# Goats and Cabbage is there a problem?



## Bedste (Sep 17, 2011)

My Goat got into my garden and ate a few small heads of cabbage..... is that anything to be concerned about?


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## elevan (Sep 17, 2011)

Cabbage can cause excess gas...just watch to make sure that they are expelling said gas and not retaining it (bloat).
I think your only issue is likely to be some stinky goats for a day


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## Bedste (Sep 17, 2011)

Should I give her some baking soda or something?


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## elevan (Sep 17, 2011)

Bedste said:
			
		

> Should I give her some baking soda or something?


You could make it available in a dish...but I wouldn't administer any unless a problem developed.

If you chose to make it available then I would only do so for 48-72 hours.


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## freemotion (Sep 17, 2011)

How many pounds would you say she ate?  Does she normally have access to growing green stuff, as in pasture/browse?

One of my gals got into my tomato garden last summer and leveled it.  She was fine.  I coulda killed her, but she was fine.   She was used to pasture, so it was just more green stuff to her.


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## Bedste (Sep 17, 2011)

There were 8 heads of cabbage that werer about 1/2 the size that they should have been... she only got to 6 of them but she ate most of those.  If you imagine a head of cabbage at the grocery store- she probably ate the equivalent of 2 of those.  She free ranges all the time but Texas has been in a drought.  Before everything dried up, she had all the bushes and plants trimmed down.  She has not had too much to eat grazing in weeks, exept for today in the garden.


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## freemotion (Sep 17, 2011)

Watch her closely, look for swelling high up on the left side and very firm.  She'll probably be fine, though.


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## Bedste (Sep 17, 2011)

I mixed up a cup or two of olive oil and 2 TBS baking powder cuz she was laying on the front porch and her belly looked all swollen...... Remember she is my first goat, and when I realized that bloating can be fatal I became concerned.  I guess I thought she would open her mouth and say awe and swollow the mixture, but she did not.  She looked at me like I was crazy and she clamped her mouth shut.  During my attempt to open her mouth, I poured a good portion of the mixture on her cheek and got about a teaspoon in her mouth.  I tried this 4 or 5 times and made a big mess.  Then I put the cup in front of her with the remaining oil/baking soda, and as if she understood, she started lapping it out of the cup.  She probably drank 4 oz .  I was so thankful.  She then wiped her greasy face on my pants.   Brat!

I walked her around the yard a bit and I did actually hear gas passing.... so I am releaved.  I will go check on her again, but I feel like she is going to be fine.  I then came in the house and soaked my oily britches.


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## elevan (Sep 17, 2011)

Sorry to laugh but sometimes we make it so difficult!  And the goat just has to say "Well, if you'd just offer it to me and be nice..."

Walking her around is good.  As is a firm massage to the left side.


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## Bedste (Sep 17, 2011)

It was so funny..... 

I did feel of her bloated belly and it felt the same on both sides..... but it is super large, just like when she was pregnant.

Yep... the oil that she did not drink I left in a flat pan in her stall just incase she wants to lap it up.  You never know.  

Thanks for all the help/


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## tressa27884 (Oct 24, 2011)

I know this sounds crazy but......I have Great Danes who a suseptible to bloat.  I always have Gas-X tabs on hand for them.  I'm not sure that you could feed them to goats [others here will know better than I], but it's a thought....

Tressa


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## Queen Mum (Oct 24, 2011)

doggone goats,  got to eat the cabbage.  So did you end up with any cabbage to eat for your table?   Inquiring minds want to know!


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