One of my does got bred late in the season.I wasn't even sure she was actually bred but I penciled in on the calendar that she was due the first week of June just in case. This week her udder is bagging up a little. She is walking sort of bow legged. This is not her first kidding. When I checked on her yesterday her vaginal opening looked changed from the day before- puffier and just larger. The thing that concerns me is that there was a very small amount of wet bloody discharge just on the vagina. I searched the archives and articles over at Fiasco and at Goatworld and all I found was mention of mucus discharge...is it ever bloody? She is completely normal except for that. Eating well, no fever. Any ideas????

-- Kathy (kack@mybluelight.com), May 17, 2002

Answers

Have any other animals- other goats, dogs, horses, donkeys, etc, been bothering her? This happened once in my herd, a while ago. My doe was penned with a very evil mean doe, and one day I saw blood on her vulva, and seperated her. When she kidded one of the doelings were dead. I think there may have been a connection.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), May 17, 2002.

Kathy you are of course going to be forced to do the "wait and see". A doe can have a bloody discharge, from slight to hemmorage, if the placenta is attached near or over the cervic. As the cervic thins and opens it rips the suction cups that hold the placenta in place. Obviously if it is just attached near the cervic you will just see small amounts of mucous with some blood, and if it is a true Placenta Previa, meaning the Placenta comes first, you could lose the doe and the kids. You could get an ultasound done, but don't bother unless you have a techician who has done lots of goats. Hope all goes well. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 17, 2002.

Good morning everyone, Sorry not to reply sooner but my husband was off this weekend and we have been out looking for property for sale. Nan, my doe, is still just fine. Other than that one tiny bit of blood there hasn't been anything else. She still has her ligaments around her tail and she's feeling frisky this morning. Must be this chilly weather agrees with her! We had frost last night! She is eating like a trooper and looks like a battleship on legs. Every time I look at her I wonder how much bigger can she get. I was sure we'd have a kid by now. I thought experienced moms didn't bag up until right before they kidded? I'm still learning. I read all the time about goat care but books can't take the place of asking questions here at the board-- Thank you!

-- Kathy (kack@mybluelight.com), May 20, 2002.

I had that happen to one of my does, and she aborted her kids. I hope that isn't what's happening to your doe, but that's what it sounds like to me.

-- Anna Cole (kingbobwankenobi@mr-potatohead.com), February 06, 2005.