# I'm at a loss. Goat is still sick.



## oppida (May 2, 2013)

2 weeks ago, I lost a goat and another came down with diarrhea and severely cloudy eyes. She didn't eat or drink for at least a week. I have been giving her 2 different eye ointments (one for pink eye, one for the edema/cloudiness). She was given 2 doses of LA200 and today a dose of Oxytetracycline. I've given her 3 bags of subQ fluids with dextrose and one with Vitamin B in the first bag. I'm also giving her probiotics 1-2 times a day. She started drinking water a couple days ago on her own and even started to eat- hay and some pasture/meadow grass. Her diarrhea was gone.  I thought she was on the mend. 

But today I gave her the Oxy injection and I noticed she has runny poop again and it's green in color. I'm thinking it's from eating the new pasture grass when she hasn't eaten in a while? And tonight I found her laying down, softly groaning and moaning. Like a soft hum. I looked up side effects for the anti-biotics, but found nothing. The anti-biotics are the only "new" thing I've done in the last couple days. She was doing OK, not good, but OK, before.

Vet has no idea what is going on. Neither do I. She's been sick since last Saturday and tonight it seems she's getting worse, not better, as she had in the last few days. 

Any thoughts? I'm so at a loss!!!! I'm really worried. 

Thank you!


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## sprocket (May 2, 2013)

I'm going to wager that the green diahrea is on account of the pasture.  If she's been only on hay for a while, being put out on to grass would take a while to get used to (particularly if it's fresh spring grass that'd be much higher in protein than hay).  When we turn our girls out again in spring, they'll frequently have fairly juicy poops for the first day or two.

I would suggest to keep her in and on hay for a while, no grain.

When I suspect a digestive or rumen issue with one of our goats, I'll frequently give them a shot of Newcells, which is a vitamin B shot.  I've seen remarkable turnarounds (ie. downed goats getting back up and moving around in an hour) and it won't hurt if it's not what she needs.

Here's a link explaining more about vitamin B deficiency: http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/BVitamins06.html


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## sprocket (May 2, 2013)

Also, have you taken her temperature?  If she's not running a fever, I might cease with the antibiotics - they're going to hard on getting the rumen back up and operational.


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## oppida (May 2, 2013)

Thank you! I game to try whatever works for her! I'll call the vet tomorrow to see if I can get some Vit. B for her.


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## oppida (May 2, 2013)

sprocket said:
			
		

> Also, have you taken her temperature?  If she's not running a fever, I might cease with the antibiotics - they're going to hard on getting the rumen back up and operational.


She is not running a fever any longer (she had a slight fever in the beginning, but not for at least a week now). The vet gave her the anti-biotics for the severe and persistant cloudy eyes. She can't see a darned thing though them, stumbles around, can't find her water, food, etc. Thought it might be Chlamydiosis...

Sounds like her rumen is not happy. I'll keep up with the probiotics and try the Vitamin B as well.


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## Southern by choice (May 2, 2013)

I too have been wondering about _Chlamydiosis_. I have been following your threads.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (May 2, 2013)

*Have you tried Penicillin? You'll need to do a full course of it, but honestly the times when I couldn't figure it out I used Penicillin and it made it better, several times on several different does. Ended up calling the vet and that's what she recommended anyway. I had a goat last year coughing and stopped eating and as soon I put her on Penicillin she got better.

I know it is recommended only for certain things, but Chlamydiosis and other things are caused by bacteria which I would think it would help. 
*


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## oppida (May 3, 2013)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> *Have you tried Penicillin? You'll need to do a full course of it, but honestly the times when I couldn't figure it out I used Penicillin and it made it better, several times on several different does. Ended up calling the vet and that's what she recommended anyway. I had a goat last year coughing and stopped eating and as soon I put her on Penicillin she got better.
> 
> I know it is recommended only for certain things, but Chlamydiosis and other things are caused by bacteria which I would think it would help.
> *


Haven't tried that yet. I think I'll work on getting her rumen in order. It seems like all these anti-biotics are making her more and more sick.  Though, I'll keep it in the "playbook" if her eyes don't clear up.


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## oppida (May 3, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> I too have been wondering about _Chlamydiosis_. I have been following your threads.


Do only does get Chlamydiosis? I wonder...my two Boer goats who died previously were does, my sick goat is a doe and my two wethers have been healthy as healthy can be.


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## Southern by choice (May 3, 2013)

Honestly I don't know but everything I read it always mentions does...

This is another cause of eye issues and arched back etc... however it is generally a respiratory issue.

www.extension.org/pages/23335/mycoplasma-pneumonia‎


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## oppida (May 3, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Honestly I don't know but everything I read it always mentions does...
> 
> This is another cause of eye issues and arched back etc... however it is generally a respiratory issue.
> 
> www.extension.org/pages/23335/mycoplasma-pneumonia‎


Thank you! She has the eye issues, but no coughing, respitory issues, arched back, etc.

I was reading more about how Chlamydiosis is spread by wild birds. We have TONS of birds up here, and they go in the chicken shelter to get leftover chicken feed where the goats hang out. (We have a large shelter that we converted into a chicken coop so it's not like a normal small chicken coop) The poop is everywhere. I'm going to try to keep the goats in their own shelter, instead of in the chickens....just to prevent future infections. 

It looks like it might be something I can vaccinate against too?


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## sprocket (May 3, 2013)

I've not ever had to deal with chlamydia so I'm unfamiliar with the symptoms and treatment, but is it possible just to get a medicated eye drop so that the antibiotics won't affect rumen activity?


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## oppida (May 3, 2013)

sprocket said:
			
		

> I've not ever had to deal with chlamydia so I'm unfamiliar with the symptoms and treatment, but is it possible just to get a medicated eye drop so that the antibiotics won't affect rumen activity?


I'm also doing medicated ointments for her eyes. I'll be dropping by the vet clinic later today to pick up a few bags for fluid infused with Vitamin B complex. I've been doing subq fluids with her for 4 days now, since she can't see to find her water and was dehydrated. Hopefully, this and the probiotics will get her rumen going! Poor girl!!!

Thanks for all your help and suggestions everyone! I'll keep you posted!


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