Worm Takes Three

I have three beautiful goats stricken with the meningeal parasite, also known as the brain worm. A beautiful copper colored wether, a white doe and a red buck. It is pitiful beyond belief. The worm is consumed then gets into the spinal cord over a period of months, then symptoms usually present in the fall. It is carried by deer, but the snails that carry it can also be picked up in damp areas. Dr. Rachel came and told me to give them Safeguard, Ivomec and Banamine and wait for a few days to see if the swelling in the spine reduced. She told me she had just had two alpacas go down with it, one from a farm that wormed their stock regularly and another from a farm that was kind of relaxed about it. They were both taken to the vet school at Cornell but did not survive. I had meningeal worm once before. A little ram lamb, Elrond, started lifting his foot kind of funny, then gradually lost use of both legs. He pulled his legs around quite well, and found ways to cope with his disability. He would circle around and around the food bowl until he was in the right position to eat. The vet came one day for another sheep and Matt had the vet put Elrond down. These goats have been paralyzed for at least five days. Two were tangled up in bushes and were calling for help. I have them in the barn in pens on hay. I have to turn them every day and help them eat and drink. The meds are doing nothing, but I knew they wouldn't. I am heartsick about this and know they have to go. We just did a worming when the lambs and kids were shorn. I pray the three is all I have with this dreaded parasite.