sick goat

[madness]

Ok, we have our first pretty sick goat. Not sure how bad it is or if we are over reacting.

Year+ old French Alpine who kidded 3 months ago. She usually milks 4+ pounds at a sitting and we are milking her twice a day. This morning, she only milked 2 lbs and wouldn't eat her grain. Now we have noticed she is scouring. And not what I have usually called scours which look more like regular poop that just happens to be runny. This stuff is bright green. I've seen her struggle to poop twice but nothing has really come out. It's just all over her rear.

Eye membranes have been bright pink/red. Fecals on the whole herd (5 adult does) have been coming back a bit high (~400 EPG for HC) but we haven't been convinced to worm (milk production continuing to increase, body condition good, etc).

She 'acts' perfectly normal - hanging out with the herd, laying down in a comfy spot, getting up to see if we've brought treats, etc. She walks straight - no stagger. I've seen her interested in water, but she doesn't seem to be drinking much, just sticking her lips in and looking up and smacking them.

Her udder is not filling up at all. It's been almost 12 hours since the last milking and I bet she has a pound in there.

Temp is 102.5F.

Ok, so now what? I've got all the books out, but I figured I would ask you guys too so I can get a good plan of attack.

ETA: Just wanted to include diet stuff. Free choice alfalfa hay and coastal hay. Loose minerals and baking soda. Access to multiple sources of clean cool water near favorite loafing area. She's feed about 4 pounds of grain a day - oats, barley, with a little BOSS, beet pulp, molasses and brewers yeast.

[Chaty]

FIrst off I would worm her. My Alpine did this as she was doing almost 8lbs i the mornings and it dropped all together to where there wasnt nothin. I took temp and it was 104.8 started treating a infection. I used Biomycin for 5 days and gave Banamine for fever and also Fortified B complex for appetite, and baking soda too was offered for the tummy. If they dont eat and drink they dont make milk. Its been over a week since she did this and she is almost back to her full potential. Sounds like she is either gota infection starting somewhere or worms.

[RiverPines]

I would just give her a B-complex shot to boost that appetite and it helps the rumen function. And I would give her a dose of probios and a worming just to be on the safe side.


Whenever poo goes wrong I always use probios in the paste form and it always corrects the problem within 24 hours. I havent had any actual diseases that cause scours so probios has always worked.

[madness]

I got some probios in her. Tried to get her to drink some water with electrolytes but she was completely uninterested. She's been much more subdued this evening and keeping away from everyone.

At milking tonight, she simply wouldn't come in. We skipped her in the line up and then coaxed her in later. She actually ate about a pound of grain and milked 2 pounds. Her temp was still good 102.2F.

When she went in the barn, she hit the water tank first and drank a ton. Afterwards she headed right to the alfalfa manger. So she seems to be doing better...I think...

And wouldn't you know that we are out of Ivomec. Sigh. We transferred management of the goats 2 months ago and are still figuring out where everything is and what all we have. Grrr. Might be able to get some tomorrow.

Boy, I just wasn't expecting such a huge drop in milk like that and those scours are bad bad bad. I hope it's just yet another goat mystery.

[goatkid]

Does she have access to pasture? Perhaps there is some kind of new plant she got into. When my does have had scours, they have been down in milk production. I usually treat tummy stuff with probios and B vitamins. My goats always have access to soda.

[betsy h.]

If her fecals are a bit high, it may be time to switch wormers AND to do the double up dosing that Sooooooooooooooooo many vets are recommending now. A dose from the Avermectin family (Ivomec, Cydectin, etc.) and a does form the Benzemadole family (Safegard/Fenbendazole, etc.)

Scours comes across to me as wormy also- some goats have great membrane responses and are still wormy as he**, and some have pale membranes even when they are not wormy......

I'd also consider treating the whole herd for coccidia- a feed containing bovatec will really do the job well. Feed as much as they will eat of the feed for one week and they will appreciate it.....

[madness]

About cocci - I thought that was something that showed up in fecals? I thought safeguard wasn't effective? The only eggs I have every seen have been HC. Well, and one weird one which I can't remember the name of now, but only one egg.

The FECs aren't that high, just a bit. We haven't wormed (well, herbal) all spring and things seem to be stable there.

Today, she milked almost up to normal and is eating and acting just fine.

The breeder returned our call and before we could even tell her all of the symptoms, she exactly described the condition, as well as the suddenly better in 24 hours. She has seen this throughout the years and has never figured out what it is but thinks it must be some kind of viral infection.

So things are back to normal I suppose...

More fecals tomorrow to make sure things are still good there.

Thanks everyone.

[kreddish]

Goddness... hope she feels better soon!