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Pygmy goat with kicked hole in udder - need to dry up asap #867295
Asked May 06, 2024, 5:09 PM EDT
I have an older Pygmy goat who kicked a dime sized hole right through the skin in her udder, emptying the milk from it. I had the vet out and he put in a stitch and gave her antibiotics, but isn’t very hopeful that it will heal as she is lactating. Actually, she has never stopped lactating in several years whether she has a kid on her or not. It’s thought that she has a hormone imbalance. What can I do to get her to dry up ASAP, as if she continues to lactate, there is really no hope for her to survive this. She will continue to produce liquid and the bag will grow and liquid will leak through the stitches and infection will happen.
Do you have any advice to get her dried up?
Deschutes County Oregon
Expert Response
You need to cut out nutrients (water, energy, protein) that are going to lactation.
Immediately cut down on the amount of water the goat is receiving. Let her have no more than one gallon of water each day. It is suppose to get hot this week so watch her carefully that she doesn't get dehydrated. If she barely takes a full gallon, cut that down to 3/4 of a gallon. Very small pygmy goats may not drink much to start with. The idea is to cut down. It is suppose to get hot this week so watch her carefully that she doesn't get dehydrated. Pinch her skin on an area with thin skin and make sure it can snap back easily. If it stays pinched, she is too dehydrates.
Cut out any energy supplements (corn, bagged feed, etc.), take her off any green pasture, and place her on a low-moderate quality grass hay only ration (Valley grass hay). If she is currently on a high grain diet (greater than 50%), change her ration to hay over a period of one to two weeks. For example, if she currently gets 50% grain, cut that to 25% grain this week. Then after one week on the 25%, cut out all grain. That way her rumen transitions over slowly.
