Poor Baby!

[Little RedRidingHood]

Well ... I went out early this am to do the chores and my first stop is always the doeling pen. Late last night all was well and then came this morning.
My best doeling has a swollen face that is so huge it looks like a horse head. She got snake bit some time during the night.
I called the vet and he told me to shoot her! Anyway, I gave her some herbs and some homeopathic meds for snakebite. So far as it got dark tonight she is still alive. She comes to see me whenever I go check on her. I wait around and watch to see if she is drinking any water, and the last time she was. This morning she wanted to eat her grain but just couldn't so her sis ate her small share.
We have had to kill three rattlers in the past few days here on the ranch cause they were going after our dogs, and trying to go under our porch! My hubby can not hear them when they buzz those rattles so I am really worried about them coming in so close and so many of them.
So far this year the total is one huge guardian dog bit and now her. We've killed three Mojave Greens and it is still warm here. I know others are not going to be happy but I can't wait for the colder weather and these nasty things go to sleep for the winter!

[natty threads]

Oh poor goat!

I think baking soda- eating iot- will help.

Maybe cloveer and dandelion to clear toxins?

I bet she makes it.

Poor baby.

Bless up.
Love,
Natty

[momof23goats]

I hate t ohearthis, so sad. I sure hope she gets ok. wow, thats terrible for sure.
I hate snakes.

[Disastercat]

If she is still alive, she just may make it, the longer it goes the more likely she is to have fought off the toxins. I don't know much about goats, but you may have to force feed her if it goes on very long.

Hope she pulls through.

[Limner]

WOW, it sounds like people aren't the only things getting meaner. Sheesh.

Might want to keep some antibiodics n hand; I've heard that infection is also a problem with snake bites, as well as the poison.

Poor thing.....keep us posted. We have Timber rattlers here.

[Nicho1]

Oh, wow. That's awful. If you have a large syringe, maybe you could cut the tip off some to make a larger opening and then put some mash in it to give her. Also, you could use it to make sure she is getting water. I surely do hope she makes it. With your help, I'll bet she can!

[momof23goats]

I wouloold give her pedeolite, I use it for my goats when they are down , also planty of fresh clean water, and hay. I don't think I would give grain right now.
How is she doing today? I hope she is better .

[Little RedRidingHood]

This morning the swelling is down but not gone. It seems to be leaving her face and going into her neck and front chest area. When I fed and watered she was there standing next to her sister and tried to eat some grain and hay.
By late this evening she looks close to normal. I gave her alot of herbs and such yesterday. I cut all of that in half today since the swelling is down alot. I gave her a really strong pain control herbal tincture that I make for myself for my really bad back. She tried to make a face yesterday when I gave her the tincture but her lips were so stiff she couldn't. Today she can lift the lips alittle so she is getting better. Funny faces everytime she gets the dose!
Someone who has alot of snake experience told me that the type of rattlers we have here are the worse. Not only are the snakes more aggressive but their venom is ten times more potent than regular rattlers like western or eastern diamondbacks. Instead of attacking the nervous system the Mojave Green's venom attacks the blood. He was really helpfull and I am thankful for all the info he gave me as it helped me treat "Sandy", the little doeling.
Please keep up any good thoughts for her cause she isn't out of the woods quite yet.
I'll try to post how she is sometime tomorrow.

[Emily]

Is it possible to get anti-venom to keep on hand? If you have that many than even for you folks it may be a good idea to keep around.

[Little RedRidingHood]

That the anti-venom for this type of snake bite is hugely expensive and rare. It is called "CroFab Antivenom" and is for only this type of rattler bite, Hemotoxic. It is also only given out to a hospital that has someone on staff, or nearby, that can handle this type of bite. It takes someone with alot of snake experience to do this kind of emergency treatment.
I wish there was a way to use it and keep it but I am not a doctor and would not even want to try to do this on anyone I loved or myself.

Update: She is eating well and although not running and playing with her sister she is still alive. Thank you for any prayers and good thoughts you all gave for Sandy.
After bottle raising her, and her brother and sister, for all those months it is hard to think of losing one.
Even though I know it happens all the time, death of livestock, it is still hard.

[Emily]

That the anti-venom for this type of snake bite is hugely expensive and rare. It is called "CroFab Antivenom" and is for only this type of rattler bite, Hemotoxic. It is also only given out to a hospital that has someone on staff, or nearby, that can handle this type of bite. It takes someone with alot of snake experience to do this kind of emergency treatment.
I wish there was a way to use it and keep it but I am not a doctor and would not even want to try to do this on anyone I loved or myself.

Update: She is eating well and although not running and playing with her sister she is still alive. Thank you for any prayers and good thoughts you all gave for Sandy.
After bottle raising her, and her brother and sister, for all those months it is hard to think of losing one.
Even though I know it happens all the time, death of livestock, it is still hard.

Great to hear she is doing better. Prayers answered.

Well if anti-venom is not possible than I think I'd get a mongoose.

Many animals--and lots of people--are afraid of snakes (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Snakes) But not the mongoose (http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/mongoose).
Mongooses (not mongeese) may be small (only about 60 cm or 24 inches long), but they are custom-made custom-built for snake killing. They move lightning-fast, have five long claws on each foot, and a mouthful of sharp teeth. When a mongoose attacks a snake, it strikes at the snake's head (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/snake%27s+head) and cracks its skull with one powerful bite.

