Tail Wagging Farm

On March 31, 2010, my  favorite goat, Powder, went into labor.  After several hours of light labor and heavy petting, her water broke.  She kept trying to push out a black legged baby whose feet wanted out but whose head did not.  It was stuck.  We pushed the baby back in a couple of times and tried to reposition her.  It was all very traumatic to Powder (and me).  We finally delivered a white baby alive, after 6 hours of struggling to be born.  The black and white doeling was not so fortunate;  she died being born.   The new baby could not walk;  her right front foot just dangled.  She also would not eat well.  We got Powder medicated and cleaned and settled for the night.

On April 1, I decided to take the new baby to A&M to be checked out.  The vet also wanted to see Powder.  When we went to get Powder, she refused to walk.  We had to make-shift a sling to carry her.  As we were driving there, Powder started to act distressed.  When we got to A&M, the vets were outside waiting for us and sprang into action.  They whisked us in and started working on Powder.  Then, some whipped around the corner and whisked baby to the connecting room.  Momma and Charles were really in attendence for Puff while I was mostly trying to comfort Powder.  It was really so sweet.  She was up on a gurney with a tech petting her.  The tech moved over so I could pet her.  I leaned over and put my head next to hers.  She leaned onto me and just pressed in.

  The vet determined that Puff has some nerve damage, probably from the kidding.  He said that if the nerves were severed, she would not be able to walk on it.  If they were bruised, she would heal in a couple of days and would start using her leg.  They tubed her to feed her.

   They decided that Powder needed to stay and be monitered.  They started treating her for hypocalcemia but honestly said that there was probably more than that wrong.  We went to see her before we left for the night;  she rubbed my hand with her head.  The doctor said she would call later with the blood results and to discuss treatment options.  I asked if we needed to consider putting her down to keep her from suffering.  The doctor said no. That poor doctor had to call us a couple of hours later to tell us that Powder did not make it.  My beautiful sweet pet, whom I loved so much, is gone.  I cried so much my heart hurt.  I came out of my bedroom from crying in time to see little Puff walking a little on her 3 good legs! 

April 2, 2010  Thank you to Daddy & Momma for helping so much.  Thank you to the Y. family for dropping everything and rushing over when I called to say that Powder needed you.  Thank you to Lenny & Barb for blessing me with Powder in the first place.  I can say that she was mine.  It may not mean anything to anyone else, but I loved her and she loved me.  No one else ever could have loved her like I did.

Necropsy results show that there was a tear in the uterine wall on top behind the cervix which allowed birthing fluid into the abdominal cavity. 

Powder Puff took a step today and moved her bad leg under to steady herself.  She is still having a hard time sucking the bottle, but she did get about 10 oz in by bottle this afternoon.  We should be able to stop syringing her milk into her now.  I bought 2 herbal supplements for trauma and nerve regeneration that I will give her for awhile.  I anointed her with oil and have prayed over her alot the past two days.  Charles told me I can grieve over losing Powder, but I have to remember that I have to take care of the "Powder" that I have left.  She is the first "Tail Wagging" baby that I have here, the one that is the foundation for "MY" herd.  I could not have asked for more, unless it was having Powder too.

  My Powder Puff will be a very special goat to me, I am sure.  I already love her.  Next week, I will surely be grateful that I have her, a small piece of her mother, since Powder is gone.  I will be glad that Puff is here because Powder was old and this would have been her last kidding;  I have this beautiful  girl of hers instead of nothing.

This week,  I know that Puff is a very expensive goat.  She cost me alot.