First Time Pregnant Doe with Diarrhea

[moosemaniac]

Poor Dot! She's pregnant for the first time. This morning, she didn't want to eat much and has very watery diarrhea. I got some Pepto Bismol into her and we're keeping a good eye on her. She is just due for her worming, but I'm not sure it would be a good idea right now. I worm every 6 weeks, alternating medications. Dot is the only one in this condition right now.

Any suggestions?

Ruth

[Sweet Goats]

Ruth, If she is not eating that is a big concern. I would take a fecal sample to the vet. I would think right off that it is Coccidiosis. Is she off on her own? Is she standing with her back a little hunched up? How far along is she? Good Luck

[moosemaniac]

She's standing around with the other girls, not hunching. She did eat, just not much. I got her to take a peppermint treat and she was fine taking the Pepto. She's due in early January. Everyone else is just fine...ravenous as usual.


Ruth

[Patty0315]

I would not think Cocci in an adult goat . Also do not alternate wormers stick with one that is working until it no longer works.

Has there been a change in her grain ? Forage ? Minerals? has she gotten out and maybe into something ?

Do not offer grain or other treats. Lots of water and dry hay. Have you taken her temp ? What is it ? What color are her gums and eye lids ?

How far along is she ?

[Patty0315]

It is raining here is it there to ? Did she get wet and chilled ?

[moosemaniac]

Raining, yes, but I don't believe she got wet or chilled. She's pretty much stayed in the barn with everyone else. There's really nothing out there for her to get into and I haven't changed the grain, well, ever. This morning was the first sign of anything. Her temp is 102.3, so that's pretty normal. She's just a bit sluggish, ate only a little, but she did eat, and the diarrhea. I had to go to work, but my son is home watching her diligently. She took the pepto quite easily and has been just laying naturally in the barn all morning, head upright, so no worry there. She came to eat when her name was called, as usual. Didn't want to get up on the stand, but did so anyway. Again, she's due in early January...this being her first.

Ruth

[Patty0315]

I would probally reworm them. Check gum and eye color to see if that looks like the problem.

[moosemaniac]

Son called me. He says he can hear her breathing. I called the vet...waiting for a return call.
Now I'm getting scared.

Ruth

[Patty0315]

Hmmmm have him take her temp the Vet will want to know. I will leave it to him to tell you what to use.

Patty

[moosemaniac]

Vet has me using penicillin. We're going to keep her in a coat locked in a room in the barn by herself until I can get home. Son is giving her some warm water to drink and if I know him, he'll sit with her all day. Son is mentally challenged and can't do the vet stuff. He's good at observing though.

Ruth

[Patty0315]

Good luck !

[moosemaniac]

Dot is doing much better. She ate some of her breakfast, her diarrhea has some texture to in now, and she head butted Charity for looking at her. I am, however, fearful...well, kinda...that she is more pregnant than I thought, which would mean the Boer buckling instead of the Alpine buck...accidental of course. I was listening to her lungs, and on a whim checked her belly area and distinctly heard a heartbeat, much faster than hers.

Ruth

[Sweet Goats]

Originally Posted by Patty0315

I would not think Cocci in an adult goat .

Patty, Why? I have heard that people don't think a adult goat can get it. that is NOT true. I have had 4Hers have goats die from it. I have had several other kids goats wit hit also. They range from the age of 1 year to 6 years old. Matter of fact my old doe that is now 14 had it last year. Because of her age was almost lost her. The only reason I say I know it was cocci is because we had a fecal float done.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Cocci lives out it's lifecycle in adult goats quite nicely, adult goats have such strong immunity to cocci, unless a doe is ill or down, cocci causes them no problems. But in a down doe, a sick doe or a wormy doe, yes treating with a sulfa (this might be the pefect thing for you to use, since it not only helps with cocci but with bacterial pnemonia etc...which may be what you have) at the same time you treat other problems is essential....well essential in the south, likely just percaution in the north.

Rarely do adult does get diarrhea for other reasons than worms or feed. I would never sacrifice my doe for a chance she is bred, that it's too early in the pregnancy (because of internet information) or waiting on a fecal (because it's the adult worms causing your fall and winter worm problems and all you see on fecal is eggs) so worm her.

What are you worming with? What are you rotating with and why? A vet who has you give a rattling chested pregnant kdoe, with diarrhea pennicillin is worthless, worse is it's likely telephone quick answers to get you and your goat off the phone. What are you treating with the penicillin? Pnemonia? Where is the fever? The rattling chest is likely the first sign of future problems with pnemonia, goats don't die from the anemia caused by worms, they die of other problems...pnemonia, liver failure.. etc...and you don't treat pnemonia with pennicillin.

Worm her correctly, worm the entire herd...she is just the one, being young and bred, that is showing you your herd wide problems, don't loose your young does and very old does before you notice this. Don't change her diet with treats she is not used to just because she is ill. What do her under eyelids look like? Healthy pink/red or light pink/white. Check the rest of the herd. If you let this run it's course she will likely abort. If the lung issue progresses than think about using a decongestant and antihistimine, if it goes into a fever use tetracycline and banamine, or a vet antibiotic script of naxcel or nuflor.

Pennicillin is ineffective from overuse for years...not your overuse but everyones overuse. It only works now in conjunction with other drugs, or for prevention of wound infection and kidding complications. The dosage even to keep blood levels up is 3cc per 50 pounds usually twice a day subq, thats alot of meds.

Nip this in the bud, with ineffective worming, waiting 6 weeks between wormings isn't going to work, you have to worm every 21 days to kill the lifecycle or really to evacuate the lifecycle of blood sucking worms, thats way to much wormer for the does liver to process. It's the premise of how herbal wormers work...make the does insides inhospitable for the adult worms to suck blood.

Pepto is not a treatment, it only masks symptoms. It's find to mask diarrhea as you treat the reason for it.

Treat her rumen, probiotics, kefir, and treat the anemia if you can see it in her gums and eyelids.

Good luck with the doe and the pregnancy. Vicki

[Sweet Goats]

Ruth, Do you have a update for us? How is she doing? I am keeping my fingers crossed that all is well. Good Luck

[moosemaniac]

She ate all of her breakfast this morning and is doing really well. It must have just been a tummy problem. Meanwhile, if I can really feel the baby kicking and moving and I can detect a very fast, distinct heartbeat, could she be a lot farther along that I thought? Any ideas?

Ruth

[Sweet Goats]

Great news. Do you have baking soda out for her to eat when she needs it? Isn't it great to feel the babie(s) moving around? Do you have any idea when she is due? Is she starting to form a bag? Good Luck. Keep up the good work.

[moosemaniac]

I always keep baking soda out for them. I thought she was due in early January...now I'm not so sure. She has a small bag, but that's been there a couple of weeks now.

Ruth

[Cloverbud]

I've had goats for 26 days (Newbie Alert! ) I've read Storey's book on dairy goats, and don't recall reading about baking soda. What is the purpose/benefit of the baking soda?

[goatkid]

If you can hear a heartbeat, feel the baby move and the doe is making a bag, she's due much sooner than January. I'd think about when she was in with the Boer buckling to calculate her due date.
Baking soda is fed free choice to help balance the pH in the goat's rumen. It helps with tummy upsets and to prevent bloat and rumen acidosis.