Help please - sick, possibly dying goat

forphase1 · #1 05/17/12, 08:07 PM

I'll make this brief. I have 7 Nubians, 4 adults (3 does, 1 buck) and 3 kids from this spring (2 whethers and one doe). About 10 days ago I expanding their grazing area after fencing in another acre or so of my property. About 7 days ago I noticed that my buck and 1 of the does had diarrhea. I didn't think anything about it at first as it happens to all of us at times. Well, 2 days later they still had diarrhea so I did some light research online and most things just said change of forage, eating to much, etc...nothing major to worry about right? Well today they both still have diarrhea, and the doe looks very weak. There is a small step up into their pen, and she acted like she was struggling to make it up the step. I can't tell if she is running a fever or anything like that. She looks like she's lost a little weight, but not a great amount. I can't get a hold of any vets right now, and I'm not even sure if there are any vets in the area that handle goats. As to worming, they were a few weeks past due and after I saw the diarrhea I wormed 3 days ago. I don't know of anything in the field that would have been poisonous, but I can't swear that I didn't miss something. Any advice? Thanks.

saanengirl · #2 05/17/12, 08:27 PM

Diarrhea can be caused by several things. Coccidia is the most common cause of diarrhea in kids, but since these are adults it may or may not be Coccidia. Parasites can cause diarrhea, but since your goats didn't respond to deworming I would guess it is not parasites. Overgrowth of certain bacteria in the gut can also cause diarrhea, and I would guess that this is causing the diarrhea in your goats. This overgrowth can be caused by a change of feed, change in the weather, or pretty much anything. If it were clostridium they would be dead by now, but I would give them C & D antitoxin anyway. Can't hurt. Go to Tractor Supply and pick up some oral neomycin. Dose according to the dosage for other species on the bottle. Continue until the diarrhea is gone. This generally clears up bacterial diarrhea in my herd.

Ford Zoo · #3 05/17/12, 08:30 PM

Would a dose of probios help too? Or would the antibiotics destroy those if given too close together?

Alice In TX/MO · #4 05/17/12, 08:33 PM

Pepto Bismol may help, too.

Keep them OUT of the new area until you get this under control. Feed hay ONLY.

If they have gotten into something poisonous growing in the new area, you need the charcoal products. Amazon.com: Toxiban Suspension (240 mL): Pet Supplies

Poisoning and Toxicity in Goats

Backfourty,MI. · #5 05/18/12, 06:25 AM

I would keep them out of the new area until the diarrhea clears up & feed them a good grass hay only right now. I'd also give them a big dose of pepto bismol or kaopectate, like 2 or 3 tablespoons for each goat that has it.
Like a poster above said the C & D Antitoxin is also good too(not the CD & T Toxoid for vaccines).

Pony · #6 05/18/12, 06:39 AM

Nothing to add to the good advice you've been given, other than my prayer that all will heal from this.

Keep us posted!

Nancy_in_GA · #7 05/18/12, 07:15 AM

Just to add a note about symptoms...Diarrhea can make them become dehydrated. And dehydration can make a goat very weak. If the weakness gets worse you may have to give liquids IV.

Tallabred · #8 05/18/12, 08:22 AM

How are they doing this morning? I would give a B complex shot too.

beaniweeni · #9 05/18/12, 08:46 AM

One of my does had gotten into the chicken feed, had awful diarrhea and couldn't walk, I gave her pepto-bismol, baking soda, and pedialyte. Next day she was much improved. Good luck!

Sonshine · #10 05/18/12, 08:49 AM

Checking in to see how she's doing this morning. Praying for her.

Copperhead · #11 05/18/12, 01:58 PM

Just a quick thought, what was in the acre you fenced? Brush? Grass? Clover? I don't think brush would have caused diarrhea and grass isn't likely, but I've had goats bloat and die on clover. The stuff is great cattle feed but lousy for goats.

When they're all better and ready to go back, only leave them in there for an hour the first day then put them back in the barn with just hay. On day 2, try 3 or 4 hours. On day 3 or 5, whichever you feel comfortable, go ahead and leave them out permanently. Their rumen should have had enough time to transition.

All told, brush is best for goats. Black Berry, Autumn (Russian) Olive, Japanese Honeysuckle (super-aggressive hedge/tree), American Honeysuckle (vine), and Multi-Floral Rose are the reasons I got into goats in the first place

forphase1 · #12 05/18/12, 05:15 PM

1) Copperhead, the area I fenced in was full of brush (Autumn Olive, various briar plants like multifloral roase and blackberry/raspberries), a little grass/clover, and many young trees of various kinds (oak, locust, maple, etc). Basically perfect goat pasture, at least it seemed that way to me. :-)

2) She seems to be doing alright today. This morning she was out in the field, just laying down, and I gave her some water. This evening I stopped by Tractor Supply, picked up some of ya'll suggestions, and gave them to her. She had moved down to the barn, and when I put some sweet mix into the communal trough she got up and started eating. She ate for a minute, then the others pushed her out...she didn't put up much of a fight. I gave her a bowl of her own and she ate quite a bit, then drank some water and laid down. We will see how she is later tonight. I'll update later.

Thanks for all the advice and thoughts. Much appreciated.

Alice In TX/MO · #13 05/18/12, 07:01 PM

Do not feed her sweet feed when she has digestive distress, please. Grass hay only for a few days.

You might want to consider not feeding any of your goats sweet feed. It's not what is best for goat digestion.

forphase1 · #14 05/18/12, 08:08 PM

Really? I didn't know that about sweet feed. Thought I was giving her (and all of them) a treat. They don't get very much, just a bit here and there. But if it's rough on them, I'll stop it all together and use something else to entice them to the barn. :-)

goatlady · #15 05/18/12, 09:08 PM

Interesting as I have used sweet feed for 25+ years for my goats with nary a problem of any kind. I sprinkle a scant 1/4 cup on top of each ration of corn while they are on the milking stand twice a day.

forphase1 · #16 05/18/12, 10:03 PM

I'm not milking right now (job simply doesn't give me enough time to do that yet) but every evening I put about a butter bowl full of sweet mix in their communal trough, and they all share it...so none get a ton of it or anything.

Backfourty,MI. · #17 05/18/12, 10:12 PM

Sweet feed or corn neither one are very good for goats. The corn is just a fat basically & adds to much heat to them( a little when it's really cold added to their regular grain is all most of us give them) & sweet feed has way to much molasses in it which can cause acidosis & upst the rumens in goats.

If you are just wanting to give them a little something like a treat & get them to the barn each night I would use a goat pellet or alfafa pellets since it doesn't sound like they are getting any other form of calcium.

Goatlady, alfafa pellets or a dairy goat pellet would be much better for them on the milk stand.

steff bugielski · #18 05/19/12, 05:18 AM

A few thoughts...'
How are her eyelids? If pale the wormer might not be working. I would do a fecal.

And a note on sweet feed. All are not created equal. i have been feeding Blue Seal Feed here for years, the dairy goat pellet. I had some one ask me about some ingredient one day so I took a closer look at the label.
It turns out the pelleted feed actually has more molasses than their sweet feed. It also has corn as the first 4 of 5 ingredients where the sweet feed has whole oats first.

Alice In TX/MO · #19 05/19/12, 05:51 AM

Neither corn nor sweet feed are advisable for a healthy rumen, healthy teeth, healthy feet.

Slow damage it causes, not immediate distress.

forphase1 · #20 05/19/12, 10:24 AM

Thanks so much for the advice. I'll switch off of sweet feed altogether. I hope I didn't cause this issue by the sweet feed...