We’ve Got Your Goat at NC State
Ruminants, like fainting goats Stella and Dolly, love to eat things they shouldn’t. When these gutsy animals get into hard-to-stomach snacks, NC State’s farm animal experts are only a call away.
“Goats will always find their way into what they want to eat,” says Dr. Lisa Gamsjaeger, NC State assistant professor of ruminant medicine, and that can cause serious problems for these adventurous eaters and their owners.
The Hight family of Durham learned this lesson firsthand when their 4-year-old fainting goat, Stella, ate dangerous plants on two occasions this year. Twice in four months, the Hights toted Stella and her 3-year-old herd-mate Dolly to the NC State Farm Animal Medicine emergency service, and Jan Hight knew her goats were in good hands.
“When I called and heard NC State’s vets say, ‘How soon can you be here?’ I had a sliver of peace,” she says. “That just was so comforting. With the communication and care they show for the animals and their owners, and their wisdom and skills, I’d always recommend NC State to other goat owners.”
Hight and husband Rob, a retired sheriff’s deputy, affectionately call Stella and Dolly “the girls.” The girls serve as therapy goats for Rob Hight’s PTSD.
Stella and Dolly had lived healthily with the Hights for nearly four years when Stella became lethargic and stopped eating in mid-January. The Hights suspected bloat, a potentially life-threatening buildup of gas in the ruminant digestive system, and called the NC State Veterinary Hospital.
Vets initially treated Stella for indigestion and a possible forestomach outflow problem while running tests for a formal diagnosis. Stella’s care team — including Gamsjaeger, assistant clinical professor Dr. Ailbhe King, ruminant health resident Dr. Siena Mitman and intern Dr. Sarah Goss — tried everything from medication to transfaunations, transplantations of healthy rumen fluid, to get Stella’s gut moving.
“At NC State, we offer everything from primary care all the way to tertiary referral-level care with very advanced diagnostics, surgeries and procedures that would not be able to take place in the field,” Gamsjaeger says.
No obvious cause of Stella’s symptoms emerged over six days. But Stella had also developed pockets of air bubbles called emphysema under her skin, which can be caused by severe pneumonia or a tear in the trachea or esophagus. An endoscopy, or camera-guided scope, revealed no sign of trauma in those tissues, and Stella started eating as her bloat decreased. However, Stella still was not acting or eating like a healthy goat should.
Stella’s team ordered a CT scan to evaluate the contents of Stella’s largest forestomach, the rumen, and saw several round, solid objects moving inside. Puzzled, they asked the Hights if Stella had access to stone fruit and learned that a hickory tree grew near her pen.
Hickory nuts aren’t toxic in small quantities but have been shown to produce emphysema in another ruminant species. After Stella’s tests, vets were primarily concerned the nuts could be blocking her digestive tract. Luckily, Stella’s emphysema decreased and her digestion improved after the CT, showing she was processing the nuts naturally.
Stella’s improvement was due largely to her care team’s dedication, but Dolly also lent a hoof. Veterinarians encouraged the Hights to bring Dolly into the hospital to decrease Stella’s anxiety, and the two shared a pen for much of Stella’s weeklong stay.
Just four months later, the girls landed in the emergency room again. This time, both Stella and Dolly had overindulged in oak tree clippings, which in large amounts can damage goats’ kidneys. They suddenly refused to eat and ground their teeth in distress.
Jan Hight contacted the NC State Veterinary Hospital, which admitted the girls immediately. Through ultrasounds and blood work, veterinarians determined that the goats had no kidney damage. They sent Stella and Dolly home the next day on anti-ulcer medication and orders for a blander diet, which the Hights gratefully accepted.
“It’s a very enjoyable part of the job, and also very rewarding, when you can make an impact on animals that are as important to their owners as Stella and Dolly are,” King says.
The girls are doing just fine today, and the Hights say they’ve learned their lesson on goat gastronomy.
“They’re a great group of people over at NC State, and we’re thankful they’re around the corner,” Jan Hight says.
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