Nuggets of Wisdom
On the evening of July 14th, I noticed that my little goat Nugget was acting strangely. At first, I simply assumed her odd running in circles was because she was being harassed by some sort of stinging or biting insect, but when I was able to get my hands on her it was clear that something much more menacing was bothering her. I realized that the little goat was experiencing neurological problems from what in the goat and sheep communities is called circling disease aka listeriosis. I’m not going to lie. I was impressed that I could recall this 20+-year-old textbook knowledge because I have never had the previous misfortune of treating the disease. All I knew was that I needed to act fast if I was going to save her.
An unanswered call to my vet led me to do a google search. I needed to make sure I had the right antibiotics to cure her. I didn’t. Fortunately, the next phone call I made was quickly answered. This time my dear friend, a fellow goat owner, was on the other end and she did have the penicillin required to fight the infection. Karen quickly came over and with her help Nugget got her first injection. Together we carried the little goat to a shady spot under the large barnyard hickory tree. She would have to rest there until I got a stall ready for her. Karen and I parted ways. She with my eternal gratitude and I with a 100 ml bottle of Penicillin G.
That night with the help of my son, I was able to make Nugget comfortable in one of the horse stalls. I knew from reading an article written by a veteran goat farmer that I was in this for the long haul. Not only would I be giving her injections of penicillin every 6 hours until her symptoms were good and gone for over 24 hours, but I would also have to keep her hydrated, fed, and clean. Fortunately, I did not have to administer IV fluids and tube feeding because Nugget mustered the strength to sip water and milk replacement once her fever dropped. I simply cannot give Suzanne of Onion Creek Ranch enough credit for helping me to save my goat’s life. If it wasn’t for her years of experience and knowledge as well as her decision to write about it, I’m not sure if I would have done enough for Nugget.
One of the first nights with sick nugget. She was stuck in that curled position.
The next day my vet suggested that Nugget might just have a parasite load or thiamine deficiency. These issues cause similar symptoms, but I knew in my heart that those illnesses were unlikely because I am confident in my animal husbandry skills. Nonetheless, I treated for both, and still, there was no improvement. Nugget would need to be on antibiotics for a week or longer.
I medicated Nugget four times a day without fail. Each time cringing as I stuck the needle into her rump. Over the week and a half, I grappled with a mix of emotions. Everything from “I can do this” to “I’m prolonging her suffering” came out of my mouth. I had a lot of cheerleaders, but also just as many realists who were telling me that she may not live or if she did she would have permanent damage.
I knew she was feeling better when after a week she’d call out to me when she was hungry or tried to scooch away whenever it was time for her antibiotics. However, I could not stop treating her until her neurological symptoms of head tilting and incoordination were all cleared up. Fortunately, each day she showed more and more progress. Nugget went from sipping milk to eating leaves to then devouring the hay bales that were used to prop her up. Her rumen was working and she was chewing cud and defecating. These signs excited me. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t or couldn’t stand up. I had to come up with a solution to help her along.
Now that Nugget was responsive, stronger, and healthy I had to work on getting her mobile. Daily massages and stretching were added to her care. Her little muscles had atrophied from not being used. I even devised a sling to help get her up on her feet. She did not like that one bit and became a very combative physical therapy patient. I needed reinforcements and I knew exactly who to call.
Nugget has two herd mates, Ethel and Tiffany, and they would be the ones to get her up and moving. They were allowed to come into the stall with her during the day. The three of them would munch hay and stay cool in front of the fan. I noticed that Nugget would change her location throughout the day. She wasn’t standing but she was moving. Social time worked wonders for her. She wanted to be with the others. Finally, after eleven days of being down, Nugget stood up and took her first wobbly steps. I cried tears of relief and joy while feeling the same pride I felt when my human kids took their first steps.
After the night that Nugget got her strength back, each day brought new advancements. The next day she ventured out of the stall and went in search of Ethel and Tiffany. Unfortunately, she became too exhausted to get herself back so I had to assist her. That left both of us down for the count. I had to come up with a solution so Nugget could have room to exercise and socialize without putting herself or my back in danger. The problem was easily solved by setting up a temporary pen outside her stall with some portable fence panels. The extra room was all she needed to build up her strength. After a few more days she was ready to roam and on July 30 she was sent out to graze with her sisters. She happily browsed and frolicked and that night she followed the others into the goat shed to sleep. After a long two weeks, we both were sleeping peacefully.
I must admit something. This ordeal, although terrible, was quite beautiful because I didn’t go through it alone and I gained two valuable nuggets of wisdom. Now I’m not saying I had volunteers taking shifts with Nugget, but I did have unlimited love and support. My family was patient and understanding while I spent more time in the barn than in the house. My friends checked in daily and provided words of encouragement and celebrated each small gain. Some came to visit us so they could give Nugget positive energy and me some company. My friend Michele even brought me a nugget of garnet to help with Nugget’s recovery. I carried it in the pocket of my overalls every day. This is how I gained the valuable nugget of wisdom to appreciate anyone who cares about my problems as much as I do. I know I have a true friend when she is willing to sit in a stall on a humid day swatting flies just so the two of us can catch up while cheering on a sickly goat as it slurps down a bowl of milk.
Another nugget of wisdom I garnered is that trying my best even if I am unsure of the outcome is better than not trying at all. As I mentioned I vacillated between “I can do this” and “I should end her suffering”. So much of what I read about circling disease was negative that I felt at times that maybe it would be kinder if I just euthanized Nugget, but my heart kept telling me that I had to at least try. I had to listen to it as well as all my cheerleaders who reassured me that I was the person for the job. Every day and every night as I was feeding, medicating, and cleaning Nugget I felt so blessed that I had the time, desire, and most importantly the knowledge to cure her of this deadly disease. Sure it was hot and dirty. I was as sleep deprived as a first-time mother. But when Nugget would stretch her head towards me and tousle my hair and lick my cheek I couldn’t deny that I made the right decision.
Getting my hair done
I’ve been meaning to share this experience for months and finally, I made it happen. Nugget has been strong and thriving for over three months now and I can’t help but feel extremely connected to her. I look at her shaggy beard and round tummy and I think that my life is all the richer for having the chance to care for her. I’ve also gained some invaluable knowledge from both the experience and from a woman I never met. Now I have Penicillin G, syringes, and milk replacement at the ready in case any of the girls fall ill. I also have confidence in my skills because it just so happens to be that I had picked up a few nuggets of wisdom during my life and that made all the difference on a hot humid day four months ago.
