Goat off feed--update

[michickenwrangler]

My neighbor has a 10 month old Saanen doe who has been off her feed for two days. Violet, the doe, has been eating a bit of her grain and a piece or two of hay, but doesn't go after the food with normal gusto. She's normally quite bouncy and energetic but has been listless and quiet for these two days. Neighbor dosed her with some water and molasses mixed with B-vitamins. I checked her rumen. It's rather quiet, rumbling but not as loud as before.

Right after evening chores, neighbor dosed her with some diluted yogurt to get some probiotics back in her. The doe is about 2 months pregnant, btw. No fever either.

Anyone have an idea of what may be wrong with her?

 

[Roll farms]

Is she UTD on vaccines?

I'd have a fecal ran and go from there.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

giving you a bump.... is she poopin'? peein'?? has there been a change in feed?

ps i didnt understand what your title meant - maybe change to "goat off feed plz help?"

 

[cmjust0]

My first suspicion here would be some kind of infection somewhere.. First thing I'd do is check for a fever.. If she has a fever, I'd hit her with some banamine (I dose @ 1ml/100lbs, IM) and start her on a course of antibiotics.

Problem is, though...she's been off feed for a couple of days. Sometimes when they feverish from an infection, they stop eating, and when their rumen shuts down, their temp falls.. They still have the infection, of course, but their temperature may look normal or even a little low, which masks the infection and makes it seem as though the problem is solely in the rumen/GI system.

Any scours or anything like that? Coughing? Snotty? Anemic, perhaps?

 

[michickenwrangler]

Her poop was fine, BTW, those who asked.

She's doing much better. Neighbor went out and gave her some warm yogurt mixed with goat milk, molasses and probiotics. She gave some last night and this morning, Violet sucked the syringe dry so quick that the neighbor just put the bowl in the stall and Violet licked it dry. She was munching on hay when I went in this morning to milk and do chores (we split chores, I do morning, she does evening) and looking livelier. We'll continue to keep an eye on her though

 

[cmjust0]

Hm.. Reckon she picked up a little bug and whooped it on her own?

 

[ksalvagno]

Maybe just some sort of belly ache, maybe just under the weather a little. At any rate, that is great that she is doing much better. Obviously you caught it before it got serious.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

great work!

 

[michickenwrangler]

Neighbor gives her goats bread as a treat. She had sourdough bread that day that the doe got off her feed. She thinks it may have been due to that. No more sourdough for goats and she's cutting down on the amount of bread she gives too.