University Of Florida Experts Save Young Goat From Rare Bone Infection

Almost three months after a young goat named Daisy Mae came to the University of Florida’s Large Animal Hospital unable to walk due to a rare disease, she is now a dress- and diaper-wearing “house goat” at home in The Villages®, where she continues to recover, showered with attention everywhere she goes and cuddling with her owner to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy when it’s time to chill.“That’s her normal,” said her owner, Amanda Cohen. “It’s maybe not a normal goat’s normal, but Daisy has always been different and loves her life.”

Daniela Luethy, D.V.M., a clinical assistant professor and large animal medicine specialist, is one of the clinicians who cared for Daisy Mae when she first arrived at UF on March 3, unable to stand on all four legs. Cohen had noticed the baby goat’s problems when she was 4 days old, but Daisy Mae did not respond to initial treatment and Cohen decided she needed to bring her to Gainesville for a more in-depth examination.

“Based on my previous experience with some similar cases, we were suspicious of vertebral osteomyelitis, or an infection of the bones in the neck,” Luethy said. “We performed a CT scan and were able to obtain images that confirmed Daisy did have this disease.”

Thanks to the medical care UF veterinarians provided, which included a combination of antibiotic and extensive physical therapy performed over six-and-a-half weeks, along with Cohen’s commitment to her treatment, Daisy Mae made huge strides.

“She is now able to stand and walk on her own,” Luethy said.