Projectile vomiting
#1
Petunia got really sick last night. As in really sick. We ran her to the vet this morning and she got activated charcoal and oil but I'm not sure she's really over it. When I let the goats out this morning I noticed Pac-Man was covered in dried green yuck. Then I noticed that one of our sheds was also covered inside and out with the same stuff. I thought it was liquid diarrhea and began examining backsides but no one was dirty. However, I noticed that Petunia had the same stuff all over her face and front end. She seemed "off" but not really sick. All the goats went out to graze but she stayed in the shed. She was picking at the hay in the feeder and seemed to be chewing her cud so I thought I'd just watch her for a while.

As I explored the pen I began to realize that it looked like a green bomb had gone off in there and that it looked like cud, not diarrhea. I brought Petunia over to the house and drenched her with water and baking soda. About five minutes later she exploded. She coughed and shook her head and green stuff went everywhere. I decided to check and make sure she didn't have an obstruction in her throat and she grunted as I felt up and down, but I didn't feel anything. I squeezed around just behind her jaw and she vomited again. She did it once more about ten minutes later and I decided to call the vet.

We took her in and the vet gave her charcoal in case she'd eaten something poisonous. It's now been several hours since she last threw up, she's not bloated, has good rumen sounds, and doesn't seem to be in any real distress but she's still not "right." When she stands she shifts slightly, places her feet "just so" and looks slightly uncomfortable, but she walks off just fine. Her tail is also cocked a little to the right. Her temperature is normal and her poop is normal.

The vet is a bit baffled and so are we. He treated her for toxins, but he wonders if she didn't eat something like a plastic bag and it's stuck down there. He said to keep a close eye on her and see that she doesn't get worse. I'm wondering if anyone here has had an experience like this or has any advice to offer. We're going to take her with us on our daily walk (the vet said this was a good idea), and we'll keep her on the back patio today and tonight so I can see exactly how much she eats, drinks, pees, and poops and wether she vomits again. I'm a bit worried about her.
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#2
Rhododendron can and does cause goats to barf bad. Any chance on your guys walk she got into some or maybe a plant of the same family? Id doubt its a bag or anything as her body is trying to get rid of a toxin it seems. Id keep her hydrated and a close eye.
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S.E. Washington (Benton City)
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#3
Yeah, the vet suggested it might be Rhododendron or some other ornamental-type plant, but I can't think of anywhere she could have gotten into something like that. We don't have any on our property, and the road where we walk has no houses or yards near the road, and I've certainly seen nothing like that growing wild around here.

Anyway, she seems to be doing well now. The walk really perked her up and she was quite excited to get out. I kept her on a leash so she couldn't eat anything. After the walk she spent a lot of time napping. She's got water, baking soda, minerals, and plain grass hay in the feeder. She's on the back patio tonight and I put Lilly with her for company (otherwise she was screaming her head off). I hope nothing like this happens again! It's kind of scary how much junk came out of that little goat last night!
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#4
(04-20-2014, 05:52 PM)Nanno Wrote: She's on the back patio tonight and I put Lilly with her for company (otherwise she was screaming her head off). I hope nothing like this happens again! It's kind of scary how much junk came out of that little goat last night!

Sorry for the scare, glad she is doing better. Thx for posting this for the rest of us to learn from.
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#5
This is what the shed looked like this morning, and you can't even see the stuff that was on the floor and on the ground outside. Holy smokes!
   
   

I just checked on Petunia and her head is buried in the hay feeder. She sure gave me a scare! This is one of those times I am very happy that goats are outside pets!
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#6
It looks like an Alien Vs Predator battle took place in the petrochemical dome habitat!
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#7
LOL ok now that made me laugh
Pack Goat Prospects For Sale. http://trinitypackgoats.webs.com

S.E. Washington (Benton City)
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#8
I hope Petunia is back to her normal antics. That must have been VERY scary! Did you ever figure out what it was she ate?
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#9
Yeah, she seems to be perfectly fine. We took her for a walk that afternoon after she saw the vet and she was straining at the leash, butting heads with the other goats, and trying to snatch grass at every opportunity as though nothing had happened. It would have been a lot more scary if she had acted more sick, but she never looked like she was in pain. She was chewing cud and eating hay from the feeder in between bouts of barfing. It was very weird. And I never did figure out what it was. I don't know of any toxic plants growing wild in this area and I haven't put down any kind of poison since last year, and that was placed well underground for the gophers. I just have to hope that whatever it was, no one gets into it again!
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#10
Great to hear!
Pack Goat Prospects For Sale. http://trinitypackgoats.webs.com

S.E. Washington (Benton City)
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