Postpartum Care of the Doe and Kid

CHAPTER 74 Postpartum Care of the Doe and Kid



JOAN DEAN. ROWE, NANCY E. EAST



PREPARTUM PREVENTION OF POSTPARTUM PROBLEMS


Prevention of postpartum problems in does and kids begins long before parturition. Does should be examined with ultrasonography to confirm pregnancy status and stage of gestation, their body condition score (1 to 5) should be determined, and lactating does should be dried off 60 days before the expected due date. Failure to observe a 60-day dry period results in modest to marked decreases in milk production during the ensuing lactation period. An inadequate dry period may also result in decreased colostrum quality.


Some does are difficult to dry off without damage to the udder when the traditional method is used of sudden cessation of milking, withholding of water for 12 to 24 hours, decreasing of forage quality, withholding of concentrates, and isolation from the environmental stimuli that does associate with the milking procedure. The producer can dry these does off more slowly by reducing them to once-daily milking for 2 to 3 weeks prior to the expected dry-off date and decreasing concentrate consumption, followed by traditional methods of ending the lactation. An additional complication in drying off does is the inability to switch them to low-quality forage early in their dry period, for they often remain in their normal social and parity group. Removal and reintroduction of does into milking strings may lead to prolonged social aggression, resulting in significant loss of milk production and occasionally injury to does. An alternative is to breed and dry off does as a string so that feed adjustments commensurate with the varying nutritional needs of the production cycle can be made. During the last 2 to 4 weeks of the dry period, does should be fed according to body condition score, with thin does (<3.0 on a 5-point scale) receiving increased concentrate for 4 weeks over the basic 0.45 to 0.90 kg offered to does in good to overconditioned state. Ideally, does should freshen with a body condition score of 3.5 to 3.75 (on a 5-point scale). Concentrate feeding during the latter part of the dry period allows for a smooth transition from pregnancy to lactation during which high-energy feeds are required to optimize production and maintain an acceptable calcium–to-phosphorus ratio of not more than 1.5:1. Does should be closely watched during the last 4 to 6 weeks of the dry period for signs of ketosis, hypocalcemia, or abortion. Vaccination of does during late gestation for enterotoxemia and tetanus will optimize the specific immunoglobulins present in colostrum.


Maintenance of a clean, draft-free kidding area is critical for optimal doe and kid health. Kids are born agammaglobulinemic, so the magnitude of initial pathogen challenge will influence neonatal morbidity and mortality. Incidence of postpartum metritis and mastitis in does is minimized if build-up of environmental organisms is avoided. Factors affecting environmental challenge (persistence and replication of pathogens in the environment) include population density, ventilation, and maintenance of clean, dry bedding areas. Overcrowding in the maternity area and in the area housing neonatal kids increases the build-up of fecal organisms. Environmental pathogens proliferate under warm, moist conditions. Soiled bedding in the maternity area should be removed and replaced frequently. Adequate ventilation and exposure to sunlight will reduce pathogen numbers. Inadequate drainage promotes moist conditions. Shelter from wind, rain, and other inclement weather reduces stress on the doe and is critical for kid survival. Kids exposed to extremely hot or cold weather conditions, particularly during the first 72 hours of life, have increased mortality rates.



PARTURIENT DOE MANAGEMENT


Does should be observed closely as they near kidding. Clipping hair from the udder, tail, and perineal area helps prevent contamination of the reproductive tract during parturition and assists in milking hygiene (or hygiene during nursing of kids) after kidding. Ketosis, hypocalcemia, abortion, stillbirth, and dystocia are conditions that can be expected. Prevention of postpartum complications and success of a pasteurization and pathogen-control program depend on detecting the onset of parturition and attending the birth of kids. Rapid detection and assistance with dystocia and immediate removal of kids before they nurse for pasteurized rearing programs can be aided by frequent observation of does near term. Induction of parturition with prostaglandin can be used as an aid to disease control programs that require removal of kids at birth. Some producers use infant room monitors to remotely detect the onset of second stage labor (does usually vocalize during second stage labor). Dystocia in does is usually due either to the presence of a large single fetus or to malpresentation of multiple kids that become tangled. Additionally, does that give birth to multiple kids may exhibit uterine inertia, which requires that the kids be delivered manually and that the doe be treated for hypocalcemia. Most malpresentations are easily corrected and the kids delivered. Occasionally a cesarean section is required to deliver a large kid or, more commonly, is required when the cervix fails to dilate. Natural births occur rapidly, particularly in multiparous does, which may deliver multiple kids in 30 to 60 minutes. Does attempting to deliver kids without success for more than 30 minutes of second stage labor should be examined.



