# Adult Doe with Diarrhea



## annanicole18 (Dec 6, 2018)

My does are currently not at home but at a breeder to be bred.  I was contacted this morning saying one of my does was very ill.  Found in a puddle of watery diarrhea this morning.  Said she was fine at night check about 11 last night.  I am not close by about an hour and a half and bringing the doe home isn't an option as her two companions would be staying to be bred and they are my only other goats. So I wanted to pick everyone's brain on what else can be done either from afar or on a visit.  I also don't know that moving an already stressed goat would be the best course of action.

Doe is 3 and this would be her second second time being bred. She has been there for about a week now and is the lowest goat on the totem pole. Breeder started giving the grain I provided as I keep my does on just hay until breeding time or milking.  Breeder gave oil, charcoal, banamine, and penicillin.  When warm water was offered she did drink and a goat coat was put on as she was wet from her puddle. Deworming was done right about a month ago maybe 6 weeks. 

If she were at home I would be offering her a bottle with pedialyte in it and would take a fecal sample to the vet for testing just to rule out coccidia.  But at 3 I am skeptical this would be the issue.

Anything one have any thoughts?


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## Southern by choice (Dec 6, 2018)

If she was dewormed  4-6 weeks ago was there follow up?  mOST DEWORMERS ONLY KILL 4TH STAGE SO IF NO FECAL AND NO FOLLOW UP THERE IS STILL A PARASITIC LOAD. nOW ADD TO THAT TRANSPORT AND NEW ENVIRONMENT AND WELLA, YOU HAVE A BLOOM.  Coccidia is still a possibilty, this year many adult goats are having issues in high rain areas.
The change of hay and feed, especially overfeeding can be causing issues.
Fecal sample is necessary. Don't just deworm. Know the counts and type. 
What was the temperature of the doe?

Sorry I realized as I was typing I hit the caps lock , too much to re-type. LOL


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## Fullhousefarm (Dec 6, 2018)

If it was my doe and she was in bad shape (not eating, high or low temp, etc) I'd bring her home even alone. The breeder where they are would probably prefer that too since it's really hard (IMO) to be treating someone else's goat. Afraid to do too much or too little, that the owner would want do something different. I've BTDT. it's hard enough on your own goat. 

I agree to start with a temp. I'd be trying to rule out coccidia, high worm load (but in my experience those haven't caused an adult with perfect poop/eating to turn to watery diarrhea overnight with no appetite), enterotoxemia, pneumonia, or a bacterial infection like ecoli or salmonella. Low temp you have something metabolic going on, but could be caused by something else on the list. High temp you've got an infection somewhere. 

Any goat that won't eat anything at all I treat as an emergency. It's only a matter of time until the rumen shuts down and that's bad news.


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## annanicole18 (Dec 6, 2018)

Temp was not mentioned in the conversation.  I will be calling to check on her at 2 and will see if a temp was taken and if not if one can be.  A worm load flare up was top on my list of concerns stress causing a flare up and adding grain probably hasn't helped.  But since the rest of the goats there get grain I knew that it would have been bad not to take them grain as they would have been pitching a fit when everyone else was fed.  If she doesn't seem to be perking up but spiraling down I will likely make the 1hr and 1/2 drive to at least get a fecal sample if not bring her home.  I just don't like the idea of having her alone in the back of a horse trailer for the long trip if she is already not feeling well.  The breeder has a lifetime of experience with goats and I only a few years so I am torn between letting them continue to care for her and bringing her home where I could baby her.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 6, 2018)

I agree with FHF- likely not a parasitic issue however it is the first place to start and rule out. We have had this happen on our farm this year. We had gotten in some bay hay- looked beautiful. Smelled wonderful. In the morning the day of milktest as we were bringing up does we had  quite a few that just had water diarrhea all over themselves, they looked horrible. We ran and got the hay out but 4 of the does were greatly affected (total six does did get sick)- the other does were fine. It apparently had some kind of noxious weed in the hay. Our tester use to grow hay and looked at it.
We started probios immediately. 2 of the does we did put on anti biotics as they were the worst. The two that got it the worst took months to recuperate. They lost so much weight in a matter of days. We also gave red cell, no grain, hay only.  During this time they made no milk, as they recuperated me milked lightly. None of the 4 does were able to earn their star because of the effects of that hay. 
Much more impact on a doe in milk. Thankfully your doe is dry and should recuperate better if indeed it was something in the hay, feed, environment.
I will say that when something like this happens it also can trigger a parasitic bloom. 

If the person who has the goats is more experienced and is willing to take on the responsibility I would leave the doe.


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