# Help! My Nigerian Dwarf Wether kid has diarrhea!



## caseyB (May 26, 2018)

I have an 11 week old kid goat that we just brought home. He was on pasture where we got him from and now he's here and he LOVES grass. I'm just kind of confused about feeding because the lady we got them from wasn't very specific about how she fed them. I give them less then a handful of alfalfa pellets twice a day and some black oil sunflower seeds, no grain and free choice hay. I have apple cider vinegar + garlic mixture in their water, free choice baking soda, and a salt block out for them. But my one little guy has wet poops I've been limiting the grass now as much as possible and have given him some Pepto bismol. I'm thinking it's from going from pasture to nice thick grass. Their pen + house is cleaned daily. Fresh water 2x per day. I'm not sure what else to do about it. He's happy and jumping around. Not lathargic at all and still eating and drinking. Any suggestions on how to make it go away? Will it go away on its own?

Thanks for everyone's help in advance!!


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## Southern by choice (May 27, 2018)

First wethers should NOT have BOSS. Too high in phosphorus throwing off an imbalance of Calcium: Phosphorus ratio.
Free choice Baking soda is also a no no- 
Grain (feed) is ok in small amounts- you want to make sure it contains Ammonium Chloride this helps prevent Urinary Calculi.
Baking Soda renders Ammonium Chloride useless.
Save that for a bloat situation (baking soda)

Change of diet could be a factor but he is at an age for coccidia. Have a fecal run by your vet asap.
Coocidia kills kids quick. It may present with or without diarrhea.  
Do you know if he was on prevention? If not he needs to be.  When kids are moved the stress of new environment can cause a bloom, of Coccidia and or Parasites.
Fecal- asap.

He needs access to hay 24/7  
1 cup of feed/alfalfa pellets per day.

Here is a link on Urinary Calculi.

http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/SP/MG/Documents/SLIDES/Urinary calculi.pdf


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## caseyB (May 27, 2018)

He has gotten shots at 4 + 8 weeks for calculi so they lady told me she doubts its that. They has free choice hay. 

What is BOSS?


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## Southern by choice (May 27, 2018)

You don't get shots for calculi 
You must mean a CD & T vaccine.
Completely different.

Coccidia is your no 1 culprit for kids.
We do prevention and send home a treatment for every kid that leaves our farm, with instructions for follow up fecal with the clients vet.

BOSS is Black Oil Sunflower Seeds.


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## caseyB (May 27, 2018)

Southern by choice said:


> You don't get shots for calculi
> You must mean a CD & T vaccine.
> Completely different.
> 
> ...




Yes, I figured out BOSS soon after I hit send lol 

Oh okay, then yes you are right about the shots. My mistake. 

Will the calculi make him lathargic? Is there any other signs/symptoms that it could be that? I will get a hold of my vet Monday morning regardless this has been going on for about 3 days now. I wasn't all too concerned about him just for the fact that he's still eating and playful.

I will start feeding them more pellets daily. When we first got them they didn't want anything to do with the pellets so that's why I was thrown off about feeding. I guess they were just getting used to being in a different environment.

Hopefully this clears up soon!


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## Southern by choice (May 27, 2018)

Please go back and read- Urinary Calculi is a whole different subject  I mentioned because of what you were feeding. It is to prevent. Please read the PDF

Coccidia is what is more probable at this time.

They are two different things.

Some goats do get lethargic with coccidia, some don't , some have diarrhea, some don't.  Someytimes a kid can be happy and playful and that night be dead from coccidia.


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## babsbag (May 28, 2018)

I think that @Southern by choice covered it all very well and I agree with all that she said. 

And welcome to BYH from sunny CA.


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## breezy2u (May 30, 2018)

Southern by choice said:


> You don't get shots for calculi
> You must mean a CD & T vaccine.
> Completely different.
> 
> ...



I give BOSS to my goats as treats. I have a doe, two doelings, and a wether. I didn't realize it was bad for them. Should I stop?


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## Southern by choice (May 30, 2018)

breezy2u said:


> I give BOSS to my goats as treats. I have a doe, two doelings, and a wether. I didn't realize it was bad for them. Should I stop?



The doe and doeling are fine. Not to the wether. Just go easy with the does. If they are on heavy alfalfa diet then you should be fine, if not just limit it. BOSS is very high in fat so if you have obese or fat goats ( trust me I see this all the time) then cut all BOSS out.


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## breezy2u (May 30, 2018)

Southern by choice said:


> The doe and doeling are fine. Not to the wether. Just go easy with the does. If they are on heavy alfalfa diet then you should be fine, if not just limit it. BOSS is very high in fat so if you have obese or fat goats ( trust me I see this all the time) then cut all BOSS out.



Well, they are all a bit chubby. I have been using the BOSS to get the doe used to being milked. I will limit it to only that. Right now they are only getting hay when it is raining to much for them to spend time in the pasture. I get them each about a cup of feed a day in the evening. Everyone seems very fat and happy.


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