POSTPARTUM CARE OF THE DOE


Does should be carefully examined for the presence of additional fetuses. The veterinarian can perform routine abdominal ballottement by standing over the doe, reaching around the caudal abdomen and joining hands, then lifting up sharply. A retained fetus may be detected as a firm mass. Ultrasonographic examination confirms this finding, but greater care must be taken to visualize the fetus once the fluid contrast is lost after the chorioallantoic membrane has ruptured. Does should also be examined for trauma or hemorrhage. Assessment of the doe’s vital signs and muscle tone after parturition is useful in detecting hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia may predispose does to uterine prolapse.


After kidding, the doe passes the placenta rapidly—often within 1 hour of the last kid’s birth—but the placenta is not considered retained until 8 to 12 hours post partum. At this time, light manual traction, oxytocin (if within 48 hours post partum), and systemic or local antibiotics can be administered. In normal does, lochia can be discharged for up to 4 weeks. Lochia should be carefully cleaned from the udder before milking. Lochia from normal births may contain Chlamydia psittaci, Coxiella burnetii, or other pathogens that are infectious to humans and other goats. Normal reddish brown lochia must be distinguished from the brownish, watery, malodorous discharge that accompanies postpartum metritis. Does with metritis are usually febrile and partially anorectic and have depressed milk production. These does should be treated with local or systemic antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and may require supportive therapy.


Dairy does should be milked soon after parturition. Even in herds in which the manager does not elect to feed heat-treated colostrum, milking the doe and hand-feeding the kids ensures maximum first feeding ingestion of colostrum by all kids. In meat and fiber production herds, does’ udders should be palpated for evidence of mastitis and to evaluate sufficiency of milk production, and milk should be expressed from each teat to assess the patency of the teat and to detect abnormal secretions. Does with good milk production that give birth to a single kid should be considered as candidates for cross-fostering another kid.


In meat, fiber, or other goat herds in which does nurse their kids or otherwise are unaccustomed to frequent handling, penning the doe with her litter for several days allows close observation without having to gather does and potentially disrupting maternal bonding. This allows the caretaker to assure that both udder halves are being nursed and to monitor for the presence of mastitis and adequacy of milk production (and milk intake by her kids). This also facilitates the doe bonding with all members of the litter and aids in decision-making as to whether a doe can raise her entire litter or whether one or more kids should be hand-reared or fostered to another dam. Does and their litters may more smoothly transition into the main herd if moved from maternal pens into small group pens (with does/litters from the same kidding period) for several days before returning to the larger herd.


Postpartum does should be watched closely for signs of hypocalcemia or ketosis. Maximizing dry matter intake of fresh does will help to prevent metabolic disease and ensure maximal peak milk production. Does should be monitored for their ability to compete at feeders (and moved if needed), and fresh supplies of water and high-quality forage should be provided immediately to encourage early return to normal feed intake.

Related posts:

  1. Control and Synchronization of the Estrous Cycle and Ovulation
  2. Bacterial Diseases of the Fetus and Placenta Associated with Fetal Loss in the Mare
  3. Diseases of the Reproductive System of the Bull
  4. Surgical Correction of Abnormalities of Genital Organs of Cows

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Sep 3, 2016 | Posted by in SUGERY, ORTHOPEDICS & ANESTHESIA | Comments Off on Postpartum Care of the Doe and Kid

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