Need to know about all black goat health signs. Please help

[ElliottTheGoat]

I just got a completely black Nigerian dwarf buckling. He's 4mos and about 16lbs. Ever since he warmed up and tamed down some for us, he's been seeming desperate for food. I don't know if he has worms or is just really friendly. He was dam raised and his previous farm was a little less than nice (when we picked him up they went and got him by the back legs and carried him to our truck upside down!!) so I don't know if he's just realized I'm not a murderer or what. He has access to hay and grass and brush and gets about a cup of pellets a day.
Now about him being all black... When checking his gums/eyes for pink color would it really be pink? It is greyish black (his bottom,his gums and his inside eyelids). Is this okay or what?
Edit: also his tongue is black like a chow chow dog.

 

[TAH]

Here is a chart on what his eyelids should look like.

 

[NH homesteader]

He could be hungry or he could be acting like a goat! They act like they're starving if they think you have anything for them.

Definitely sounds like you need to have a vet do a fecal. @Southern by choice has some excellent articles on here about parasites. Not all parasites will make the eyelids pale. I would post a link but I'm on a cell phone, but it's under the articles section.

The short is that he could have worms or coccidia, goats can have a parasite "bloom" when moved to a new farm. Also do you have minerals out for him?

And yes he needs a goat friend at some point also!

 

[ElliottTheGoat]

@TAH it's really hard to see his eyes. Like I mentioned, he didn't have the best life before he came home with us so it's hard to check his eyes (he wiggles away and cries) but from what I can see they just look grey like everything else on him.
@Green Acres Farm the owners said 3 weeks ago they wormed him and I believe that's it. The pellets he's on are the medicated sheep and goats off brand at tsc. I give him about a cup a day and he has full time access to grass and brush and coastal hay. I give him raisins sometimes too haha. I want to get him minerals also for copper but idk what brand to get and some people said block is OK and some people say its bad.

 

[NH homesteader]

We were posting at the same time haha. Manna Pro from Tractor Supply is good, that's what I use. Loose is better than block. They can hurt their teeth on the blocks and can't get enough of what they need.

 

[ElliottTheGoat]

@NH homesteader what meds should I be getting for him then? If it's worms there should be a goat drontal equivalent right? Full spectrum I think they say. We're working on getting another goat but for now I'm outside with him for usually 4 hours a day and my dog goes out and they play together all day too. I think the dog thinks he's a goat!

 

[TAH]

@TAH it's really hard to see his eyes. Like I mentioned, he didn't have the best life before he came home with us so it's hard to check his eyes (he wiggles away and cries) but from what I can see they just look grey like everything else on him.
@Green Acres Farm the owners said 3 weeks ago they wormed him and I believe that's it. The pellets he's on are the medicated sheep and goats off brand at tsc. I give him about a cup a day and he has full time access to grass and brush and coastal hay. I give him raisins sometimes too haha. I want to get him minerals also for copper but idk what brand to get and some people said block is OK and some people say its bad.

He defiantly needs minerals. Any loose minerals at coastal should work good. Is it a light gray of darker?

 

[ElliottTheGoat]

@TAH no it's just the same black/blue like his tongue. He's very wiggly! If he did have worms or coccidia would his poo be different? Right now it looks good. Uniform color, no clumping or anything.

 

[babsbag]

You won't always see a change in the poop, especially with worms. Probably the most common goat wormers are Safeguard and Ivermectin, and it depends on the type of worm. The dosage on Safeguard is different than what is on the bottle, too. The bottle doesn't dose it high enough or long enough for it to work. Ivermectin is the injectable kind given orally. If you can take a fecal sample to a vet that would be a great place to start; it is really important to know what kind of worm and the worm load. Killing off a heavy worm load quickly can be dangerous.

Cocci often causes scours, but not always. It is treated with an entirely different medication. DiMethox is a good choice, and Corid will work if there is no other choice. Your vet might have other options for treatment if he has cocci. But again, the fecal is the only way to know.

Any vet should be able to do the fecal for you even if they aren't versed in goats. We can help you figure out dosage if they can't once we know what he does or doesn't have. If a vet tells you one dose of Safeguard don't believe them, it has to be at least 4 days in a row.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

As I suggested on your other thread, you should have a fecal run on him. This is the best way to check for parasites and cocci.
You should still be able to check for anemia regardless of his tongue/gum color, but I wouldn't go solely off that due to a lack of experience on your end- look around and see if there are any FAMACHA classes locally. This usually is taught in conjunction with fecal analysis but not always.

How does he feel? Can you easily feel his ribs or spine? He sounds small/thin.

Babs is right, scours can present when a goat has cocci but not always. I have seen just as many goats die of cocci without scouring than those that were.

Just so you know, grabbing a goat by its legs is not uncommon. I prefer not to carry them that way though. If done right, it will not harm the goat. Much like holding a chicken by its wings or legs, if you do it right its the most effective an causes no harm.
I've had to grab and swing newborn goats by their legs before when the kid/s were born breech and has lungs filled with fluid. It worked well and caused not issues.