Anaphylactic Shock (goats)

Written by Administrator-GL
Monday, 28 May 2007
What exactly IS Anaphylactic Shock?
-What you NEED to know!
Anaphylactic Shock is a sudden, severe allergic reaction involving the entire body.

If it is not treated immediately with injected adrenaline (epinephrine), which opens the airways and blood vessels .... the outcome can be deadly!
Anaphylaxis constricts or narrows the airways and the blood vessels, resulting in difficult breathing, rapid pulse, a fall in blood pressure, and even cardiovascular collapse, shock and then death. Causing vessels to dilate rapidly, tissues that line the respiratory tract swell and obstruct the airway. Wheezing & dyspnea develop. Fluid pours out of the tissues in reaction to the substance, causing an internal drowning effect. The bronchi constrict & shuts down air passages causing suffocation.

This all takes place in a literal matter of a very few minutes!
By the time you realize something is bad wrong.. it is nearly too late ..so you need to act NOW and think later if you should see these signs directly after an injection!
And I will repeat.. there is NO time to go get and load a syringe with epinephrine.. it better be in your hand loaded and ready to go- EACH time you give an injection!

In the most serious cases of anaphylaxis, the heart can stop pumping blood (a condition known as cardiovascular collapse). Cardiovascular collapse happens when there is a rapid loss of blood pressure, and the tissues and organs do not get enough fluids and oxygen. It is considered the "shock" part of anaphylactic shock.

So, What are the Signs of Anaphylactic Shock?
I have tried to get these symptoms in the order of which they typically happen so it will be easier for you to recognize what -IF ANYTHING- is going on with your goat.

Your goat may not show all of these symptoms. I have listed all of the signs possible; both from research and unfortunately personal experience.
Also I want to STRESS right now, that while typically anaphylactic shock occurs immediately after giving an injection, it CAN happen up to a couple hours afterwards.

I KNOW THIS GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY READ..
(But since the horrible loss of my first goat,Goatee.. just a few weeks ago as of this writing, I have done a tremendous amount of research on the subject.)
I had given him an injection of iron dextran on one side with a dose of injectable Ivomec on the other.. watched him for my standard 30 minutes here in the house and when I was sure he was fine.. sent him outside. An hour later I heard a goat hollering over the intercom, it was Not his typical voice. I went outside to see who it was and he was staggering and hollering, got him directly in the house and before I could get the epinephrine and load the syringe, he had gone through the entire cycle of these symptoms and was gone.. I would say it literally took 2 minutes or less.

I did finally find one website with research information on this and has stated the fact that anaphylactic shock can occur a couple hours later.. But most typically within minutes .. I quote the article:

"Within a few minutes or hours after the injection, an animal may develop swelling at the site, fever, vomiting, anaphylactic shock, or even seizures. Left untreated, the animal may die. The risk that an animal will have a severe reaction to a vaccine is extremely small, experts emphasize."
So, while it most likely will occur within just a few minutes (if that) after the injection..it Can happen later.
I will also tell you in the 17 yrs I have raised goats and over the amount of injections I have had to give in those years.. I have had but 2 cases of anaphylactic shock occur.. it IS unusual, but it Can happen.. better to be Prepared than not.

The Early Signs of Anaphylactic Shock
* Vocalization
* Glassy eyes
* Staggering
* Rapid breathing
* Itching, flushing, and burning skin, around face, neck, chest
* Urticaria (hives)
* Edema (swelling) in face & tongue
* Cyanosis in mouth eyelids and lips (bluish or purplish tinge to the skin and mucous membranes)
* Tightness & pain in chest, persistent cough, wheezing & dyspnea (shortness of breath)
* Drop in BP (blood pressure)

Last Stages of Anaphylactic Shock Before Death

* Foaming, frothing or excess salivation
* Nystigma (rapid back and forth eye movements)
* Paddling motions of the limbs
* Ataxia(Inability to coordinate voluntary muscular movements)
* Ear twitching
* Loss of bladder control
* Extreme Vocalization
* Gasping for breath
* Pupils fixed and dialted
* Death

In it's entirety happens in a literal matter of just a few minutes. Believe it!

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Last Updated ( Sunday, 06 April 2008 )