Update
This was written yesterday. There are too many details. I was thinking to myself, and I'm too tired to edit it down. Best not to read this if you're squeamish.
According to the vet the prognosis isn't good.
Here's what he said:
1. Just because she can walk doesn't mean there isn't muscle damage. Just means muscles are not completely severed. When you see deep teeth puncture marks, the dog likely latched on and started shaking (I saw that first hand on the rabbit, or whatever it was), and it makes sausage of the muscle below as well as introduces bacteria. Even if the damaged part of the muscle doesn't decay (likely), it will form scar tissue, which can't act like muscle. He thinks it would be very unusual if there isn't some serious damage. If so, she will likely always have trouble walking.
2. There is air under her skin around the bites on her back and down one leg. Likely from a bacteria that produces a gas. He put her on penicillin for that, and another shot of Nuflor. First vet only put her on Nuflor. I'm not a fan of it. It obviously didn't work against these gas producing bacteria. I should have started penicillin myself Friday. We lost one of our goats when Nuflor first came on the market, because they said one shot was all you needed. Obviously not so.
3. The skin on her rear end is dead and needs to be peeled off, because there is fluid building up underneath that needs to drain. I told him to hold off, because the barn is not a very clean place for that. Their clinic is full of dogs that bark constantly. The last goat we left there for therapy was a nervous wreck and wouldn't eat, so they sent him home. I'll give it a try tomorrow, little by little, but I don't think I'll get very far. He said start at the bottom. Yuck. And how to do it if she won't stand up?
4. He didn't seem too concerned about the hole with tissue exposed. Needs to drain. Best to leave it open.
I did two 1000 cc IV fluids SubQ today---one in the morning and one just before I left, hoping it might make her feel better, less weak, and kick start some drinking. I have 3 more bags. This is like a Hail Mary effort, but still not without mistakes.
I'll give her a couple more days to show some serious improvement. Maybe it will be a rare case where there is not much damage, but the way she's not getting better faster is not a good sign, because she is not giving up. Frankly I almost hope it doesn't help, but I have to give it a try. Does that sound strange?
I've already moved on to think about the future of the other 3 goats. Heading out there now.
This was written yesterday. There are too many details. I was thinking to myself, and I'm too tired to edit it down. Best not to read this if you're squeamish.
According to the vet the prognosis isn't good.
Here's what he said:
1. Just because she can walk doesn't mean there isn't muscle damage. Just means muscles are not completely severed. When you see deep teeth puncture marks, the dog likely latched on and started shaking (I saw that first hand on the rabbit, or whatever it was), and it makes sausage of the muscle below as well as introduces bacteria. Even if the damaged part of the muscle doesn't decay (likely), it will form scar tissue, which can't act like muscle. He thinks it would be very unusual if there isn't some serious damage. If so, she will likely always have trouble walking.
2. There is air under her skin around the bites on her back and down one leg. Likely from a bacteria that produces a gas. He put her on penicillin for that, and another shot of Nuflor. First vet only put her on Nuflor. I'm not a fan of it. It obviously didn't work against these gas producing bacteria. I should have started penicillin myself Friday. We lost one of our goats when Nuflor first came on the market, because they said one shot was all you needed. Obviously not so.
3. The skin on her rear end is dead and needs to be peeled off, because there is fluid building up underneath that needs to drain. I told him to hold off, because the barn is not a very clean place for that. Their clinic is full of dogs that bark constantly. The last goat we left there for therapy was a nervous wreck and wouldn't eat, so they sent him home. I'll give it a try tomorrow, little by little, but I don't think I'll get very far. He said start at the bottom. Yuck. And how to do it if she won't stand up?
4. He didn't seem too concerned about the hole with tissue exposed. Needs to drain. Best to leave it open.
I did two 1000 cc IV fluids SubQ today---one in the morning and one just before I left, hoping it might make her feel better, less weak, and kick start some drinking. I have 3 more bags. This is like a Hail Mary effort, but still not without mistakes.
I'll give her a couple more days to show some serious improvement. Maybe it will be a rare case where there is not much damage, but the way she's not getting better faster is not a good sign, because she is not giving up. Frankly I almost hope it doesn't help, but I have to give it a try. Does that sound strange?
I've already moved on to think about the future of the other 3 goats. Heading out there now.
