How to Treat Goats With Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is used to treat a condition in pregnant goats (called pregnancy toxemia) or early lactating goats (called ketosis) that occurs when a doe̵7;s body accumulates excessive ketones (chemicals in the blood and urine). The unborn goat kids̵7; higher nutritional needs during late pregnancy may cause your doe to use stored fat to provide for the babies, which can imbalance her body̵7;s nutrition, leading to reduced kidney and liver function and ultimately death, according to Maria Leite-Browning, DVM, an extension animal scientist at Alabama A&M University. Knowing how to treat goats with propylene glycol (a clear, syrupy liquid that provides energy) is a key skill that you should know if you own pregnant or lactating goats.

Things You'll Need

  • Baking soda
  • Propylene glycol
  • Goat drenching gun
  • Water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare an emergency first aid box of supplies for your goat that includes baking soda, propylene glycol and a drenching gun. Beginning treatment for pregnancy toxemia and ketosis in goats as early as possible is essential to effectively treating these potentially deadly conditions, so you should have on hand all the materials you̵7;ll need to provide treatment before you actually need them. Although you can acquire baking soda from your nearest grocery store, propylene glycol and a drenching gun are more difficult to get in emergency circumstances; you can typically find propylene glycol at your veterinarian̵7;s office or livestock supply catalogs. The best place to find a quality goat drenching gun (a heavy-duty syringe with a thick, elongated tip) is from a goat supply catalog or Web site.

    • 2

      Identify symptoms of pregnancy toxemia or ketosis in your doe. Pregnancy toxemia and ketosis are the same condition, with the exception that they occur during different times in your doe̵7;s reproductive life; pregnancy toxemia usually occurs during the last six weeks of pregnancy, whereas ketosis typically takes place during the first 4 weeks of lactation. According to Gail Damerow, author of ̶0;Your Goats,̶1; characteristic symptoms include loss of appetite, lack of energy (usually revealed when your goat lies down and refuses to get up) and distinctive sweet-smelling breath or urine from the overload of ketones. Other symptoms include depression, excessive lethargy and grinding of the teeth.

    • 3

      Administer the propylene glycol treatment to your goat. First, dissolve 1 tablespoon of baking soda in ¼ cup of water, put it in your drenching syringe and administer it orally to your goat; this helps rebalance the acid level in your goat̵7;s body. Fill the drenching gun with 2 ounces (60 ml) of propylene glycol and administer it orally to your goat. Administer the propylene glycol twice daily.

    • 4

      Watch your goat closely for improvement. Continue the treatment twice daily for at least three days; your doe should slowly begin to regain her appetite during the treatment period. Once your goat has improved, you should typically increase her grain ration slowly to give her enough additional energy to provide for herself and her growing kids without negatively affecting her health. If your goat shows excessive weakness or is unable to swallow at any time during treatment, then her condition has reached emergency stages; call a veterinarian or transport your goat to a veterinary clinic immediately for emergency treatment.