Goat Wheelchairs for Baby Goats
Donation protected
These twins were born January 25. They were healthy and happy. Their delivery was something that we were all so excited for! They were running and jumping with each other. They were nursing and happy. They looked perfect.
Everything seemed great until they were 8 hours old.
We arrived at the field that evening to find the buck laying flat on the ground. He had lost the use of his hind legs. He was trying so hard to get up and get to mom, but for the life of him he just couldn't do it. We picked him up and realized that not only could he not use his back legs, he couldn't feel them either. We took him home, got him warm and fed, but realized we would need more milk. Upon arriving at the field we noticed that mom was by herself. We went looking in the pasture for the doeling and found her in the corner laying down. We quickly realized that she was showing the same symptoms as her brother. When we left her 3 hours earlier she was running, playing and nursing off mom.
When we got her home the two of them just laid on the blankets in our kitchen. They both were identical in their symptoms; not able to use their hinds legs or feel them, having seizures, cold, and very lethargic.
The first 5 days were really touch and go because our amazing barefoot vet was off island at a vet convention. We did the best we could during this time. We had a few "goat people" on island offer their goats colostrum and milk for these babies. Without these people stepping in when they did these little guys wouldn't have had a chance. We are very grateful for their love and support. We were able to get antibiotics for them and treated for a bacterial infection. When our vet got back he examined and x-rayed them. He treated for another infection, White Muscle Disease and Floppy Kid Syndrome. With each treatment we hoped for the best and each time there was no improvement in the hind legs. Our vet is baffled, he has even spoken to some specialists and they have never seen something like this before. They don't meet the typical symptoms for any conditions that could be the culprit.
Slowly but surely they started getting healthier. They still have no use of their hind legs, but they are bouncy, happy rambunctious little kids. They are living in our house. We made them slings out of reusable grocery bags and have them suspended for a wooden saddle horse. This wont be able to work for much longer because they little fighters are going to keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
We take them on walks with their rear supported and every time they get so excited, they run, jump and play. They want so badly to be able to have that freedom that they were born with but was stripped from them for unknown reasons.
We do not feel that just because their can't walk like the other kids that that should be a death sentence. They can live long, happy and healthy lives on our property away from the other animals that would try to hurt them.
What we are needing help with is funding for a few wheelchairs (since they are small now and will need a few different sizes as they grow), feed (milk right now), fencing (to keep them away from predators) and vet bills (because they are going to need to be monitored). They have happy years ahead of them and it is going to be expensive, but we believe that every life is worth fighting for!
We have love, support, and time for them, but what we are lacking in is the funding to care for them
Everything seemed great until they were 8 hours old.
We arrived at the field that evening to find the buck laying flat on the ground. He had lost the use of his hind legs. He was trying so hard to get up and get to mom, but for the life of him he just couldn't do it. We picked him up and realized that not only could he not use his back legs, he couldn't feel them either. We took him home, got him warm and fed, but realized we would need more milk. Upon arriving at the field we noticed that mom was by herself. We went looking in the pasture for the doeling and found her in the corner laying down. We quickly realized that she was showing the same symptoms as her brother. When we left her 3 hours earlier she was running, playing and nursing off mom.
When we got her home the two of them just laid on the blankets in our kitchen. They both were identical in their symptoms; not able to use their hinds legs or feel them, having seizures, cold, and very lethargic.
The first 5 days were really touch and go because our amazing barefoot vet was off island at a vet convention. We did the best we could during this time. We had a few "goat people" on island offer their goats colostrum and milk for these babies. Without these people stepping in when they did these little guys wouldn't have had a chance. We are very grateful for their love and support. We were able to get antibiotics for them and treated for a bacterial infection. When our vet got back he examined and x-rayed them. He treated for another infection, White Muscle Disease and Floppy Kid Syndrome. With each treatment we hoped for the best and each time there was no improvement in the hind legs. Our vet is baffled, he has even spoken to some specialists and they have never seen something like this before. They don't meet the typical symptoms for any conditions that could be the culprit.
Slowly but surely they started getting healthier. They still have no use of their hind legs, but they are bouncy, happy rambunctious little kids. They are living in our house. We made them slings out of reusable grocery bags and have them suspended for a wooden saddle horse. This wont be able to work for much longer because they little fighters are going to keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
We take them on walks with their rear supported and every time they get so excited, they run, jump and play. They want so badly to be able to have that freedom that they were born with but was stripped from them for unknown reasons.
We do not feel that just because their can't walk like the other kids that that should be a death sentence. They can live long, happy and healthy lives on our property away from the other animals that would try to hurt them.
What we are needing help with is funding for a few wheelchairs (since they are small now and will need a few different sizes as they grow), feed (milk right now), fencing (to keep them away from predators) and vet bills (because they are going to need to be monitored). They have happy years ahead of them and it is going to be expensive, but we believe that every life is worth fighting for!
We have love, support, and time for them, but what we are lacking in is the funding to care for them
Organizer
Petersen Ohana
Organizer
Kilauea, HI