Postpartum paresis in a goat: symptoms and treatment, causes and prevention

Paresis is a complex pathology of pregnant women and women who have given birth. Its appearance is due to a violation of the rules of feeding animals. To avoid the development of pathology, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of the doctor. When postpartum paresis occurs in a goat, the symptoms and treatment should be analyzed by a veterinarian. If you do not immediately provide assistance to the animal, there is a high probability of its death.

Causes of paresis in goats

The reason for the appearance of paresis after childbirth is considered to be a decrease in the amount of calcium in the blood. This substance provides muscle contractions. With its lack, trembling in the legs, relaxation or convulsions occurs.The appearance of pathology causes an imbalance of hormones that lead to problems with the absorption of calcium.

During pregnancy, the female is not deficient in the mineral. She can get calcium from the feed. However, a large amount of the macronutrient is required to produce milk. Normally, hormones ensure the release of calcium from the bones. With the development of pathology, problems arise. As a result, calcium enters the milk, and it is not enough to meet the needs of the female.

Common factors that cause metabolic problems include the following:

• overweight female;
• lack of physical activity;
• rumen acidosis.

Signs of disease

With the development of pathology after lambing, the animal begins to move poorly. Then he gets trembling. The goat hardly rises and does not eat.As the pathology progresses, the animal does not get up, although it tries. At the final stage of the disease, the animal lies motionless. At the same time, the head is stretched forward, and the eyes are closed.

At the final stage, paralysis of the limbs and organs rapidly develops - first of all, the pharynx and intestines. If the correct assistance is not provided to the animal in a timely manner, it dies from paralysis of the heart and respiratory organs. This occurs 1-2 days after the onset of symptoms of the disease. That's why it's so important to call the vet right away.

Features of the treatment of the disease

You need to treat the disease with the help of a doctor. This must be done in the following ways:

• postpartum administration of caffeine or another substance that will help support heart function;
• using "Tetravit" or "Trivita";
• wrapping the animal.

Vet should infuse calcium chloride with glucose. At the stage of removing the needle, the pet's condition may improve. With proper therapy, the goat rises and after a quarter of an hour begins to eat.

The doctor must check the condition of the animal and wait for it to rise. If within 30 minutes it was not possible to achieve improvements, you need to blow air into the nipples. With this exposure, the impulse enters the brain, which helps to cope with the signs of paresis.

Further therapy is repeated administration of glucose intravenously. The animal also requires infusions of calcium chloride. After that, the specialist writes out the introduction of borgluconate intramuscularly. Calcium gluconate can also be used.

Instead of intravenous glucose injections, it is permissible to use 200-300 grams of sugar. Equally important is the therapeutic diet, which should include hay and branches.

The use of concentrates should be agreed with the veterinarian. You need to start giving such funds with small portions. Gradually they should be increased. Thanks to this, the rumen microflora will have time to adapt to the new diet.

Possible danger

If prenatal and birth paresis is not treated, the animal dies within 1-3 days from the moment the pathology develops. With timely assistance, the prognosis is favorable. After a few hours, the goat is up and eating.

Prevention

To avoid the appearance of puerperal paresis, you should adhere to the basic rules of prevention:

• make launch on time;
• properly feed a goat before lambing;
• ensure her proper nutrition after delivery.

2-2.5 months before birth, you should stop milking the animal. The launch is carried out smoothly - from the 3rd month of pregnancy. First you need to reduce the amount of succulent feed and concentrates. With a strong decrease in the amount of milk, the number of milkings is recommended to be reduced. In this case, the goat should be transferred to hay and branches. It is forbidden to give her treats during this period.

The goat's need for food before lambing is minimal. After the birth of the kids, it increases significantly. To avoid problems, it is important not to make frequent mistakes. It is believed that concentrates should be removed from goat nutrition. This is true during the launch period and a certain time after it.

In this case, hypoglycemia is considered one of the causes of milk fever. It appears when there is insufficient production of a monosaccharide. In addition, it is important to achieve a smooth restructuring of the microflora for lactation. Otherwise, there is a risk of developing ketosis, which can also provoke paresis.

Because a couple of weeks before lambing and for 1 week after it, you need to give the goat concentrates. It is recommended to use wheat bran, which contains a minimum amount of starch. The large amount of phosphorus in ground cereal husks optimizes its ratio with calcium.

Many beginner farmers mistakenly believe that goats need calcium during pregnancy. To prepare for lactation, a slight lack of a mineral is required. Thanks to this, it will be possible to start the process of its extraction from bone structures. During lactation with high milk yield, products containing calcium and phosphorus are required.

For a week after giving birth, the goat needs to provide a sparing diet. It should be dominated by hay and bran. The female spends a lot of fat on milk production, which leads to weight loss. Therefore, she needs to be given starch concentrates and calcium.

The appearance of postpartum paresis is considered a very dangerous pathology that can lead to the death of the animal. In order to prevent the occurrence of such problems, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian in a timely manner and strictly follow his recommendations.

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