# SUPER weak 4 month old Nigerian Dwarf...HELP!



## themrslove (Apr 22, 2011)

I have a little buckling who has had loose pretty liquidy poop for about a week now.  I was attributing it to DH feeding him grain one evening rather than his usual ration of alfalfa pellets since he has never had grain before.  Through doses of pepto and keeping resorb/bounce back in his water supply to keep him hydrated we thought we had kicked it last night as he had his first solid poo before bed time.  (He has lost some weight in the process, but I wasn't *too* worried since I knew he was eating/drinking normally and still active) 
This morning he was fine when I left work work, up and bouncy and alert...but when I got home he had taken a complete 360.  He is super weak...having a hard time standing...can't get back up if he falls...his belly quite sunken even though he has had access to his morning ration of pellets all morning he hasn't eaten much of it.  We clipped some of his hair and he is much thinner than we thought.  He has been wormed and his eyelids look a decently dark pink still...but I can't figure out what more I can do for him.  
Any suggestions?  Poor guy just looks awful.

ETA:  Has been wormed with levasol


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Apr 22, 2011)

Baking soda ASAP!!


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## elevan (Apr 22, 2011)

Cocci?

Quote from the following thread may be helpful:  http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8038

Roll Farms states:

_The only way to *know* is a fecal....but....

At 5 weeks, she's at the right age for coccidiosis.
Also, at 5 weeks, she SHOULD be nibbling hay and trying grain...that shouldn't be the 'problem'.

I would treat her for 7 days w/ DiMethox, 1cc per 5# day one, 1cc per 10# days 2-7, then repeat in 21 days.

You can order it from Jeffers Livestock Supply.

I would also give her a B shot to fortify her...some Probiotics...I personally wouldn't give her milk while she's scouring, I'd use something like "Revitalyte Gelling", which will give her nutrients and firm up her poo.

I don't use anything to stop the poops unless it's phenominally runny / explosive and / or  I *know* it's a dietary reaction to something...it's nature's way of getting the 'funk' out, and stopping that process can be worse than letting it happen.

DO NOT wait to treat her, cocci can and will kill in a day or so's time if it's running rampant in her innards, and when it doesn't kill, it can scar the intestines for life and make a goat 'fail to thrive'.

Good luck._


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## ksalvagno (Apr 22, 2011)

I would get C&D Antitoxin in him.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Apr 22, 2011)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> I would get C&D Antitoxin in him.


x 2  Absolutely.


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## julieq (Apr 22, 2011)

Nothing to add to the excellent advice given here.  Sure hope he's feeling better soon though!


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## helmstead (Apr 22, 2011)

Scouring for a week is BAD...I sure hope you're able to turn him around, but I'd be seeking a vet this late in the game.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Apr 22, 2011)

I'll second the vet suggestion.


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## themrslove (Apr 22, 2011)

@Kate:  I would have taken him already, but he had been improving every day on that front and even last night after he had a normal potty he seemed perfect.  He never broke with fever and never went off feed.  Tonight when I got home the only vet near us that has any clue about goats had closed early for Good Friday.   We have a 24 hour vet 3 minutes from here, but we have taken two goats in before and their only "treatment" was iv fluids since they don't carry any medicine for anything other than a cat or dog.  

Thanks for the advice everyone.  It is helping me calm down a little.  I don't handle stress well and this is my baby.    I will be up with him through the night...he seems to be improving a bit.  He is up and walking around...browsing for food..using the potty.  But still hunching and just generally weak.


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## helmstead (Apr 22, 2011)

Cocci babies rarely run a fever, and don't act 'off' until they're REALLY sick, like he is now - hunched up and weak.  Do you have any albon or dimethox??  

Scours aren't the only indication of coccidosis, BTW.  They can be in full blown coccidosis and have normal stools.  It's referred to as subclinical cocci.

Poor little dude!


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## themrslove (Apr 22, 2011)

Ughhhh...no I have neither.  I drenched him with a dose of Levamisole two weeks ago and then again this afternoon when I noticed he was off.  All the feed stores here are closed and I have been super rude and called all the breeders I know of within 2 hours of us to see if they have any and of course (and very reasonably for 9pm and most of the area being under a tornado watch!) they are not answering.  
He has perked up a bit.  But still awful.  If he makes it through the night we will be waiting at the vet when they open!!!


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## themrslove (Apr 22, 2011)

I was searching through my goat medicine chest and found a packet of Corrid.  I have always heard it is pretty useless...but it is worth a try at all?  He has been eating food with deccox since before he was weaned.  Ugh...I've tried to keep him healthy and protect him...I feel like such a goat mommy failure.


