ok lets start at the beginning about a month ago I moved her mom and her to the barn, two weeks ago she started with diarrhea and hasn't stopped it is normal light brown no blood. She also just started her first heat. she had bova sera at the beginning of the month. all vaccines are up to date just dewormed her again the other day. introduced kelp into her diet. She is obsessed with her salt lick but is not interested in h2o or feed. treating her with pepto 10ml 2x dly she is loosing weight. I thought maybe it was the crazy weather, change in environment etc... but, bova sera is supposed to help that. She has no fever, no other signs of illness does anyone have any ideas that might help??? I am at a loss and so is my friend that has been raising goats for years. Please email or post back. thanks......
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I've never heard of a vet attempting to get a stool sample from a goat. Most tell you to bring one in, and even if he doesn't, I'm sure he would appreciate it if you did get the sample yourself. It will save him time. And you'll have a definitive diagnosis.
Challenger does sound like a good food. Blue Seal is not available here, but I've heard of quite a few people who've used it. It is not what caused the diarrhea, if you were only giving 1/4 cup a day. I don't remember how many goats you have, but if you're just getting started, you don't normally have problems with coccidia. It's something that gets bad when you have overstocked pastures or barn that's full. If it was just her and her mom in the barn, she got it from her mom. If you're keeping kids in a barn, you have to keep the pens really clean. If any fecal matter starts to build up, the kids get coccidia. It can seem like an impossible task to keep the barn clean enough, which is why some people use medicated feed routinely for kids.
Deborah Flint said:
actually she was getting bout 1/4 cup a day. the vet recomended free choice with Rumenain, or Bovetec(monegin), or Deccox for anything under 6 months (free choice). just for the extra boost. I found some with Deccox and with the treatments she is doing much better. I honestly thought challenger was a good choice another lesson learned quickly. thank you. actually it was the vet that couldn't get the sample so he treated her for both just to be on the safe side.
thank you for all your help so far. I plan on getting that natural wormer recommended above it seems to treat better than the safegaurd.
actually she was getting bout 1/4 cup a day. the vet recomended free choice with Rumenain, or Bovetec(monegin), or Deccox for anything under 6 months (free choice). just for the extra boost. I found some with Deccox and with the treatments she is doing much better. I honestly thought challenger was a good choice another lesson learned quickly. thank you. actually it was the vet that couldn't get the sample so he treated her for both just to be on the safe side.
thank you for all your help so far. I plan on getting that natural wormer recommended above it seems to treat better than the safegaurd.
Getting a stool sample from a goat is not hard. Just watch her after she eats, and within 15-20 minutes, you should be able to catch some poop in a paper cup. You can also pick it up off the ground if you see her poop, using a ziploc baggie that you've turned inside out and used like a glove; then turn the bag right-side out again, and zip it up with the poop inside. Without a stool sample, you can't make a definite diagnosis of worms or coccidia.
If "Challenger" is the goat grain by Blue Seal, and you were giving it free choice, that explains her diarrhea. She could wind up with goat polio or enterotoxemia if that's what you were doing. I know goats that have wound up with both diseases and died when given free choice grain.
vet cme and checked her couldn't get a good stool sample but, treated her with an ivermenicin shot for worms and put her on 500 mg albon to treat cocci. also told to tke off chalenger free choice to medicated feed that fights this disease.
I am so sorry! Our buckling just died yesterday. Today, we found out that it was caused by the Baberpole worm, after we had a stool sample done. It was so fast, with little notice. Our buckling had diarrhea and we treated it with Safeguard and Pepto. However, it was to late. We have two other goats (doeling's) that just started showing signs. So we used safeguard, moxidectin, antibiotics, pepto, iv fluids, and nutri drench. So far they seem to be moving forward.
My heart goes out to you, because I know that it is so hard and hurtful. We are absolutely devastated!
In all cases of diarrhea, the standard advice is to feed only dry hay and water, so no grain or fresh grass. If she's had it for two weeks and hasn't died yet, it's probably not cocci. A fecal would be good to rule it out though. It's probably just a digestive upset, so in addition to dry hay and water, you could give her real yogurt with live cultures.
Did her diet change when you moved her? If she is obsessed with her salt lick, it might be a mineral deficiency of some kind.
