# Help? My goat suddenly stopped taking her bottle?



## ForeverDarkRider (May 20, 2012)

I have twin goat kids whose mom died. They were both taking the bottle excellently. However, one of the twins suddenly started refusing her bottle. It began yesterday when she didn't finish her lunch. It was only a little so I didn't think anything of it. But then she left nearly half of her dinner bottle and today she didn't even touch her breakfast bottle. The twins aren't yet a month old even, so I'm worried. Especially since they've only just started touching solid food. They eat a little grass and such but won't eat hay or grain yet. They had lice when I got them and I've been treating them for it but they're so small, I'm worried that either the lice or the powder will do lasting damage. They've also had diarrhea off and on and don't yet drink water. Does anyone have any suggestions? I can call the vet out but I'd rather avoid a bill if possible. Thanks for any help you can give me.


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## pridegoethb4thefall (May 20, 2012)

Are you feeding them whole cows milk, goats milk, or powdered replacer?  Breed of goats?


They are old enough to get Sulmet, coccidia (sp?) is very common for them at their age. Since I dont know their weights, I cant give you dosage info. Sulmet works great, and can be found at the feed store. 

Are they bloated at all? If so, get some baking soda in them, 1/2 a tablespoon, mixed with water until it is like  a paste.

Also, they may need some pro-bios to repopulate their gut with 'good' bacteria that the diarrhea will wipe out. They only need a little of that, once a day or so.

The more info you give, the better we can suggest options for treatment.


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## SDBoerGoats (May 20, 2012)

I have a post going where I have a new baby that did the same exact thing, he started refusing his bottles. I gave him B complex orally for a couple of days and I gave him CD/T orally. He didn't have any diarrhea at all though. He started drinking again and is eating almost a full bottle now 3 times a day. In his case, I don't know what was going on, but if his sister knocked the bottle out of his mouth, he would get upset then refuse to drink. At least I think that's what the problem was! because if it happened he would get mad and I couldn't even get him to eat when I held him. 
I'd try the B complex for sure, and the probiotics too. Has he had CD/T?


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## swiss.susan (May 20, 2012)

Scours in a kid that young makes me think cocci or worms.  They aren't to young to be treated for the lice.  I would give them 1/4 cc of ivomec injectable under the skin, and also 1 cc ivomec injectable orally.  this is assuming they are full size goats, not nigerians or pygmy's.  You can also give them 1 cc of kaopectate and I would back off the milk.  It is really hard to overdose a goat on wormer, better to give more than not enough.  I showed and milked for over 15 years, some years parasites are harder than others.  I once had an old vet tell me that karo syrup was the best thing in a vets pharmacopia, i'v used it alot, mixed with water, over the years to keep a kid hydrated and energized while it recouperated IF i needed to back off the milk.


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## ForeverDarkRider (May 20, 2012)

The twins are Nubians and they are on raw goat's milk with a small amount of milk replacer. Neither show signs of bloat and they have had their first CD/T shots.


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## Pearce Pastures (May 21, 2012)

If they are one month old, are scouring and have lost their appetite, I am betting on coccidiosis which can take a life pretty quicky (not to scare you just that you probably need to act fast).  I do not have any experience with Sulmet (we use DiMethox).  If you dont have a treatment on hand, I personally woul dbe taking a fecal to a vet quickly and getting something from them (if they recommend Corid, ask if they might give you DiMethox because CoRid is probably not going to clear this up if it is coccidiosis).


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## DonnaBelle (May 21, 2012)

x2

DonnaBelle

Get some 40% Di-Methox if you can.

DonnaBelle


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