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## Roll farms (Apr 22, 2011)

Right now we're not even sure what's wrong w/ him...cocci, entero, bacterial, etc.

Corrid may help if it is cocci.  I don't know how to tell you to mix it, though, I use DiMethox.  You might check fiasco for dosage info.

I have seen DiMethox literally bring about improvement overnight.  
I would get some and keep it on hand...it'll treat bacterial issues or cocci, so it's great to have around.

The thing about medicated feed is unless you do a round or two of prevention until they're eating enough of it, they can't eat enough as itty bitty kids to get the deccox up to therapeutic levels...and deccox won't 'cure' cocci, only prevent it if they don't already have it.

A lot of folks are under the impression (I was once...) that medicated feed guarantees you a cocci-free kid.  

Unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

Good luck w/ him.

eta: don't feel like a failure...most of us will tell you we learned this stuff the same way you're learning...through situations like this.  Darn goats don't come w/ instruction manuals, unfortunately.


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## themrslove (Apr 22, 2011)

Keeping my fingers crossed for him...whatever ingredient(s) in the cocktail of treatments that have been shoved down his throat and injected into his little body *seem* to be doing some good.  He is nosing around a bit, nibbling on toes, and eating!  Much better than earlier when he couldn't barely take a step without tipping over!  Right now he is snuggled up on DH's lap for the night.  Poor dear sweet hubbs...he has offered to keep watch over him throughout the night.  Love him.


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## helmstead (Apr 22, 2011)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> don't feel like a failure...most of us will tell you we learned this stuff the same way you're learning...through situations like this.  Darn goats don't come w/ instruction manuals, unfortunately.


 yep


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## themrslove (Apr 23, 2011)

BABY MADE IT!!!  He looks like a completely different goat!  Energetic.  Eyes alert, ears erect again rather than droopy.  Good appetite.  Normal, round, completely formed goatie poops.  Chewing, normal gut sounds, RUNNING!  Skipping!  Holy cow!  
I am so thrilled!  Exhausted...baby goat slept in a laundry basket in our room so we could hear him cry and come help him so we were up quite a bit of the night...but it was totally worth it because he is doing great!!!
Thank you so much everyone!  Baby so appreciates it!!!
<------------- Avi pic is Baby, in case anyone was wondering!


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## helmstead (Apr 23, 2011)




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## happydodgefarm6113 (Apr 23, 2011)

New goat owner here and Ihave read your thread and I am so happy your little kid came through. I learned quit a bit of valuable information from the wonderful people that helped you. Thanks for your story.


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 23, 2011)

Glad he is back to being a happy healthy kid again!!


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## julieq (Apr 23, 2011)

So good to hear he is doing well!


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## elevan (Apr 23, 2011)




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## Roll farms (Apr 23, 2011)




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## themrslove (Apr 23, 2011)

Thanks everyone!  Baby is doing well still this evening...he has been munching on a high fiber hay blend, pelleted grain ration dressed with molasses, free choice minerals, and baking soda!  We gave him 2ml of Power Punch this morning and some calcium drench and that seemed to improve him even more.  He isn't quite 100% but we think that with careful monitoring we can get his weight back up to where it should be and he won't get tired as quickly. (He has napped quite a bit of the day, but that might also be in part because paranoid goat mama kept checking on him during the night interrupting his sleep!)
Definitely have Di-methox on order as well as another bottle of C&D Antitoxin...we found out late last night that ours expired like a month ago.  Yikes!
Still not for sure what was wrong...but nothing a round of Bo-se/Liquamyacin/Probios/Calcium Drench/Power Punch/Levasole/Re-sorb/Bounce Back didn't help!  LOL
So happy for my baby though!  I feel on top of the world!


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## Livinwright Farm (Apr 23, 2011)

themrslove said:
			
		

> Thanks everyone!  Baby is doing well still this evening...he has been munching on a high fiber hay blend, pelleted grain ration dressed with molasses, free choice minerals, and baking soda!  We gave him 2ml of Power Punch this morning and some calcium drench and that seemed to improve him even more.  He isn't quite 100% but we think that with careful monitoring we can get his weight back up to where it should be and he won't get tired as quickly. (He has napped quite a bit of the day, but that might also be in part because paranoid goat mama kept checking on him during the night interrupting his sleep!)
> Definitely have Di-methox on order as well as another bottle of C&D Antitoxin...we found out late last night that ours expired like a month ago.  Yikes!
> Still not for sure what was wrong...but nothing a round of Bo-se/Liquamyacin/Probios/Calcium Drench/Power Punch/Levasole/Re-sorb/Bounce Back didn't help!  LOL
> So happy for my baby though!  I feel on top of the world!


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Apr 23, 2011)

Whew!


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