I "fixed" bloat!

perplexed · #1 06/08/08, 08:16 AM

I've only had my goats for 3 1/2 weeks now. I brought home a salt block and mama licked it for about an hour. The next day she was very large (probably not the salt but it was the only thing different in her daily routine). I thought maybe she was retaining water and didn't think much of it. A few days went by and it wasn't going away. Then yesterday I noticed the left side was bigger. I read online about bloat and it said the left side would be bigger and to give the goat vegetable oil then massage the rumen (on the left side). I did this for an hour and she was burping the entire time. This morning she is back to her usual size.

This goat came from a competely free ranging lifestyle eating lots of fresh feed. I take her everyday to an alfalfa meadow nearby and my friend thinks this may be why she was bloated- too much fresh. It's hard to believe though. I only give about 3 cups of grain a day and went down to 1 1/2 the past couple of days.

nehimama · #2 06/08/08, 08:34 AM

Good for you on fixing the bloat! I'd agree with your friend that it might have been too much alfalfa. Does your goat get hay?

NeHi

Alice In TX/MO · #3 06/08/08, 08:51 AM

If she's not being milked or in later stages of pregnancy, she won't need much grain.

bumpus · #4 06/08/08, 08:52 AM

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The reason she licked so long ( hour ) is she had become what they call salt starved.
When starting animals out on salt it is best not to give them to much at first.
Let them lick for a while and then put it up for a day, and then back out again, and after a while they wont eat very much. There craving desire for salt will end.

Never allow a water puddle to accumulate around salt because it will make salt brine water and they will drink it, and become sick, and could die.

To much alfalfa, or clover can cause bloat, especially if wet with dew.

bumpus
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Ernie · #5 06/08/08, 09:00 AM

Often my goats will come in from the pasture where they've been eating clover and one or all of them will have swollen stomachs, distended more on the left side than the right. That's a very mild case of bloat and needs no intervention on my part. What does need attention is when they have swollen stomachs and can't get up. Then they run the risk of suffocating themselves. I've never actually had a free range goat get to that point. They seem to stop when they're full. It does seem to be more of a problem with goats on drylots than suddenly get turned out into the green.

Backfourty,MI. · #6 06/08/08, 10:55 AM

My goats don't get a salt block, only what's in their minerals.
Congratulations on fixing the bloat!

fishhead · #7 06/08/08, 12:22 PM

I would swap out the salt block for a good loose goat mineral.

As long as the goat is chewing it's cud I don't think there is a problem with bloat because that shows it can release the gas that causes bloat.

perplexed · #8 06/09/08, 04:45 PM

You all are so helpfull. I had no idea fresh alfalfa could cause bloat but other fresh stuff around here is fine. She is getting hay and is milking so we do give her a bit of grain.

She was bloated for 3 days so I am sure it was a mild bloat instead of just an issue from feeding.

hoofinitnorth · #9 06/09/08, 05:05 PM

bumpus - I have never heard that about brine water being dangerous to goats. I don't use blocks, but this is intriguing. Where do you learn this?

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #10 06/09/08, 05:13 PM

Heather it's very common knowledge. The amount of salt in it is incredible and can cause salt poisioning. Why minerals should be kept dry or if out on range usually have covers. I would bet salt poisioning from run off is a chapter in old books, I just dont' have time to look it up. I don't think in 30 years you will be able to remember where you learned all your basic husbandry, but this is pretty basic. Vicki

bumpus · #11 06/09/08, 05:50 PM

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Vicki is right and the best way to avoid the problem is to put a salt, or mineral block on a slight slope so the water will not collect around it making the brine.

bumpus
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