Severe diarrhea.

[miss_thenorth]

I'm glad to hear progress! Slow, but still.... Bet you had a rough night, eh.

 

[ksalvagno]

Glad to hear that your goat seems to be a bit better. I would strongly suggest getting that fecal sample in and make sure they test it for cocci and lung worm along with the regular worms.

 

[taraann81]

Yeah it was a bit rough. I'm tired today. I only ended up getting up 3 times to check on her and give her electrolytes. But its worth it, even just to see a little progress.

 

[cmjust0]

There are just sooo many different things that can cause a goat to scour.. Several different bacterium like salmonella, e. coli, clostridium perfringens, etc...protozoans like coccidia and giardia...virii, dietary changes, noxious plants, ruminal acidosis, certain types of worms..the list goes on.

For something to come on so strongly and swiftly and be accompanied by anorexia and listlessness to the point of going from being a fighter to not even struggling against meds -- yet, no fever! -- seems really peculiar.

Is the goat on browse/pasture, or is she strictly on hay and grain?

 

[taraann81]

She gets browse and what ever weeds and grass she wants to pick out of my lawn(no pesticides or fertilizers used for years here). The browse she gets I cut branches and give to her, from safe trees on my property. She gets alfalfa hay and a complete goat pellet, free choice loose minerals(for goats) and free choice baking soda. She also of course always has access to fresh clean water.

 

[cmjust0]

Hmm...

Personally, I think it would be a little odd for a 6mo kid to present with coccidiosis or some other protozoan so acutely, after being perfectly healthy... To have attained that age in good health, I would expect that the kid was already naturally vaccinated against protozoan infections through small, manageable challenges. Not to mention....daily clean water, twice daily grain feedings (vs. 'free-feeding' grain, which can become soiled quickly)... Doesn't really seem to fit the profile for protozoans, which are almost always connected to dirty living conditions.

It doesn't sound like she's ranging far and wide, either, possibly exposing herself to 'interesting' new plants.. The dietary situation actually sounds pretty routine.

This may sound like a silly question, but...what color is she scouring? Is it black, yellowish, green...?

 

[kimmyh]

Humm, I wonder if she has acidosis secondary to the pneumonia. Many goats die each year from eating baking soda, it tastes salty to them and they over do it, and give themselves acidosis. That sure would account for her unwillingness to eat. I would take away the baking soda (I used to leave it out too, until I was warned by my vet), and only use it for floppy kid.

 

[Hoofprintgirl]

I agree, I would take a fecal sample in. It actually sounds like cocci. Probios would be great for her. Look at her gums. They should be a pretty bright pink color. If they are a gray color, she is having a parasite overload.....probably cocci. Do not let this go on for very long. Keep the electrolyes coming also.

 

[taraann81]

She is doing much better tonight but I had a... bad evening. She is now eating bits of hay and drinking on her own and her diarrhea is starting to slowly firm up. Pudding consistency instead of water. (the color was brown, maybe a touch of yellowish instead of dark brown).

My bad evening, I went to my husband s baseball game for a relaxing break, they went into extra innings it took longer than we thought it would and got home after dark around 915 here. We went to lock the birds up...are missing a rock barr hen.....why don't we lose the extra roo?? Found a cat(very friendly) with a litter of 5 in my recycling box...still wet little babies... AND found one of my turkeys appearing to have a broken leg...I can't even imagine what happend while we were gone...I guess I learn to process a turkey in the morning(this one too being one of the hens I plannned to keep....argh...When it rains it pours.

 

[ksalvagno]

Sorry to hear about your hen and turkey. It is so frustrating when stuff like that happens. And yes, it is always the females that you want to keep that end up getting deathly sick or something happens to, not the pet boys that you can't even give away.

I bet it will be fun to watch the kittens though.