Scientists recently discovered a secret defense mongooses have against snakes: they're immune to the snakes' venom! Even if a mongoose suffers a snake bite, it will live. Scientists hope to use the mongoose's secret weapon to create anti-venom drugs that protect people against snake bites.

[natty threads]

I'm so glad to hear she is doing better.

Bless up.
Love,
Natty

[momof23goats]

Great to hear she is doing better. Prayers answered.

Well if anti-venom is not possible than I think I'd get a mongoose.

Many animals--and lots of people--are afraid of snakes (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Snakes) But not the mongoose (http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/mongoose).
Mongooses (not mongeese) may be small (only about 60 cm or 24 inches long), but they are custom-made custom-built for snake killing. They move lightning-fast, have five long claws on each foot, and a mouthful of sharp teeth. When a mongoose attacks a snake, it strikes at the snake's head (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/snake%27s+head) and cracks its skull with one powerful bite.

Scientists recently discovered a secret defense mongooses have against snakes: they're immune to the snakes' venom! Even if a mongoose suffers a snake bite, it will live. Scientists hope to use the mongoose's secret weapon to create anti-venom drugs that protect people against snake bites.
they are also illegal in the usa.
but I am glad to hear she is doing better. I don't think I would breed her this fall, I thik I would wait, going to take her a while to get built back up.

[Limner]

I'm with Mom there. This'll set her growth back a bit. But she'll have a hum dinger of a story to tell her babies later!

[Emily]

they are also illegal in the usa.
but I am glad to hear she is doing better. I don't think I would breed her this fall, I thik I would wait, going to take her a while to get built back up.

Bummer about them being illegal. They sound like cool critters.

[Little RedRidingHood]

She was running and playing with her sis this a.m. while I was feeding. These two doelings are the most spacy, weird babies I have ever had in nearly 40 years of goat raising. They have a huge pen and they will run the fence over and over, around the whole thing, from the time I open the front door, go to get the feed, and until I get to their pen. Then, they jump on the cattle panels and scream at me while I get the hay and their grain ready for them. Nutty is a really good word for them. And, both their parents are calm and quiet!
So, to see her running and playing, although not as much as her sis, made me feel for the first time since the bite that she is over the worse of it. At least, I sure hope so.
I have noticed that from the first day that her coat went dull nearly right away. She has always had a real shiny coat and was just right weight wise. She did dump some weight but is now eating normal so should be fine.
Thanks all of you for your concern and interest, and prayers and good thoughts! We all thank you!

[Nicho1]

Good news, Little RedRidingHood. Good news, indeed. When we love our animals, it is hard to see them hurting and/or sick. I'm glad for both you and her!

[GingerN]

I am glad your goat is better. Hope she continues to improve.

Off Topic-why are mongooses (that sounds so strange) illegal in the US?

[Martinhouse]

I wonder if the mongoose is illegal in the USA because it might be a crop destroyer.

Maybe they reproduce too fast and would end up being like a super-raccoon!

I wonder what their natural enemies are?

Carol

[Martinhouse]

Just looked up Mongoose in my wildlife encyclopedia.

It says wherever they've been introduced they become a pest. a menace to small native wildlife and to poultry. It also said they eat eggs.

Sorta sounds like an armadillo, raccoon, and badger, all rolled into one. I'll pass on these for snake control.

Carol

[Emily]

Just looked up Mongoose in my wildlife encyclopedia.

It says wherever they've been introduced they become a pest. a menace to small native wildlife and to poultry. It also said they eat eggs.

Sorta sounds like an armadillo, raccoon, and badger, all rolled into one. I'll pass on these for snake control.

Carol

Okay - you convinced me.

[Little RedRidingHood]

Sandy is doing really well. Today I caught her rubbing her face back and forth against the ground. But once she was done doing that she took off at a dead run bucking and jumping all the way over to where her sis was standing.
Her face is back to normal and she is eating well so I guess I can say, "looks like the worse is over!"

[The Flying Dutchman]

=


*A* trick taught to me by an old Rancher down Sonora, Tx way

As to looking for an animal which Is a 'natural born' enemy of rattlers; try a couple of pigs. And if you can find the snakes' den; put up fence around it and turn the pigs (grown pigs) loose in the pen.

The Hogs will eat them! And actually grow fat eating them.



=

[Little RedRidingHood]

I was really tired and already in my pj's when the dog's alarm bark for snakes went off again last night. I told hubby I was too tired to deal with another rattler right then. So, he opens the door and turns on the porch light and there it is. In the same place the last three we have shot were. So I go get the rifle while hubby keeps an eye on the snake.
He got it with the first shot and it never rattled until he hit it.
The weather here is changing rapidly and the nights are getting chilly so I guess that is why it wasn't nearly as aggressive as the last few have been.
The snake expert told me that they breed from July to late September so I guess that is why so many are currently using my front yard as a pathway to wherever.
This one was MUCH larger than all the rest we have seen and killed this year. It had 8 rattles plus the button. It was also bigger around and longer in the body.

Thanks for the tip Dutch!! Good info.