Just Got New Goat Home and She Had Diarrhea

margeaux

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Hello Everyone. I just got my first goats today, a doe in milk and her doeling. The mom pooped many times that were normal poops but towards the evening she had some diarrhea. Should I worry, or could this just be anxiety from the move? What should I do? Everything else seems fine, baby was nursing, they both nibbled on some hay, otherwise alert and healthy. Thanks for your help!
 

animalmom

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A big howdy and welcome from the Great Lone Star State, where the stars at night are big and bright. Glad you found us even if under these circumstances.

Well a few things come to mind... what do you mean by diarrhea? Is the doe passing clumpy "dog log," or is she passing pudding? It COULD be from the move, it COULD be worms, it COULD be different feed... so more information is needed.

Diarrhea is not something to be ignored and I applaud you for jumping on the forum to ask what is going on with your doe.

You should take a fecal sample to your vet to be checked for worms. Chat with your vet about other possibilities if the sample comes back clean.

If she is passing pudding make sure she has plenty of fresh water, get her electrolytes, and hang in there to see what the other folks have to suggest. If it is pudding you could take a box of Jello and add enough hot, not boiling, water to get it mixed up and get her to drink it, or drench her if she is not volunteering to swill it down. That should slow her down, but it isn't a be-all-end-all cure.

Good luck with your girl, her doeling and your newly entered world of goats. We need pictures, lots of pictures and I'll warn you that goats are addicting.
 

margeaux

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Thanks for the replies and advice! I did not change her diet yet, her former owner gave me some of her normal diet and I'm going to change it gradually.

I'm happy to report that her poop returned back to normal. When she had the diarrhea it was pudding textured but it was just one time so I think it was just stress. She lost one of her kids right after his birth so her previous owner was milking her to keep production up. So I was trying to milk her a little last night to make sure she didn't get too full and also to have a kind of test run before the normal morning milking. I think that was too much too fast for her in her new home and with new people.

Thanks again for your help! I'm happy to feel like there's a place to go when I have questions. It's nerve wracking starting a new thing when goat lives are involved!
 
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