Yesterday morning I woke to the insistent sound of one of my babies bleating-bleating-bleating. I pride myself on knowing my goats’ voices apart. Clover’s voice is that of the bossy, demanding queen. Nutmeg is the needy, whiny princess. Honey–well, Honey is a quiet lad. Soft-spoken and demure. He doesn’t like to call attention to himself and is generally just happy if he can nab a leftover cookie.
But I couldn’t tell who was talking to me this time, and usually, if there is this much bleating going on, it means Nutmeg has gotten out of the fence. But I hadn’t even let them into the goat yard yet. I crept halfway down there with a flashlight. The bleating stopped as soon as they saw me. It was still dark. Nope, Nutmeg wasn’t out. It was so cold! I hustled my frozen feet back up the stairs. They could have breakfast later. Too cold and too dark for food delivery.
The bleating started up again. It grew light and I went back to feed the goats. Of course, the bleating stopped as soon as I arrived. And started up again as soon as I left.
Naughty little wicked goats!!!
I sat down on the porch to watch them as they emerged into the goat yard. Clover and Nutmeg piled back and forth on top of each other, playful. Honey hung back.
Honey hung back bleating. Bleating madly. Standing and straining oddly. Clearly so miserable.
The voice I couldn’t place–of course, it was my sweet little Honey who barely speaks at all. And something was wrong with him! I went down to the goat yard, looked all over him, felt all over him. Couldn’t figure out anything.
I called Pete, the goat guru from the goat farm where we got Clover and her babies. Can I just say that I love Pete? Because he came right over to look at my poor little straining, bleating, upset Honey and diagnosed that he was trying to pass a stone.
Ack! What do you with a goat with a stone?
Pete left and I called the vet, who advised giving Honey a teaspoon of white vinegar twice a day to help him pass the stone.
Okay, no problem, I’ll just get a teaspoon and we’ll do that!
RIGHT.
A syringe, a syringe, my kingdom for a syringe, but I couldn’t find one. I did find….barbeque marinade! And look, Honey’s name is on it!
And it comes with a syringe! And a sharp, pointy thing for injecting the marinade.
I have vinegar.
Of course, there is a problem with this hole at the bottom of the syringe.
It’s where the sharp, pointy thing goes.
I don’t think Honey would like the sharp, pointy thing.
I just gotta keep the vinegar in while I’m loading the syringe….
I have a finger. That’ll do.
Only, and I am not kidding, I then promptly poured a teaspoon of vinegar into the syringe and forgot to plug the hole with my finger so it poured right back out.
Sometimes, I really am too stupid to be a farmer.
The second time was the charm.
Marinade injector loaded, cookies stuffed in my pocket, I headed for the goat yard. And was instantly mauled by the cookie monsters.
How am I supposed to stick this syringe down Honey’s throat with Nutmeg on my back and Clover in my face?
How am I supposed to stick this syringe down Honey’s throat AT ALL?
One mustn’t get ahead of oneself…
I dragged cookies out of my pocket and did a quick back and forth dangling cookies here, dangling cookies there, move and managed to get Nutmeg and Clover in the pen. Whew.
Clover wasn’t real happy with being separated from me and my cookie pocket.
Oh, Honey………..
“Would you like a cookie?”
“How about some vinegar?”
Yeah. Not so much.
I’d have wonderful, fabulous pictures of giving a goat a teaspoon of vinegar from a marinade injector except I left my third arm back at the house. Basically, I did it with my one and only animal skill, honed from years of practice–I pretended I was pilling a cat. I moved like lightning–cuz I’m like all cool and together like that–and wrapped my arms around him, pressing him against me while pushing his jaws open and stuck the syringe down his throat.
Boy, did he love that vinegar.
Seriously, he licked dirt afterward to get the taste out of his mouth.
Meanwhile, back in the pen……..
Clover: “Cookie, cookie, cookie, COOKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My COOKIE. Where is my COOKIE????”
P.S. Honey is doing well, marinating quite nicely, thank you!
Honey: “I feel so…..juicy!”
CathyBendzunas says:
Oh, poor little honey. That has to hurt trying to pass a stone. Keep us updated about him!
On November 13, 2008 at 4:02 am
wkf says:
Glad he is doing well. Do you feed an all stock feed or a goat feed? Or a sweet feed? Because sweet feeds and all stocks can cause stones in goats. I played He@* trying to keep my goat from eating my horse feed, because of that. They love it! She didn’t like being separated from the horses either.
:flying:
On November 13, 2008 at 7:35 am
Heidi says:
OMG – poor little pudder. He is seriously cute Sue! We have to do that same thing to 1400lb cows – only with a bigger syringe. See why I think the Milk Man is a total hottie!! LOL Hope he feels better soon, btw do you need a cookie brigade? LOL
On November 13, 2008 at 8:17 am
Linda says:
Oh, that was absolutely hilarious! I could picture you every step of the way and picture poor Honey, too. I know he is eagerly awaiting his next “dose.” Hope it works for him.
