5A Farm & Pet Care

03/14/2025

17 years is a long time for a little dog.

I still wish I could've given you more. You deserved more. You gave my dad so many good years, and then you did the same for me, and trusted me to take care of you until the end. I'm so sorry you had to suffer at the end.

But I am so, so beyond happy that they were able to help you, make you comfortable, and let you rest in my arms until we said goodbye. And I'm so, so happy you are at peace. Underneath the blooming dogwoods and with the lillies out in the front yard.

I'll always love you, Rascal.

03/14/2025

Goat Health Awareness Day TWO!

Should you use herbal dewormers? Do chemical dewormers work? Let’s take a second and move beyond the ideas of herbals vs. chemicals, and even put aside the discussion of dewormer resistance. Too often do we get bogged down with such details and forget something important…

Do you actually know what goes on when your goat is infested with parasites? I’m not talking about the symptoms you see, like pale eyelids, skinny goats, or abnormal stool. We’ve become so accustomed to looking at those symptoms that we don’t realize how severely damaged the internal state of your goat is by the time these visible external symptoms occur.

Gastrointestinal nematodes (like Barberpole worm, Brown Stomach worm, or Bankrupt worm) cause erosion and ulceration of the abomasal (true stomach) wall. Diarrhea or clumpy stool isn’t just a symptom of worms, but it is a symptom of severe gastric mucosa damage. When this mucosa is damaged, abomasal function is impacted by both physical changes and pH changes, and stool changes will occur. By the time you see abnormal stool, there is already gastrointestinal damage.

Another example of this is coccidia. Coccidia causes cellular damage to the small and large intestines. Intestinal mucosa is stripped away, and this is often why we see mucus and blood in the stool of animals with clinical coccidiosis. Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine is hindered by cellular damage, resulting in weight loss and poor overall health. But damage to the large intestine also impacts water absorption, leading to diarrhea. No, the body isn’t just unhappy that coccidia is living in there and produces diarrhea in protest–the body is suffering from severe, physical damage, by the time you see that symptom. Hemorrhaging can occur as well, and severe perforations may also lead to sepsis. Why does your goat kid still pass after you give them coccidia medication? That’s why. Why does your adult goat not make it through a battle with Barberpole after receiving many strong dewormers? Because the worms only catalyzed your true problem: a malfunctioning digestive system, damage all over, and potential for secondary infections and more!

Why am I unpacking these depressing, kind of icky-to-think-about facts? Because dewormers do not repair the gastrointestinal tract, they don’t resupply your goat with red blood cells, they can’t patch up a large intestine, and they can’t start fermentation back up when the body shuts down due to parasite-induced pH imbalances. Dewormers remove worms, they don’t work miracles.

So perhaps your dewormer didn’t fail due to resistance. Just because a goat died from worms, doesn’t mean they died with worms. Perhaps your dewormer failed because the damage to the body was already too severe.

And though we may have some tricky work-arounds, like herbs that help soothe and nourish the GI mucosa, and minerals and vitamins to help speed up anemia recovery, there is still such a thing as being too far gone–and many goats reach this stage earlier than we think.

Goats are lost to parasites because we all, collectively, need to be more proactive. Integrated/natural prevention, regular body condition and FAMACHA checks, f***l egg counts, and action at the first sign of anything unusual (especially abnormal stool) are truly the only ways to prevent losses.

Dewormers treat the parasites…not the illnesses that the parasites cause!

03/13/2025

To say I'm nervous is an UNDERSTATEMENT.

This is the first ever video I've made, that features myself, and is entirely edited by.. you guessed it.. MYSELF!

(Aka, give me as much feedback as you can! I'm here for it all!)

You'll probably hear Momma Maureen trying to "talk" to me in the background in the first little bit, and you'll also notice that while I did talk the entire way through the video - I cut 95% of my talking out. Namely because my phone stopped recording before I finished the bath, so most of the audio is irrelevant, but also because I figured this would be a great way to do a little sneak peak on the Booster Bath and see what 5A is all about!

WARNING - the music is LOUD after I stop talking and it cuts in. I couldn't get it any quieter without it being nonexistent, so please just make sure you're ready to turn down the volume once you hear me shut up 😁 I PROMISE to work on that in the future, video editing has never been something I thought I'd need to learn!

More to come to show off the Booster Bath in all it's glory - since this little front shot really doesn't do much to show how spacious and comfortable the tub is.

03/13/2025

For my goat people 😂

03/13/2025

Some GREAT information! Going to be a few days behind, but I'm going to share these in the order they were posted over the next week.

An important discussion to kick off this week! There are many philosophies and methods for raising goats. Have you seen holistic/natural goat care groups on social media? I sure have! There is a vast community of owners who choose to raise their goats with a natural mindset. At times, I have called myself a Natural Goat Care Mentor (and I have no problem with this title!), but I have since preferred to use the term “integrated,” when describing what I do, as I feel it better represents how all of us goat owners should tackle health issues. During this educational week, many of the topics I will discuss include conventional medicines or techniques - and if this isn’t your focus, I urge you to still read, learn, and appreciate this week’s knowledge share. As I’m about to explain, it IS still applicable to you, and you need to know both sides of the equation.

