Goat Emergency

No time to panic!

Last night I went in the barn to feed my animals and found that I had a goat emergency situation to deal with. When I feed my goats, I open the stall door and they like to come out in the barn while I put hay in the feeders. I was concentrating on filling all the feeders when I noticed the bright red blood on the floor. I thought at first one of my cats was possibly injured. I glanced toward the cats food dish and they were busily eating and appeared to be fine. My goats had returned to their stalls and I began checking them. Camel, my brown Lamancha, had a broken horn and bright red blood covered her face and continued to drip.

I ran to the house to get supplies and enlist the help of my husband. We have dealt with many goat emergencies over the years together. You learn to remain calm and rely on your first aid skills however meager they may be.
John was waiting for me in the house as we were supposed to go to a hockey game. I simply said “I need your help” . He immediately jumped up and said “what do you need.” I told him about the severe bleeding and told him I was getting peroxide and tape.  He said he had some gauze upstairs. So we gathered our supplies and went to the barn.

For the amount of blood, you would have thought my goat would be in great distress. She was very calm and cooperative however.  I attached a leash to her collar and led her from the stall she shares with her sister.  I didn’t need any distractions! I filled a bucket with cracked corn to further distract her so we could try and administer first aid. In all my years of raising goats I have never dealt with a broken horn and never knew how profusely they bleed.

We put peroxide on the broken area, wrapped it in gauze and taped it. It was literally still dripping blood. I went to TSC and bought blood stop powder. It is an amazing substance that you put on a wound and it helps the bleeding to stop. John washed all the blood off of her face and she went back in her stall. John and I then both tried finding a vet to come out and help us, to no avail. I have only needed to use a vet twice in all the years I have been raising goats and it’s a good thing because they aren’t readily available. We prayed and asked the Lord to direct us and to heal the goat.

The trauma of my goat emergency is over now. I just have to trust it will heal and keep a close eye on the situation. I am so thankful for John, who dropped everything (and always does) to come to my rescue and help me. He knows how much I love my goats!

When these things happen you always wonder why. I have to trust the Lord had a very good reason for my goat emergency and thankful He allowed John to be home when it happened and He helped us to assist our goat.