On November 13, 2008 at 8:20 am
The Jillybean says:
Bless his heart. Hmmm, but I think I better feel sympathy for you. You have to give it again tomorrow…and he is going to know what is coming…and it is going to be a much harder job. Oh, so glad I could be encouraging today. LOL
On November 13, 2008 at 8:36 am
SkippyMom says:
Perfect first post to read today! I am glad Honey is feeling better, but gosh that was funny!
I love the Cookie Monsters!
On November 13, 2008 at 8:56 am
ulli says:
My first thought was a turkey baster or eye dropper… but, hey, whatever works. LOL… Cute story. Reminds me of when our puppy nabbed two sticks of butter off of the counter and right down the hatch they went. We had to give him hydrogen peroxide until he threw up–now that was fun…. NOT! He finally did and all ill effects of eating butter were averted. Glad Honey is better, and I hope his problem has “passed”…
On November 13, 2008 at 9:04 am
peggy says:
To keep Honey from getting more stones mix medicated goat feed in his feed. I do this with all my bucks as it keeps stones from forming. This doesn’t happen so easily in does. You can get medicated goat/sheep feed at tractor supply and it just takes a little in with his regular feed or you can just feed him this instead of other grain feed.
On November 13, 2008 at 10:03 am
MARY says:
:treehugger: Could that be one of the stones you put in their feed??? I knew that didn’t seen right! LOL! Glad he’s on the road to recovery! :flying:
On November 13, 2008 at 10:19 am
Bertie says:
LOVE this post, love your story telling, love your life!!
On November 13, 2008 at 10:26 am
Sarita says:
Ouch!! Sounds painful. Poor baby!
On November 13, 2008 at 10:34 am
Shelley says:
:sick: Didn’t know an animal could get a stone – let alone a sweet little goat? Is that common for them? I hope Honey feels better soon. I love your cookie monsters!!
On November 13, 2008 at 10:46 am
maddie says:
Oh, poor honey! I didn’t know animals could get stones. I figured goats ATE stones but didn’t know they could get them. LOL I hope he gets well very soon. I can just imagine the picture that wasn’t there with you injecting the vinegar. Ha!
On November 13, 2008 at 10:51 am
Angie says:
Ouch! No grain for him should prevent future problems. Hay/pasture only. Good luck!
On November 13, 2008 at 11:02 am
Lena says:
Your little Cookie Monsters are SO cute.
On November 13, 2008 at 11:06 am
Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks&Me says:
Reading about the goats almost make me want to put some in my back yard!
On November 13, 2008 at 11:07 am
Suzette says:
Poor baby! Poor YOU! How long does the remedy take? How will you know? So many things to think about when caring for animals. I would have never dreamed I’d be giving my cats Metamucil every day! 🙂
On November 13, 2008 at 11:10 am
Becky says:
That’s a new one on me. I didn’t know goats got stones.
Poor little fella.
Giving an animal any medicine is never fun, but it can be funny afterward!
Glad he’s marinating nicely, er, I mean, getting better.
On November 13, 2008 at 11:19 am
jayedee says:
poor little guy! glad he’s on the mend.
i had to laugh at your telling of his tale though..what a picture you paiinted in my mind! :clap:
On November 13, 2008 at 11:31 am
Jill S. says:
Aw, poor Honey. Poor you!
On November 13, 2008 at 11:34 am
Kathryn says:
Hello! Life is just so busy now. I have a day to myself, and actually have time to respond to today’s story! Quite a feat.
That poor baby boy. I hope he feels better soon. Congratulations to you for getting that vinegar down him.
One more thing. That cow in the picture is standing just like Paris Hilton. She might be too high-maintenance to serve as ornamentation. Just sayin’…. 😆
On November 13, 2008 at 11:41 am
Beth Brown says:
I put a teaspoon or two of vinegar in the drinking water – helps with stones as well as uc. I had a goat die of that earlier this year.
Your goats have the most beautiful faces!
Beth in PA
On November 13, 2008 at 11:45 am
Melissa's Cozy Teacup says:
Funny!(the ‘marinating quite well and I feel juicy parts.’ Poor Honey. Love the pics of the goat lips.
On November 13, 2008 at 12:12 pm
FringeGirl says:
Poor goat! I once had to give a dog pedialyte and I used a turkey baster. Basted that dog 5 times a day whether she needed it or not.
On November 13, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Wendy says:
I second Angie. No grain for wethers. All they need is hay. Grain is not really a natural feed for goats so only the milkers should get any. Hay and browsing is enough. Especially for the Nigerians. They could live off of air. I hope Honey is better. You will have to watch him for a while.
On November 13, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Wheezay says:
Those goats are so stinkin cute !! I really enjoy reading about their escapades. Thanks for the smiles. :thumbsup:
On November 13, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Shari C says:
Oh, I feel so bad for Honey; hope he is doing much better. Did Clover ever get her cookie or is she still hollering at you to get back to the pen with her treat? What an interesting time you are having…definitely never a dull moment around your place.
