a hard area on right stomach buldge

I posted awhile back about my 4yr old doe drying up sort of early.Since then I have observed her droppings being really small and more pointy and rather dry. They are just weird looking compared to normal.The other odd thing is that she is really bulged out on left and right sides.When I palpitate the left side it is soft ,when i palpitate the right side I can feel a hard area towards the back about the size if my fist.When I feel it and press on it with my hand it does not appear to be tender.

Her behavior is usual,she is eating and drinking and chewing her cud.Acting bucky when the other does are in heat.Eating baking soda,kelp,mineral.

Would I be feeling the recently consumed food, waiting to be cudded,when I press her right side? She has that look like she is carrying a ball on each side.It has been like this for a number of weeks so I am thinking not bloat.

I have started taking her out for a walk each evening and a short run which she seems to enjoy.

I am just curious about the weird droppings and bulges.

A goat rumen in on their left side, which means that when you are standing behind them, it is on the left. It can get quite large when goats are eating hay. When we showed goats, I would take the hay out of their pen a couple of hours before I expected them to go into the show ring because they looked really unbalanced with a full rumen. Some really weird things can happen in the rumen, which are all normal. I have one goat whose rumen has so much activity in it that you would swear there are kids in there -- but the first time I actually saw it was a couple weeks after she had kidded. It only happens when she is eating and for a little while after she is done. She also has a big bulge that comes and goes.

If her sides look more like she has saddlebags hanging on her, that just means she has lost her girlish figure and is somewhat common. A lot of people see goats like that and immediately assume they are pregnant.

Nothing you said about her poop sounds odd to me. Although I have not seen it in any of my NDs, I have some standard size goats have pellets that are more pointy.

Replies

salviadorrii March 31, 2014 at 12:04am

Thanks for info

    I have decided to worm my doe with a chemical.I have been using Molly's herbal worm formula weekly for 4 yrs and live in a dry climate so have small problems with parasites.The latest symptom with this goat is I am noticing that she seems pretty skinny.Even though she is eating etc.

   My main observation about her droppings are that they are very different than she has ever had before,so it has me on alert.

   She has me stumped on what is up with her.Today one of the other does was in heat and she was so busy being bucky,I swear I wonder if that could be affecting her.Such distraction that she won't eat enough or drink.

   I am bring in a buck soon and really hope she is in shape enough to breed.Or to settle.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle March 28, 2014 at 9:35am

A goat rumen in on their left side, which means that when you are standing behind them, it is on the left. It can get quite large when goats are eating hay. When we showed goats, I would take the hay out of their pen a couple of hours before I expected them to go into the show ring because they looked really unbalanced with a full rumen. Some really weird things can happen in the rumen, which are all normal. I have one goat whose rumen has so much activity in it that you would swear there are kids in there -- but the first time I actually saw it was a couple weeks after she had kidded. It only happens when she is eating and for a little while after she is done. She also has a big bulge that comes and goes.

If her sides look more like she has saddlebags hanging on her, that just means she has lost her girlish figure and is somewhat common. A lot of people see goats like that and immediately assume they are pregnant.

Nothing you said about her poop sounds odd to me. Although I have not seen it in any of my NDs, I have some standard size goats have pellets that are more pointy.
Julia @Woody Glen Farm March 28, 2014 at 7:32am

(Disclaimer: I'm no expert) but I would think the small pointy pellets indicate dehydration. I would try giving her some warm/hot water with ACV in it or maybe some molasses if that helps her be more interested in drinking. Do whatever you can to up her water intake. Also a probiotic drench couldn't hurt. Hopefully someone else will chime in. I don't know what to say about the hard spot except maybe she has some hard stool in there that she's having trouble passing. Oh, and i would take her off grain completely if you haven't already.

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