reminded me the reality in farming is that you
will lose some animals, in spite of your best efforts. I was also told that most vets know very little about goats and to search the internet and learn from other goat owners what works.
A week after the second kid (Elwood) died, Herbie, Hannah’s brother went down. I thought here we go again, just like Hannah. I remember someone had told me to try tetanus antitoxin, so figuring that he was going to die anyway, I gave him an injection. We watched him for several hours, and by that afternoon he was up on his feet eating and running around like normal!
We had changed out all the hay and feed after each of the goats died in case it was contaminated with listeria, but even then Herbie gets sick! I still don’t know what was wrong with him, but the injection seemed to work.
I talked with my vet and he was more than willing to write prescriptions for me. I have Epinephrine, Nuflour, and BoSe on hand. Non prescription items are CD antitoxin. Tetanus antitoxin, penicillen, B-complex, Calcium paste, Vitamin AD&E paste, Bloat
treatments, and electolytes. I pretty much rely on myself or other goat people for advice. I got the prescription drugs from PBS Animal Health and some at TSC or the local feed store.
Some of the meds are expensive, especially the Nuflour, but the expiration date was 2 years from when I bought it, and I look at it as insurance. I’d rather have it on hand in case I need it and the vet’s office is closed, etc. Plus it is quite a drive to the vet
anyway, and being able to treat ASAP can make a big difference.
So Suzanne, I have been where you are, and know it isn’t easy to go through. Honey is in heaven frolicking and playing with other goats
and having a grand time! We will miss honey! Hugs to you.
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I had our huge breeding bull lay down “wrong” during the night last week and he couldn’t get his feet underneath himself to get up. He bloated and died in just a few hours. I found him at 6 in the morning – what a shock! You just never know…we all try our best to be good animal husbandrymen (sp?) and yet many things are out of our hands.
Now, let Clover get some sleep!! 8-) She needs her beauty rest.
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The greatest joy that we have in your blog is the absolute love that you have for your animals……no matter how naughty they are
We shall miss Honey as if he was our very own. Thanks for including us in your daily life of caring for all these beautiful creatures.
God bless.
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For what it’s worth, in memory of Honey, I will now make sure that before I even get my goats, I will have (and will always have) a fully stocked emergency goat kit. I will make it a top priority. Thank you for sharing this with us. *hugs*
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Here’s to you, Honey!
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Hugs
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A line from a hymn I like comes to mind…”Bind us together Lord with ties that cannot be broken.”
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Part of the beauty and pain of being on a farm is how close one is to nature. You see firsthand all plants and animals at every stage of life– from beginning to END…….. Your story reminds us of why we need to be self sufficient. Where is a goat vet when you need one. In this internet era, you’d think there would be somebody “on call” at least virtually!!!!
As always, thanks for sharing.
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My heart goes out to you.
I believe God gives us animals to care for the best we can and he understands and provides another just like Pepsi that will win your heart I know.
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I am so sorry that your family lost Honey. In a small way, I feel like I lost him, too. (Might explain my tears. Then again, hormones might, too.) I love reading your farm animal stories and I love, love, love the pictures. Thank you so much for sharing them with us.
Looking forward to meeting Pepsi.
Hugs,
Heather
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My first thought, too, was enterotoxemia (also known as overeating disease). I didn’t know there was a CD antitoxin but we also vaccinated for that with their first shots and then yearly. We lost two to tetanus, until we learned to vaccinate for tetanus when they were disbudded. I always felt so bad that my animals suffered while I was learning. But even very experienced farmers still lose animals. Be at peace, Suzanne. And know that Honey is, too. My heart breaks for you.
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I’m so sorry. Having raised, loved and lost my fair share of beloved animals in my life, I understand your pain. We loved them so much, and it hurts to feel to helpless when they get hurt or sick.
Honey was a delight to your family, and may your memories of him only be happy ones. And may Pepsi help heal the ache in your heart. No,… Pepsi can’t replace Honey, but he can help you heal.
God Bless you all!
Donna Mc
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I am so sorry to hear about Honey. I have lost more animals in the past year than I have over my entire lifetime so I can completely understand what you are going thru right at this moment. It just never gets easier (not that we would really want it to right?)
Honey had a kickin’ life. What a better place to spend it than on the Stringtown Rising farm. I know if I was a farm animal I would want to be living on YOUR farm.
Much love and peace to you, your kids, 52 and all of your wonderful animals.
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Happy belated birthday Suzanne. I am glad you at least had a good one.
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It does not get easier with tme, either.
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I am so sorry to hear about Honey. He will be missed. Thank you for sharing him with us.
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Will you have to get another wethered goat to keep your buck company?
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How are Clover and Nutmeg reacting to him not being around?
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join
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ND_Mini_Goats_Dairy/
experienced goat folks are far better resources than Vets for goats
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Did not get to your post til today.
So sorry to hear about your loss of Honey
It’s hard to loose an animal that was loved.
Peace to you.
Anne
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I know your pain, I have a friend in our area, who does deal with goats in her practice. Slowly but surely every vet in the area has figured that out and tell people to call her.
I didn’t read all of the comments. But one thing you will want on hand is activated charcaol. It’s not fun to give them, but it may save their life if they have poisoned themselves.
Good luck w/ your Honorary Vet degree.
p.s. Goats are giant wusses about needles. They act like you are killing them.
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So sorry that you had to go through this Suzanne.
Hugs!
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You did they very best and Honey knows it. You gave him a wonderful life full of love, devotion and yummy cookies. I bet this is what he would write in his comment!
These little guys provide you such fun and promise. They inspire you and us. Thanks for opening up and telling your readers about the less glamorous, and often frustrating, side of farm life. Keep inspiring us!
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My condolences to all of you. I will miss hearing about him.
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My heart truly breaks for you. I got my first goats last May-my first time with farm animals too. After losing my goat, Houdini, so quickly, I almost gave up the farm–it hurt so much. Glad I didn’t. Clover was lucky for time spent on your farm!
Beth in PA
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It’s so hard losing animals they give you so much but take part of you with them when they go bless them.
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The Retirement Chronicles
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