On November 13, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Nancy in Atlanta says:
OMG, I’m another one who never imagined animals could get stones! And if Honey felt even a little bit like I did when I had one a few years ago, no wonder the little kid was bleating! You’ve got something new to write about every day!!! Hope he gets better rapidly. :catmeow:
On November 13, 2008 at 12:57 pm
annie d. says:
Suzanne, instead of pouring the vinegar into the syringe, put the tip of the syringe into the vinegar and “suck up” the desired amount. It won’t run out and will stay in until you push the plunger. Was it a kidney stone little guy was trying to pass. They are painfu!
On November 13, 2008 at 1:01 pm
RosieJo says:
I want you to write a happy romance about a “back to the land” kind of girl who has many of your experiences and lots of goats, too! Now I’d buy that in hardback…and I rarely buy a brand new hardback.
Jo
On November 13, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Tori Lennox says:
Aw, poor little Honey!
On November 13, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Cece says:
Love your stories, they make me so happy; although I feel so bad for Honey. I hope he is feeling better. The things you learn, never would have known goats have trouble with stones. Hope the stone trouble is over soon and nobody has to suffer with them again.
Cece
On November 13, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Gizmo says:
Well, you could always try to massage it out! Oh wait, you might have to do that anyway.
It won’t hurt him to have a little more than a teaspoon. Pour your vinegar into a small dish, and just suck it directly into the syringe.
You need to get some ammonium chloride (https://hoeggergoatsupply.com/xcart/product.php?productid=3485&cat=0&page=1), or start putting vinegar in their water.
Good luck to Honey.
On November 13, 2008 at 1:34 pm
TeresaH says:
Poor little guy!
On November 13, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Susan says:
Poor Honey! I hope he got an extra cookie and that you got a nap.
On November 13, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Anna Adams says:
Poor Honey, and poor Suzanne. We are going through the same thing with our kitty. Only his were so bad we had to do other things and I’m finishing a month of antibiotics. Let me just say I’ve tried everything I can think of to persuade my demon kitty to take his antibiotics. He no longer loves me :cattail: (oddly, this is his disdain pose), but he’s pretty healthy. (We definitely had to change his kibble–again, he is not amused.)
Hope you both get over this soon! :clock:
Anna
On November 13, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Kacey says:
Ah, poor Honey. Hope he passes the stone soon. LOL on the trials of giving him the vinegar. Really, who knew raising goats could be this exciting! Hope he feels better soon.
On November 13, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Jodie says:
Goats with stones. Sounds like medievil torture!
On November 13, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Amy says:
You could also use infant medicine syringes from your pharmacist.
I’m so sorry Honey isn’t feeling well. :cold: Hope he feels better soon.
On November 13, 2008 at 5:26 pm
catslady says:
hmmm so maybe us humans should be eating more vinegar too lol. I want to know what happens the next day and next when Honey sees you coming!!
On November 13, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Estella says:
How long are you going to have to do the dosing before he passes the stone?
On November 13, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Shelly says:
Please read this. https://www.barnonemeatgoats.com/ucalculi.html One teaspoon of vinegar a day will not be enough to cure him once stone are already present. The onion, garlic and lemon stuff works great. Or give vinegar every few hours. Shelly
On November 13, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Angela says:
Suzanne,
Love your site! I check in every single day, that’s why I’m at a loss as to why I missed seeing Honey’s little horns growing in. I knew you had to have them burned – or whatever it’s called – twice, but hadn’t seen anything else posted about them. Did I just miss it? Are you letting them “grow” in?
On November 13, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Alicia says:
Oh my gosh, they are SO cute!! I wonder if that vinegar trick will work on me the next time I have to pass a kidney stone?
On November 14, 2008 at 3:04 am
Julie Andrea in Englehart, ON says:
Hey #43 Angela, I was wondering the same things .. where the heck did those horns pop up from!?!? They look mighty dangerous. Poor baby, just remember .. this too, shall pass. hee hee
Julie Andrea
sundayschild1966(at)yahoo(dot)com
On November 14, 2008 at 4:12 am
Granny Sue says:
I bet Clover would like some vinegar…
On November 14, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Tracy-Lynne says:
I am curious as to how you knew that your goat had a stone-we have 43 goats
On November 14, 2008 at 5:38 pm
trish says:
What a great laugh I had.
On February 3, 2009 at 10:52 pm
KelliSue says:
I don’t keep any males past adoptable age, but I’m told by my other goat farming friends that they frequently add pints of vinegar to their buck barn water.
Maybe that wouldn’t be a bad idea to prevent future stones?
On February 27, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Denise says:
I have had this problem quite a bit with my wethers, but not since giving them daily treats of fresh orange slices. The vit c (ascorbic acid) keeps the urine acidic and keeps the stones from forming. I also cut out grain for my wethers.
On May 26, 2010 at 5:40 pm