Pregnant doe with bloat

[journey11]

Even after you take care of the bloat she could still have lingering effects of eating too much grain. I have notes from my vet (she taught a class I took) on how to treat a goat for grain overload, which would include eating chicken feed. Their rumen gets acidic when they eat too much grain so the goal is to dilute, buffer, and move the contents out. For a standard sized goat the rumen is about the size of a 5 gallon bucket. So you would use 1/2 cup of baking soda in 2-4 qts of electrolytes (with no glucose or other sugar). Another option is a large bottle of Pepto Bismol and 2-4 qts of electrolytes. Do this for 3-4 days. Treat with Pen G and probiotics. Heffenweisen beer, warm and flat, actually works faster and better than probiotics. Also give banamine.

I had a doe get into some Calf Manna and she was one sick girl for about 4 days.
Hope that your doe makes a full recovery.

A Nigerian would probably be half, two-thirds then maybe? She's looking perkier and less rotund this morning. She had a large bowel movement overnight, mushy, but at least not runny. I had wondered if I should start her on electrolytes.

You guys have been so helpful. Thank you!

 

[Baymule]

Sounds like she is on the mend!

 

[babsbag]

I would definitely treat her with probiotics or the beer. Listen to her rumen and see if you hear anything. You should hear rumen sounds about every 30-45 seconds. It will sound like a toilet flush. Listen to her left side.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Just logged in for the first time in several days. I agree with babs. She needs probiotics. You can buy powder or boluses at most farm supply stores. The powder you mix with water and give as a drench. The boluses are given with a pill giver that’s most often called a balling gun. These can be bought at the supply store too.

The oil you gave her will cause her to have loose stools also.

I have another thought to offer...beet pulp is fairly easy on the gut. I have Nigerians and I’d start her on a small handful twice a day and slowly increase from there. It’ll help get her gut back in action without overloading it.

I’m glad that she’s doing well!

I am curious though, how was it that you knew it was gas bloat versus frothy bloat?

 

[journey11]

I am curious though, how was it that you knew it was gas bloat versus frothy bloat?

She had no froth from her mouth and I knew it was grain she had gotten into. Our grass is not lush or growing yet either. Tapping her side made a hollow drum sound too.

The probiotics the vet gave her are really helping. It is a thick, cheese-like paste. Not sure of the brand. It just said Probiotic Gel on the tube. I was about to go for the beer (like, I need one too after this, ha), but she is very much improved today.

Something else I learned from this is that it is much easier to take a goat for a bumpy ride in the old truck than it is to get them to walk when they don't feel like it! The vet said motion would help stimulate her gut.

Checked her temp prior to giving her her meds today and it was normal. She is pooping again, though it is not formed yet. I think I felt some strong fetal movements too.

 

[Hens and Roos]

glad to hear she's feeling better!

 

[Baymule]

Yay! She is feeling better!

 

[goatboy1973]

Glad she is feeling better! I have used a dose of CD&T orally, mineral oil, Probios, and simethicone to get rid of the bloat. At the very last option, I have used a large bore needle as a trocar to immediately remove gas, but this is dangerous even if you know what you are doing.

 

[goatboy1973]

I guess to add as a follow-up...stay away from a lot of grains and go with alfalfa and black oil sunflower seeds as an alternative and maybe a general all stock feed to mix in. Lots of good quality grass hay and encourage an increase in good fresh clean water by keeping a good loose mineral in front of them at all time. Abrupt changes in diet can cause bloat so any changes in feed need to be done very gradually over a 7-10 day period. I add distilled white vinegar to the water in my stock tank (1 gallon of vinegar to 100 gallons of H2O) and this is a 3 fold solution...the goats and llama love the taste of the water and drink more, the vinegar keeps algae from growing in the water tanks, and the increased acidity can help kill internal parasites like stomach worms and intestinal parasites.

 

[journey11]

I guess to add as a follow-up...stay away from a lot of grains and go with alfalfa and black oil sunflower seeds as an alternative and maybe a general all stock feed to mix in. Lots of good quality grass hay and encourage an increase in good fresh clean water by keeping a good loose mineral in front of them at all time. Abrupt changes in diet can cause bloat so any changes in feed need to be done very gradually over a 7-10 day period. I add distilled white vinegar to the water in my stock tank (1 gallon of vinegar to 100 gallons of H2O) and this is a 3 fold solution...the goats and llama love the taste of the water and drink more, the vinegar keeps algae from growing in the water tanks, and the increased acidity can help kill internal parasites like stomach worms and intestinal parasites.

Thank you for the advice. This is all new to me. I had been top dressing their grain with a tsp of loose minerals and baking soda. I have mixed 12% sweet feed with a goat ration 50/50 and they get one cup of that daily, which was what the folks I bought her from had fed her. They also get a 1/4th cup hulled black sunflower seeds each. I quit giving the grain mix to both over the past week's episode. They both are slimmer than ever, so I think I'll further reduce their ration, just enough to get their minerals in them. I used to put their minerals and baking soda out free choice and they would scratch their butts on the feeder and poop in it! My BIL adds DE to his goats' ration. What are your thoughts on that? He says it helps with worms.