The solution (I think) to the non-eating goat

[Alice In TX/MO]

Bella, my doe who quit eating feed/grain, was correctly diagnosed by someone on the Saanen email list group.

Cobalt deficiency. This leads to low B vitamins and loss of appetite and wasting away.

Looks a lot like Johnes, but it's not. Thank goodness, I tested the whole herd for that last fall.

Turns out she doesn't like the loose mineral that I've been feeding, and I had been lax over the winter with the Replamin Plus.

She's been on daily Cobalt, B Vitamin, and Diamond V yeast supplementation for ten days, and I also put a cobalt block in the doe pen. She's eating better, her coat looks better, and she is slowly putting on weight again. .

She's making 3 quarts per day, which is pretty good, considering what her body has been through.

I'm hoping the trend continues. It was recommended that I supplement her daily for two weeks, at least.

[Backfourty,MI.]

Glad you got it figured out it sounds like & glad she's doing so much better.

I had asked about the cobalt blocks before when you have mentioned them here in the past & no matter where I look here, no one carries them.

[aart]

Wasn't lack of Cobalt indicated regarding a milk issue here awhile back?

[Alice In TX/MO]

Yes, aart, you are correct.

There is one of the local feed stores that is now carrying them here. Hirsch Feed and Farm Supply in West Plains.

I got the block from Amazon.

I got powdered Cobalt from http://www.jollygerman.com/livestock...tsulfate.shtml

[Ford Zoo]

Alice, How much of the Diamond V and the loose Cobalt do you top dress with?

Also, I was searching last night for some info on vit B and ran across a post that suggested top dressing with Swine VB premix to add extra thiamine to the diet. Do you have any thoughts on this?

[Alice In TX/MO]

I'm not top dressing the feed. I'm putting it in either a gel based drench or on the peanut butter sandwich.

She said to give about enough to fit on the end of your fingernail. 1/16th tsp? per day for two weeks.

Mixing the yeast in, too.

When I had used the Diamond V yeast in the past, I put a handful every now and then when I was mixing feed in a 50 gallon trash can. Not very precise.

Don't know anything about Swine meds.