# Bloat (Discussion)



## elevan (Apr 10, 2012)

*As I'm working on an index I find it is incredibly difficult to find a good thread for bloat, so I'm going to start a discussion here on it.

Please share your experiences, pictures and recipes for dealing with bloat.

Thank you!*


Here is what we use / keep on hand at Honaker farm:


> Baking Soda - used for bloat and upset tummies
> 
> *Baking Soda (BS)Balls:*
> 
> ...


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 11, 2012)

We Keep *Mineral oil* on hand, and baking soda. 

For a goat with true bloat from *getting into feed*, we would drench with mineral oil, or tube feed the mineral oil if the animal was bad enough.  Hard to say exactly how much, but for an adult boer goat over 100 lbs we would tube feed 2 or 3 cups of mineral oil. IN the mineral oil I would add several cc's  of Penn G and a couple teaspoons of baking soda depending on  how big the goat is.  Penn G is to prevent a bloom of bacteria leading to overeating disease.  

I would repeat in 2 or 3 hours. 

Exericise is important, forced exercise if possible. 

Then only offer the animal grass hay and fresh water, no additional feeds for a couple days until they are feeling better. 

Scouring is okay and in fact a good thing for a day or so, but if the animal continues to scour for 2 or 3 days, then a bacterial bloom has set in and the animal needs to be treated for bacterial scours with oral neomycin or oral spectam Scour Guard for pigs, twice a day. discontinue treatment 24 hours after symptoms subside. 


If The cause of bloat is unknown, you also need to consider other causes of the bloat, such as a *parasite problem* causing an upset stomach, especially coccidiosis in a young kid.  In this case the parasite needs to be addressed in order for the bloat to subside.  Often times in these kids the bloat will come on gradual and come and go over a course of a few days. 

Bloat in young kids and especially bottle babies can also be from a disease called *Overeating Disease*.  Your vaccination schedule needs to be evaluate since CD & T vaccine is the prevention for Overeating Disease and Tetnus. If you suspect Overeating disease in a kid, that is bloating on and off and scouring, not eating well and in general not feeling well, the best treatment is C& D antitoxin, (this is not the vaccine).  Once the treatment is administered over a course of a couple days and the animal recovers the animal then needs to be revaccinated With the CD & T vaccine.


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## Chris (Apr 12, 2012)

If bloat shows up we use Activated Charcoal Past at the rate of 3c.c. per 2lbs. and repeat every 2 hours or as needed, we also make them walk a lot.

Chris


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## elevan (Apr 12, 2012)

This is a great post in the cattle section under the same topic that would apply to goats as well: 




			
				WildRoseBeef said:
			
		

> *Information on Bloat:*
> 
> There are two types of bloat: free gas and foamy bloat.
> 
> ...


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## Daisygoat (Jun 17, 2016)

We have three female Boer goats and they all looked bloated! They are active and eat hay, sweet feed and mostly forage in our woods. They have a big water tank with fresh water available. They don't act sick at all but their bellies are as wide as can be. Should we be concerned?


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## Latestarter (Jun 17, 2016)

Ummmm with that bowling ball sticking out the right side (more on one than the other)... any chance they are pregnant? That looks like a soon to be kidding situation...


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## OneFineAcre (Jun 17, 2016)

Daisygoat said:


> We have three female Boer goats and they all looked bloated! They are active and eat hay, sweet feed and mostly forage in our woods. They have a big water tank with fresh water available. They don't act sick at all but their bellies are as wide as can be. Should we be concerned?
> View attachment 18987


No
You should not be concerned
If they are active , eating hay, eating feed and foraging then they are not bloated

If.a goat is bloated you can go on that left side and thump it and you can tell by the sound if it has air in it
A normal rumen you can take your fingers and press on the left side and it's like play dough


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## Daisygoat (Jun 19, 2016)

Well, glad they aren't sick then, but it just seems so odd that they are all so big bellied!! Esp. since they didn't used to be that way.  Just 'hay belly' eh? Hehehe.


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