Constantly Fighting Bloat & Diarreah In Bottle Babies

Rechellef · #1 04/10/11, 05:49 PM

I have two LaMacha bottle baby doelings. The first month they were here, they did great. However, lately it seems as though someone either is bloated or has diarreah. I am a a very careful caretaker in that their bottles are always cleaned well before each feeding, they are fed the same thing every day and fed at the same time and yes - they have been wormed recently. They also have a constant source of hay available to them for their cute little rumens and when they are put away at night, they have goat pellets available also which they only nibble on. When they get a case of the runs, I treat them with Pepto and Amino Acids with Corid and diulte their bottles with electrolyte solution until they clear up. Despite my very careful management, I always seem to be pumping someone full of Pepto for diarreah or oil and Gas-X for bloating

. I am left scratching my head as I can't figure out why they are having such a problem.

Goat Servant · #2 04/10/11, 05:58 PM

Are you using replacement? Goat milk? Whole milk?

Minelson · #3 04/10/11, 05:59 PM

What is in the bottle? Milk? Replacer?

nehimama · #4 04/10/11, 06:44 PM

If you're using milk replacer, I'd assume that is the culprit. If you are using goat milk or whole Vitamin D milk from the grocery store, perhaps they're taking too much at one time. Please let us know what you're feeding, and how much. Perhaps we can give you ideas that will work.

LoneStrChic23 · #5 04/10/11, 06:48 PM

I'm also curious as to what your feeding?

Also are your bottles the same temp? Feeding warm bottles, then cold the next feeding can cause problems.

Also how often are you feeding them and how much?

I use whole milk...either cow or goat, and when I did have to switch to cow's milk briefly, I did the transistion slowly by mixing goats & cows milk together.

I also put one pinch of baking soda in one bottle per day.

Only time I had a problem was due to coccidia, shortly after a round of Corid. So I did a 5 day round
of Sulfadimethoxine (Albon/Di-Methox) & haven't had a problem since.

All babies have meat goat pellets, grass hay, minerals mixed with baking soda mixed in and a shallow water dish.

Laverne · #6 04/10/11, 07:07 PM

They need coccidosis and worm prevention starting at 3 weeks old. 5 days of corid, you may know that. Oil and electrolytes cause diarrhea. The other stuff messes up the rumen bacteria. They just need milk and access to alfalfa and grass hay. Some yogurt in the milk for digestion.

Kid rearing management, ect. http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php/topic,2077.0.html

Alice In TX/MO · #7 04/10/11, 07:19 PM

Note: milk, not replacer.

julieq · #8 04/10/11, 07:57 PM

We never have a problem with our bottle babies on plain ole cow milk from the grocery store if we don't have enough goat's milk on hand. We offer hay after the first week or so and don't offer grain until they're about six months old. Golden blend mineral salt are offered in free choice feeders.

Rechellef · #9 04/10/11, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goat Servant

Are you using replacement? Goat milk? Whole milk?

Whole cow's milk and some goat's milk (yes, I know never to use milk replacers). One is 6 weeks and the other is 8 weeks old.

I feed them luke warm bottles - never cold. They get their bottles at 8:00 (the older gets 16 oz. and the younger 12 oz.), 12:00 (both get 8 oz.) and 4:00 (the same amount as the morning feeding) everyday. Free mineral is offered to the whole herd although I do include baking soda in their bottles once a week.

Six months old seems a little old to be waiting for grain?

Alice In TX/MO · #10 04/10/11, 09:22 PM

Luke warm? Should be 100 to 102. Luke warm is too cold.

Three bottles a day should be as close to EIGHT hours apart as you can get them. I'd put a pinch of soda in the morning bottle every day.

I agree on the feeding grain. Mine have pellets in front of them at a couple of weeks of age.

**mygoat** · #11 04/10/11, 09:23 PM

I feed grain young, starting when they nibble at it. With milk feedings, I get my bottle babies up to 20 oz 3x per day. I would not feed less than 16oz 3x per day until weaning at 3 months orl ater. Mine got 8-12 oz per feeding from birth to a week or so old. I also mix ammonium chloride at a high rate into the minerals, which I offer as soon as they show any interest in them.

The diarrhea makes me think coccidia. I would take a fecal sample in to see. Corid does NOT TREAT COCCIDIA. It is preventative only, it works by keeping the coccidia from developing to the damaging stage of it's lifecycle. It's effective only when used every 3 weeks, daily for 5 days. . To treat, you will need Dimethox 40% INJECTION (given orally).

Offer baking soda 24/7. It's one thing my bottle babies scarf down. Once or twice a week in the bottle isn't going to do beans when there's an issue.

Get kaolin pectate and put a couple tbs in each bottle. It's pretty safe, just don't use a TON.

I would also give Probiotics.

Goat Servant · #12 04/10/11, 09:24 PM

Your posts indicates YOU are doing it right. My 2 1/2 mo old is getting 24 oz three times daily with a 1/8 tsp probios in bottles (whole milk)
If you are using the BS in bottles either cut it out completely or use it daily

..once a week isnt going to make enough difference.
Yes grain intro at 6mos is late, maybe it was a typo or something.
If they are getting into the minerals, THAT can certainly cause the runs if they are helping themselves to too much!

LoneStrChic23 · #13 04/10/11, 10:22 PM

I always gave Sam 4 bottles a day until he was about 6 weeks old.

16-20oz at 6:30am, 11:30am, 4:30pm & 9:30pm. Pinch of baking soda in the 1st bottle of the day, every morning. Always warm bottles....as warm as it could be without burning the inside of my wrist (same way I did my childrens bottles as babies).

Sam turns 10 weeks old tomorrow and this past week I've gradually been feeding him slightly cooler bottles...we've worked up to luke warm now.

He is currently getting three 20 oz bottles per day....One at 7:30am, 2:30pm, 8:30pm. Still gets baking soda in the 1st bottle of the day, has unlimited meat goat pellets, coastal hay & minerals.

I plan to continue his 3 bottles per day until he's at least 12 weeks old....After that I'll move to 2 bottles a day until he doesn't want it anymore. I realize everyone can't do this, but I'm home all day and I have plenty of milk, so why not?

Plus he's a snuggle bug after his bottle and that's my favorite time with him so I have to enjoy it while it last

If your babies do have coccidia, like another poster said, Corid won't TREAT it, as Corid is only for prevention, and only kills off one stage of coccidia. To treat you'll need Sulfadimethoxine (which is also sold under the names Albon & Di-Methox). The 40% has been hard for some to come by, so if you can only find the 12.5% (which is what I had to do) the dosage is 3.2cc per 5lbs given once per day for 5 days and repeated in 21 days. The volume of the dose is large with the 12.5%, and its foul tasting, so you may have to split it into 2-3 bottles...