There is no doubt that natural methods, from herbs to other alternative therapies, have their place in preventative healthcare and veterinary medicine. Emerging research acknowledges some, such as essential oil use or selective forages for parasite management–and personal experiences for many of us reveal how many things can be successfully treated with natural methods (like raw garlic, a few strong herbs, and good vitamin/mineral/probiotic support for mild goat colds). Even your veterinarian shouldn’t take issue with natural, safe measures to help reduce antibiotic use (a huge priority these days).

But in order to use natural methods, you may need a substantial amount of supplies on hand, many of which cannot be easily sourced at local stores. If you are stocked up on every important natural supplement, you may be better equipped to tackle (or more ideally prevent) serious health issues.

Whether you consider yourself natural/holistic-minded or lean more towards the conventional side, strive to understand both areas.

Just because you are using antibiotics for a respiratory infection, doesn’t mean you can’t add in herbal support. And if you tried your hardest and couldn’t prevent parasite issues naturally, don’t give up and just ‘surrender’ to chemical wormers–understand how they should be used, what the proper doses are, and feel confident in your knowledge of them even if it isn’t your ideal choice. Rely on your chosen methods, but be knowledgeable on ALL methods so you are prepared for anything.

As a consultant, while I often prefer to integrate natural therapies, I understand that not all of my clients (especially new ones seeking emergency assistance) have what they need on hand to treat issues with alternative therapies. For this reason, I have dedicated my time (just about all of it!) to the goal of comprehending and mastering both natural and conventional healthcare.

So for this week, whether the topics we are about to cover seem applicable to you or not… read, learn, enjoy, and feel free to ask questions at any time! Happy Goat Health Awareness Week from The Giving Goat, LLC!

03/11/2025

SO happy to not only have these two lovely ladies back, two of my original herd, but also so beyond grateful to know that they're both still CAE/CL/Johnes NEGATIVE!

As someone who hopes to produce goat milk products and/or sell my goat milk when I have the chance, knowing that my herd is healthy is one of the most important aspects.

THANK YOU, Rigdon Veterinary Services! You guys always take the best care of our animals!

03/11/2025

Who could resist that blank, smooth-brain look in her eye?

03/10/2025

Pamela is here to say "BARK!" Or, since I speak great Pamelanian, "HI EVERYONE, I'M PAM!"

03/09/2025

The beginning of spring looks GOOD on these gals!

03/07/2025

It's here! It is time to post our OFFICIAL, ready-for-action, Grooming Services List and Price Sheet! This new poster will be pinned to our Featured section at the top of our page, with our (soon-to-be) updated waiver, for easy access. Let's get those furbabies feeling fresh for the springtime!

And because I know the fine print is the least of ALL of our focus, I'm going to cover the key points HERE in the main post!

***All prices are STARTING AT, and will vary by pet size, coat condition, and length. Final pricing will be determined after seeing your pet. (Recent, good pictures or in person!)

**If your pet has fleas, they will be given a flea bath and you will be notified &charged for the flea shampoo.

***A Trip Charge applies to ALL appointments based on mileage. I charge $0.65/mile between appointments to cover fuel costs.

**As of right now, we only service dogs up to 100 lbs. for bath appointments due to the weight limit on my tub.

**Cat Nail Trimming is accepted on a case-by-case basis depending on the severity of the trim, the cat's behavior, etc.

03/07/2025

03/06/2025

What a GORGEOUS day out in the woods!

03/06/2025

Facebook took away our "Services" tab!

I figured the best way to remind our audience what we're about here at 5A was to make a few new, cute posters to show everyone! We would LOVE to care for your furry, feathered, or hooved heathens!

Official Grooming Services & Price List coming tomorrow.

03/02/2025

The last 3 rides have been INCREDIBLE. We are taking advantage of the cool weather and keeping it moving!

Reese and I have done 143 miles together, just in 2025 so far. (That's on top of ~330 TRACKED miles since I downloaded this app June 2024, after I'd had her/been riding since October 2023)! I just love running the woods with this girl. It's so freeing!

02/25/2025

Just some more pictures of cute baby goats!!

Momma Maureen is definitely enjoying some time grazing with her gal pal now that the girls are 2 weeks old! And bless Margot's heart, she's being so sweet to the babies and teaching them personal space in such a gentle manner, just the way she should. And trying to play with Maureen too, the silly girl!

These girls are going to need names soon, I have a feeling they'll both be staying with us unless I decide to make a different decision in the future as they continue to grow into their conformation.

Stay tuned for Fresh Goat Milk announcements 😁🐐

02/23/2025

I just LOVE these girls! What cuties! Maureen really outdid herself with these two.

02/20/2025

What a BEAUTIFUL night. Photos from a few days ago! 😅