Sick Doeling

[SaraMerida]

Hello! I am new to this forum and owning goats. We have four, all does. Our youngest is about a month old we were told. She is just getting her horns. We got her and her momma together about a week ago. We were told no vax had been given. Mom was seriously underweight but is gaining well. In the past two days, Estrella (baby girl) has been acting funny. She has taken to sleeping in the chicken coop instead of with her mother in the goat pen, she isn't eating and barely drinks. We got her to eat some of her moms expressed milk with a syringe (about 30ccs) earlier but only a little bit of water. Her urine appears to be a light yellow and stool appears normal. No respiratory symptoms at all. What is happening to our baby??? What can we do?

 

[TAH]

@Southern by choice @Goat Whisperer @babsbag

 

[islandmanmitch]

Have they been wormed?

 

[babsbag]

Can you take her temperature? Normal is 101-102 or there about, nothing is exact with a goat. LOL Respiratory can be an issue with kids, and you want always hear it or see it, sometimes they don't even run a temp. If she isn't eating she will get dehydrated. And NO CHICKEN FEED...EVER. It is very very bad for them, can kill them if they eat too much. Please make sure she isn't eating any. I seldom see a month old kid drinking, but they are still nursing or on a bottle and just nibbling hay. Is she still nursing on mom?

The next thing to do is get a fecal sample and take it to a vet ASAP. If she is a month old she is the perfect age for cocci. This is not a worm so worming won't help. It is possible that she needs wormed, but she is a little young for me to be worrying about that as a first guess. Even if stools are normal she can have cocci. Wouldn't hurt to get a fecal on the rest of the herd too. Please do this ASAP, goats can go down hill quickly. Any vet should be able to run the fecal for you.

Welcome to BYH and we would love to see pictures when you get a chance. Also, what kind of goats?

Please let us know how it is going with your doeling.

 

[TAH]

By the way welcome come from the upper state.

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings and welcome to both @SaraMerida & @islandmanmitch Sorry this issue brought you to us Sara. I hope you're able to get a fecal done ASAP and find the issue. Coccidiosis (cocci) is a very fast killer of young kids (goat kids). It doesn't always display bloody or irregular stool. Since you're both new to the forum and goat ownership (Sara), please browse around the various threads here on the forum. There's a LOT of information already available there. We also have a very active goat group with a lot of very experienced and knowledgeable folks who will help you all they can. If you have questions, please feel free to post them! Most likely someone will be around to respond in short order. The one thing you have to remember with goats is that they are not a science... each is an individual and they do their best to confound and confuse... What works for one won't necessarily work on the next. You'll get used to it and they are pretty addictive.

Speaking of addictive, most of us on here are picture addicts. As was mentioned, if you have some you'd be willing to share with us, I'm sure you'll get lots of ooohhhs and ahhhhs over them Glad you both joined us and look forward to seeing you on the boards! Make yourselves at home!

Edit: Oh, as an aside... You guys should go over to the new members section and do a brief intro so we can all welcome you properly.

 

[SaraMerida]

She does eat chicken food! Every chance she gets! I thought since they were both rumenents It wouldnt hurt her! No fever. 101.2 rectal. What can i do about the ingestión of chicken food??? Obviously I will stop. But anything I can do about already having eaten it? I will introduce and add pix soon

 

[Green Acres Farm]

She does eat chicken food! Every chance she gets! I thought since they were both rumenents It wouldnt hurt her! No fever. 101.2 rectal. What can i do about the ingestión of chicken food??? Obviously I will stop. But anything I can do about already having eaten it? I will introduce and add pix soon

Not good. How does her belly look/feel? You may need too give her a C&D antotoxin and baking soda and treat her if/like she has bloat. Chicken feed can kill her. It is nutritionally way off balance by itself and it expands inside of her which can result in bloat and/or rumen acidosis.

@Southern by choice @Goat Whisperer @babsbag

A fecal is still a good idea. She is prime age for parasites.

Oh, chickens aren't ruminants.

 

[luvmypets]

Chickens are monogastric aka have one stomach, I believe the technical term is Avian digestive tract.Its starts in the crop which basically stores everything, then gradually moves to the gizzard to be ground up. Small bits of rock and grit basically break down the food. then to the intestines and Im sure you know the rest.

Ruminants(as Im sure you know) have a four part stomach. First is the actual rumen organ, in which food is stored to be fermented. If you see your animal chewing cud that is regurgetated from the rumen(yummy). The second part is the Reticulum which captures any non-edible things the animal may have ingested(ex: nails, wire, string etc). Then we move to the omasum that breaks food down further snd then onto the abomasum which is known as the true stomach. Then it moves to the intestines.
Just for the record I had to google some of that as my knowledge is a tad rusty. If any of that is off let me know.

Okay sorry Im a nerd , hope your doeling feels better

 

[Green Acres Farm]

Chickens are monogastric aka have one stomach, I believe the technical term is Avian digestive tract.Its starts in the crop which basically stores everything, then gradually moves to the gizzard to be ground up. Small bits of rock and grit basically break down the food. then to the intestines and Im sure you know the rest.

Ruminants(as Im sure you know) have a four part stomach. Rumen, Reticulum, abomasum, and omasum(not in that order).

Okay sorry Im a nerd , hope your doeling feels better

I don't understand why the goat's stomach is referred to as the rumen when there are really 4 different parts.