If she were my goat I would give her Molly's herbal wormer (Formula 1) for 3 days in a row. Molly said on her website that it clears up coccidiosis. I don't know if all diarrhea is coccidiosis or how to tell. I know there are people who don't use an herbal wormer, but it works for me. =) You can purchase it at Fiasco Farm.
I am inexperienced in that over the past 4 years I've never had any diarrhea on my farm, so hopefully someone who has dealt with this can help you!
Replies
I've never heard of a vet attempting to get a stool sample from a goat. Most tell you to bring one in, and even if he doesn't, I'm sure he would appreciate it if you did get the sample yourself. It will save him time. And you'll have a definitive diagnosis.
Challenger does sound like a good food. Blue Seal is not available here, but I've heard of quite a few people who've used it. It is not what caused the diarrhea, if you were only giving 1/4 cup a day. I don't remember how many goats you have, but if you're just getting started, you don't normally have problems with coccidia. It's something that gets bad when you have overstocked pastures or barn that's full. If it was just her and her mom in the barn, she got it from her mom. If you're keeping kids in a barn, you have to keep the pens really clean. If any fecal matter starts to build up, the kids get coccidia. It can seem like an impossible task to keep the barn clean enough, which is why some people use medicated feed routinely for kids.
Deborah Flint said:
actually she was getting bout 1/4 cup a day. the vet recomended free choice with Rumenain, or Bovetec(monegin), or Deccox for anything under 6 months (free choice). just for the extra boost. I found some with Deccox and with the treatments she is doing much better. I honestly thought challenger was a good choice another lesson learned quickly. thank you. actually it was the vet that couldn't get the sample so he treated her for both just to be on the safe side.
thank you for all your help so far. I plan on getting that natural wormer recommended above it seems to treat better than the safegaurd.
Getting a stool sample from a goat is not hard. Just watch her after she eats, and within 15-20 minutes, you should be able to catch some poop in a paper cup. You can also pick it up off the ground if you see her poop, using a ziploc baggie that you've turned inside out and used like a glove; then turn the bag right-side out again, and zip it up with the poop inside. Without a stool sample, you can't make a definite diagnosis of worms or coccidia.
If "Challenger" is the goat grain by Blue Seal, and you were giving it free choice, that explains her diarrhea. She could wind up with goat polio or enterotoxemia if that's what you were doing. I know goats that have wound up with both diseases and died when given free choice grain.vet cme and checked her couldn't get a good stool sample but, treated her with an ivermenicin shot for worms and put her on 500 mg albon to treat cocci. also told to tke off chalenger free choice to medicated feed that fights this disease.
I am so sorry! Our buckling just died yesterday. Today, we found out that it was caused by the Baberpole worm, after we had a stool sample done. It was so fast, with little notice. Our buckling had diarrhea and we treated it with Safeguard and Pepto. However, it was to late. We have two other goats (doeling's) that just started showing signs. So we used safeguard, moxidectin, antibiotics, pepto, iv fluids, and nutri drench. So far they seem to be moving forward.
My heart goes out to you, because I know that it is so hard and hurtful. We are absolutely devastated!
How old is she?
Have you done a fecal?
What type of minerals are available?
In all cases of diarrhea, the standard advice is to feed only dry hay and water, so no grain or fresh grass. If she's had it for two weeks and hasn't died yet, it's probably not cocci. A fecal would be good to rule it out though. It's probably just a digestive upset, so in addition to dry hay and water, you could give her real yogurt with live cultures.
Did her diet change when you moved her? If she is obsessed with her salt lick, it might be a mineral deficiency of some kind.
If she were my goat I would give her Molly's herbal wormer (Formula 1) for 3 days in a row. Molly said on her website that it clears up coccidiosis. I don't know if all diarrhea is coccidiosis or how to tell. I know there are people who don't use an herbal wormer, but it works for me. =) You can purchase it at Fiasco Farm.
I am inexperienced in that over the past 4 years I've never had any diarrhea on my farm, so hopefully someone who has dealt with this can help you!
Some suggestions I've heard might help:
Baking Soda free choice at least until she's better. Some people say all the time, and others say just when issues like this pop up.
Probiotics to help get her rumen back on track.
Cut out or extremely back on grains if you're giving them, and stick with hay.
Those are the only things I know people do to trouble shoot this. I hope others can help soon!!