What to feed a goat with UC?

[KermitWC]

I have a 6 month old wether who back in the early part of July had UC and his bladder burst. He now has a stoma to urininate through. Can I feed him beet pulp?

[Minelson]

I think this is a question for your vet....I have never seen any info on a stoma in a goat and I'm sure what is fed now is ultra important. Thank goodness you were able to save him. Can you tell us a little bit more about what happened? Sounds like a learning experience.

[mpete]

As far as I know, you can feed him a normal diet... Check with your vet.... If he is a pet, the calcium/phosphorus ratio is 2-1. I think beet pulp is one of those that he can have that is pretty neutral in the calcium/phosphorus.

It was my understanding that the stoma is just a temporary fix, is this a market goat?
I am very curious about his diet previous to the UC, what is his outlook?

[KrisD]

If he is a wether he really shouldn't *need* anything besides hay and minerals. If he is thin I would do beet pulp or rice bran. I too am curious about the diets pre stoma.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I also would like to know about the stoma, diet before the stoma & if he is a forever pet or a market wether.
I am glad that you saved him although I didn't know that was even possible after their bladder bursts.

[KermitWC]

Coco is a forever pet. He was being fed milk, 3 times a day and 1/4 cup of grain , 2 times a day. I noticed one day that he was not peeing, no straining just not peeing. I rushed him to the vet who said he had a UC. She catherized him and said if he was not peeing by the next day, she would have to "make him pee like a girl". The next morning I got a second opinion and they drained his bladder. I brought him back to the vet and during the surgery the bladder burst. He now gets that area bathed 3 times a day. Get iodine on it to help prevent bacteria.

[Backfourty,MI.]

That's amazing that he's still with you & so glad you caught it in time. UC is a terrible.

I would think a good grass hay & browse would be plenty for Coco now that he's all better.
If you want to give him a small handful of alfalfa pellets or a flake of alfalfa hay every few days would probly be OK too. I do give my bucks & wether a little alfalfa to balance out the hay & browse they get.
I also feed them a pelleted feed that has ammonium chloride in it but they don't get a lot of it & don't trust that there is enough AC in it with the amount of feed they get so I also add ammonium chloride to their loose minerals that are available to them 24/7.

[KermitWC]

Originally Posted by Backfourty,MI.

That's amazing that he's still with you & so glad you caught it in time. UC is a terrible.

I would think a good grass hay & browse would be plenty for Coco now that he's all better.
If you want to give him a small handful of alfalfa pellets or a flake of alfalfa hay every few days would probly be OK too. I do give my bucks & wether a little alfalfa to balance out the hay & browse they get.
I also feed them a pelleted feed that has ammonium chloride in it but they don't get a lot of it & don't trust that there is enough AC in it with the amount of feed they get so I also add ammonium chloride to their loose minerals that are available to them 24/7.

Where would I get AC? Coco lives inside.

[fishhead]

It's dietary and possibly genetically predisposed so inside or out doesn't matter unless outside means he can get access to phosphorus rich food.

[KermitWC]

Coco has leg issues and has to stay inside.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I buy it from our feed store in a 50 pound bag but for 1 goat if you want a smaller amount Jefferslivestock.com sells it and also Hoeggers goat supply sells it as well.

[KermitWC]

In August the stoma closed and since he was not urinating the vet opened it again. In September, it happened again. The vet noted that he was dribbling a bit from his penis and sent me how to wait and watch him. For the first few days he dribbled on occasion but the vet still wanted to wait. About 1 week later he was urinating properly and still is. I do not know if the stones passed or dissolved. I never thought I would be happy about peeing.

[Backfourty,MI.]

So Glad Coco is peeing again. Must have passed the stones. Are you giving him AC daily?
If your water is very high in iron that can also contribute to UC.

[KermitWC]

He is getting his pills everyday. I just put them in his bottle.

[CaliannG]

Beet pulp has a calcium/phosphorus ratio of 0.62/0.09%, or approximately 7:1 in favor of calcium.

The cal: phos ratio is what is dangerous to wethers and bucks, and causes UC. You want to make sure that everything balances out in their feed to at LEAST a 3:1 ratio in favor of calcium. That's why it is such a bad idea to give bucks and wethers grain supplements, as cereal grains are so high in phosphorus.

Now that I have given you a little lecture on goat feed, the beet pulp should be fine for him, and is a good way to stretch alfalfa, or if you are feeding grass hay, to provide extra calcium. It also gives slowly released carbs for energy, instead of simple sugars, which will provide him with calories without endangering him.

I hope this helps some.

[KermitWC]

Right now I am giving him free choice grass hay and 3 20 ounce bottles a day.

[Heritagefarm]

Originally Posted by KermitWC

I have a 6 month old wether who back in the early part of July had UC and his bladder burst. He now has a stoma to urininate through. Can I feed him beet pulp?

I can curious as to what kind of feeding program is capable of giving a 6 month goat UC.

[KermitWC]

He was only 3.5 months when he got it. He was on whole milk, grass hay and 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of pellets a day.

[CaliannG]

Have the beet pulp slowly replace the bottles. It is time for him to be weaned anyway.

[Alice In TX/MO]

He may be like some humans who are pre-disposed to forming stones.

Get AC from Hoegger and give him a teaspoon a day.

Hoegger Supply Co. :: Goat...