Quick HELP! Goat ate young cocklebur

[ahahahni1]

I think that is what he ate cause that is where I found him dazed and in pain, but still standing. We lost one Saturday too, I assumed from heat but now wondering. His belly is big but that really isn't abnormal for him. He is doing this weird sound. Something simular a combination to a cough not coming out and a wheeze. I rubbed his belly and he burped. I am assuming its the young cocklebur. What should I do? And any other Texas people what else is out now that is poisonous in our pastures?

Marie

[Sweet Goats]

You say in pain. What makes you think that? Does he have access to baking soda? Is he drinking? Does he have access to shade?

In this heat that some are having, you have to make sure that they have fresh water.

Is he foaming at the mouth at all? If so it could be frothy bloat or poison. Do you have charcoal?

[ahahahni1]

no no frothing. Yes he did drink some water when we carried him to it. When I found him he was standing there kinda arched back, stunned looking. I picked him up gave him water and put him in the barn. He is not walking around just standing there.

[mpete]

Hows he doing? I don't know about the plant, but if he's bloated, then you can give him OTC gasX

[ahahahni1]

He is a lot better but not himself yet. I went down to the dry pond and sure enough there are tons of young cocklebur plants and patches of bare spots where they ate all the leaves off the stems. I penned them all up the rest of the day giving them lots of hay. I checked on the wether when I got back from visiting my son in the hospital...His belly is not big and distended anymore. He is walking around but like I said not his perky self. He still doesn't feel good but I think he might make it. Maybe he ate enough for a bad belly ache but not enough for the nerve damage. I'll let you know what he looks like come morning. I sprayed all the rest of the roundup I had on the cockleburs. I need to get another bottle. I think I will try vinegar tomorrow to see if that's a cheaper way too.

[Cannon_Farms]

TSC(tractor supply) sells a great product that is half the price of round up with the same ingredents, its called big and tuff and you can use pasture pro too on them if im not mistaken.
Its a huge seller at our store, 2 gallons is going to cost about 100bucks but its allot better than the 170 that the round up cost.

[hillbillly]

sounds like a mild case of bloat,
i'd go ahead and give the dazed goat/s a bloat treatment,
bet the improvement is noticable in mere hours.
any fever ?
how's the stool, normal or ??

[LaManchaPaul]

Originally Posted by ahahahni1

He is a lot better but not himself yet. I went down to the dry pond and sure enough there are tons of young cocklebur plants and patches of bare spots where they ate all the leaves off the stems. I penned them all up the rest of the day giving them lots of hay. I checked on the wether when I got back from visiting my son in the hospital...His belly is not big and distended anymore. He is walking around but like I said not his perky self. He still doesn't feel good but I think he might make it. Maybe he ate enough for a bad belly ache but not enough for the nerve damage. I'll let you know what he looks like come morning. I sprayed all the rest of the roundup I had on the cockleburs. I need to get another bottle. I think I will try vinegar tomorrow to see if that's a cheaper way too.

Aha, have you read that cocklebur can cause nerve damage?

You may consider using Scott weed and feed rather than a kill everything spray. SW&F kills tea weeds so I'm positive that it would kill the cocklebur without killing the grass.

From my childhood, I remember it said that a cocklebur seed has two parts where one will sprout the first spring and the other the next spring. How I hated those darn things!
Paul

[ahahahni1]

http://www.vet.purdue.edu/toxic/plant32.htm

[ahahahni1]

I guess the weird noise was him having trouble breathing, and maybe he was just a little weak and confused so that is why he was standing alone out on the pasture in the heat. Thank God I was home to find him. He's out there grazing just fine this morning. Thank God he recovered.