Sudden loss: symptoms lethargy and scours

Sweetened

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My little Edith passed away yesterday. 3 days ago I walked into the barn to get the triplets and put them out with the girls as i have been for nearly 2 weeks (the cow hogs the shelter so i put the babies up at night). I thought something had died somewhere in the barn due to the awful smell, but quickly discovered Edith had scours. I took them off the fresh grass i had been giving them as that was the only change to their diet. She was eating and drinking fine, playing running and so on.

The next day, when i was putting them up at night, she was lagging a little behind, still eating and drinking. Her scours had turned into clumpy poops that were still not berries but wasnt liquid either.

Yesterday morning, she didnt make it to the pen. She didnt have the energy to finish the walk, so i gathered some hay and brought it in the house along with her. Offered molasses water, gave her oxytetracycline (la100) at a dose of 2ml for under 50lbs. I also gave her molasses water, which she guzzled. She ate, wandered around the house, pooped berries, laid with the dog. 3 hours later we had to run out to the store, and she was having trouble on the slippery floors so i put her back out in the barn.

Within an hour, when i checked on her, she was dead.

The prevailing thing was that rotten smell from when she pooped but with the berries she was passing that was gone.

Is this coccidiosis? Parasite load? We will be ivomecing the babies tonight just in case but i am at a loss. She fell off so quickly, almost in the same fashion tootsies kids did when we had that soremouth infection.
 

Sweetened

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No, i know ivormec is for parasites, just grasping at straws at what to treat.

We dont vaccinate.
 

babsbag

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Sorry you lost her. :hugs

Cocci would not have gone away without treatment so I wouldn't suspect that, I would suspect diet if it went away on its own. I have no insight on parasites and scours as worms are not much of an issue where I live. Color of the scours can be a good clue too.

Goats can just be a mystery, and that was awfully fast for her to die. Did you ever check her temp? The scours may not have been related to the problem at all.

Are the others ok?
 

Sweetened

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I didnt think to check temp, i will pick up a rectal thremometer.

The scours was a brownish grey colour. Thebothers are fine and doing well. Edith was always a bit thinner than the other two and when they are side by side with fern,who was the single and dam raised, they are nearly half her size. I tried graining them but they are not interested in anything other than grass and hay.

We dont usually have a heavy parasite load here either, woth our harsh winters, but im grasping at straws.
 

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Thankyou Southern, and everyone. It has been diagnosed as Coccidiosis, and we have now lost Virgil and Ethel isn't doing well either. Despite treatment, they have failed/are failing quickly.

Because of this, my further contribution to this forum will be limited when it comes to advice and information sharing, as I do not feel the least bit qualified to be helping with anything. Some tough decisions will need to be made over the next little while here as to continued management and so on. While we are leaning towards continued natural management, we have considered a vaccine schedule, but I am uncertain as of yet. We are somewhat of the mindset that this weakness or prone nature from this mother's kids is a result of breeding and selection, and are considering if a survival of the fittest needs to be implemented (with support of course).

Wishing everyone here all the very best. And if my Golden Herd Membership can be transferred to someone else, I'd appreciate that greatly.
 
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