I have a 12 year old La Mancha doe who began getting larger this May (hadn't bred her, since I'd just dried her off after 5 straight years of milking without kidding, but that's another story). She has gotten huge though, and did not "deliver" as several books suggested would happen with a false pregnancy. Vet came out and had no suggestions (but her temp is normal and the bloat isn't gas). Other than the effort of carrying the weight around she seems ok. She eats an organic grain ration, alfalfa hay and complete free range browse. Any suggestions?

-- Lori Friedlander (lbfriedl@hacc.edu), July 25, 2000

Answers

I wonder if its the middle age spread the does get. Kind of like some womern after childbirth, they get a tummy on them. No offense here to all the moms :) I have a 7 yr old out in the barn now who is saddle bagged and has the "spread". Have you considered doing an ultra sound? Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 25, 2000.

Possibly a tumor? Sounds like she's a good goat, so I hope not, but that's the first thing that came to mind.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), July 25, 2000.

Lori, there is actually a name for the spread that Bernice is talking about and is actually common in very large Toggenburgs, Saanens and LaMancha's! There is a great photo of it also in Goat Medicine. It is called a dropped stomach "the ventral abdomen remains pendulous but affected animals are otherwise normal" It isn't a true displaced abomasum as we actually call it. We put down our 10 year old herd queen LaMancha this last year, and she also had a dropped stomach, (she also never weighed less than 200 pounds, we use to weigh her with the weigh tape and laugh that she was 1 weigh tape plus 6 inches!) though she had triplets, and we reatained her lovely doe kid her last kidding. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 25, 2000.

Thanks for your answers. This girl is not a "pig" like my other 12 year old, but the other girl looks great. I have cut back on the alfalfa and introduced more grass hay, cause this girl is so wide she barely fits through the doors of the pen. But I guess when you start to spread you just keep going...hope it never happens to me. I'm glad it's nothing more serious, anyway. Thanks again!

-- Lori Friedlander (lbfriedl@hacc.edu), July 26, 2000.