Scours won't quit

[OakHollowBoers]

I am about at my wit's end trying to dry up my year old (small) Boer buck's backside. For about 3 weeks or more now (I'm pretty sure it has been more, it's written down at the house), he has had scours, varying from pudding to worse. Just regular brown, doesn't smell like flowers, but not particularly bad. I have already tried several things:

Ivermectin - twice, once SC once oral

Albendazole - two rounds, 3 days apiece

Dimethox - two rounds

Biomycin - one round during first Dimethox (once I had that combo work, different time, different goat)

Probiotics - keep shoving them down his throat, at least he sort of likes them

Bovi-Sera and CD antitoxin - two days simultaneously (he is almost due for his CDT)

B-complex vitamins - 10 mls every few days, his rumen is still moving, but I haven't actually seen him chewing cud

Yes, I have taken breaks between some of these, but nothing has worked.

I think that is everything. Thinking I will try Penicillin in the morning, it's one I haven't done. At this point, I don't think anything could hurt, he is skin and bones. Right now, he is on browse (primarily oak, sweetgum, blackberry), ryegrass, and bermuda hay.

He was elsewhere (kindof on loanout) for a few months, on pretty much the same diet. The scours started there, and continued once I brought him home. All the other goats, at both places, are perfectly fine, from kids to 8+ year olds. He also had a gazillion lice, from which I ridded him. He is anemic, although not deathly so, and considering the sheer volume of lice, is probably mostly from them. He does roam around and munch, but slowly. And he is trying to keep himself hydrated, I see him drinking fairly regularly.

He is a sweet boy, I would hate to fail him.

[Doug Hodges]

Have you done a fecal? Stop Guessing.

[Tallabred]

Have you tried Bactrin? It is a sulfa drug. Works everytime when I have one that scours.

[OakHollowBoers]

Haven't tried SMZ/TMP, but I have tried the sulfa half (Dimethox) and I read that studies show the oral TMP is inactivated in the rumen in ruminants.

As far as a fecal, I haven't done one on him because, despite the scours, I have not been able to get a fresh sample from him, due to my schedule. I have everything to do fecals, and do fecals from time to time, I used to be a vet tech. But he seems to be able to "hold it" when opportune.

[Frosted Mini's]

Maybe try a rumen transfaunation which is a fancy word for cud transplant from a healthy goat...it might help right his gut flora. Maybe some baking soda would help too. I wonder if he is somehow acidotic? Doesn't seem likely with his diet, but, maybe? You can always glove up and use your finger to get some poop if needed. Mine usually have at least a little bit right inside.

[raccoon breath]

You've covered a lot of bases here. Maybe I missed you saying you did this so please excuse me if it sounds ridiculous. When I get to this point, I step back, and think of the simple things..pepto?

[OakHollowBoers]

You didn't miss Pepto on the list...but I did. Tried it for about 3 days, 12mls twice daily. But I don't really know the dosage on it, so I may have severely underdosed.

I could try grabbing some cud, wonder who would be slower to try biting me? And I can see about grabbing some poo, I'd love to see his face when I do THAT.

He has been getting some grain, about 1/2 pound of Nutrena Safechoice with alfalfa pellets to balance Ca:Ph, but that's what I always feed, sometimes more (does with kids, etc.)

[raccoon breath]

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[aart]

Does body temperature matter with scours?

[oberhaslikid]

I would cut out all grain and give hay only.Sugar makes scoures worse.Try penning seperate were you know hes only one getting it.Give ACV in his water.Baking soda free choi
ce and a probotic.
Hes has so much done his system is outta wack.

[fishhead]

I think I would restrict him to only hay. The oak leaves are acidic.

[mammabooh]

I don't know if it would be helpful, but how about pumpkin puree?

[Alice In TX/MO]

He may have a gut infection. I'd take a sample (yeah, I know) to the vet and get it cultured.

[coso]

http://www.jefferspet.com/spectogard-scour-chek/camid/liv/cp/0026107/

Try this for three or four days !! A couple of pumps twice a day !
Also you may want to hit him with Baycox, he may have some kind of resistant cocci.

[copperpennykids]

I agree on the spectogard.

Slippery Elm can be very helpful in cases like this as it is a very healing herb.

Ditto the stolen cud -

[Backfourty,MI.]

I think I would give him a round of oral neomycin & also worm with Cydectin twice 10 days apart.
Keep up with the baking soda & make sure he's not getting dehydrated. Nothing to eat but good hay & plenty of water.
I would kinda hold off on anything else other than Cud transfer would be great too.

Depending on what part of the country your in & your temp's there a fecal may not show much at least where I live.