# Help needed with 12 wk old wether with diarrhea



## ChksontheRun (May 12, 2011)

Little preface here.  This little guy (mini nubian) was always the runt of the spring kids.  A little frail from day 1.  3 weeks ago he started really looking puny and got HORRIBLE dandruf and and itchiness.  He was off feed and I was really worried.  I decided after reading posts that he needed Bose.  His mother did not get it before kidding.  I got some from the vet, and gave him a dose with some B complex.  He perked up the next morning.  Within the next week his skin started to clear up, and by now, his dandruf is gone.  End of phase 1. 

Thursday last week I immunized all babys with CD and T.

On Friday last week, our 1 bottle baby(Esther) got the runs.  I gave her a dose of Pepto, and changed her to electrolytes, cleared up in 24 hours and is completely gone.  Phase 2

On Sunday, I gave a pat of hay to the kids and they all gorged themselves.  I dont know why they did this as they have never done this before, but the kids (5) ate the whole pat within about an hour.  All had full bellies.  By Monday morning, all were fine except Rolex.  Rolex had a huge belly and arched back, and would not eat.  I gave him some baking soda, and rubbed his belly for a bit, then left for work.  When I came home he was happily playing with the other kids and belly was soft.


Starting yesterday he has had diarrhea.  Not watery but soft brown with no bad odor.  So I chalked it up to over eating on that hay, gave him some pepto.  He acts well, eats with the others, plays, no arched back, but he has the runs.

Now, I noticed that the adults have dog logs for poops.  There is lots of new green food that they are enjoying, but it has been out for a week or 2 now.  Also lots of rain recently although the barn is dry.

I think I will try to take a stool sample to the vet tomorrow to see if he has any idea what is causing it before just throwing everything at them.

Here is my question.  What do yall suggest I start with.  I could worm them all.   They have not been wormed since last summer.  I could treat the babies for coccydia although that seems a little late.  I could make up some baking soda balls and hope that calms down the tummies.  When do I worry about little Rolex?  He doesn't seem dehydrated at all.  His skin turgor is fine on his back.

Help.  I have only had goats for 8 months.  So far everything has gone smooth as silk but right now I am not really sure what to do.  There is lots of poop out there in the goat yard.   

Oh, and temps are normal.


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## ksalvagno (May 12, 2011)

I would have a fecal done on your goats before you do any worming. May as well find out what the parasite is so you are treating with the appropriate wormer.

I would start Rolex on DiMethox 40%. I wouldn't be surprised if he has coccidia.


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## ChksontheRun (May 12, 2011)

I have Corid, would that work?

And what is the dose for goats


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## Ariel301 (May 12, 2011)

Yeah, diarrhea at that age could be coccidia. I don't know what the dose is for Corid, I use Di-Methox powder.


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## elevan (May 12, 2011)

Label for CoRid


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## ksalvagno (May 13, 2011)

I think you have to use Corid straight for goats but I have no idea on dosage. The package directions isn't a high enough dose.


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## ChksontheRun (May 13, 2011)

Found a post that said to give 25 mg per kg instead of 10.  I gave it last night.  This am, no more liquid poops for Rolex.  They are still logs but not liquid.  Sure wish I knew what brought this on.  I am guessing lush fresh grass that he had never had, over eating on rich hay, and still sort of weakened from the bout with dermatitis just came together to create an environment for the over growth of coccidia.  All of the adults have pellets again this morning, and it is raining so they will not be out eating the rich green stuff.

Do other people have difficulty with stuff like this in the spring.  This is the first time we have had goats and I would love to know if this is typical.


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## helmstead (May 13, 2011)

Wet weather = cocci bloom, I'd treat everything in the herd under 1 yr. and run fecals on everyone.

_And, PLEASE throw away the Pepto.  Using Pepto on a goat can kill them (goats never just *have* the scours, there's always a reason - and plugging them up will just let it kill them faster)._

I use CoRid at 2.5 cc per 10 lbs UNDILUTED.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (May 13, 2011)

I know there are varying opinions on this, but I do think using Pepto as a treatment for scours may only mask the symptoms while the illness persists and possibly worsens.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 13, 2011)

ChksontheRun said:
			
		

> Found a post that said to give 25 mg per kg instead of 10.  I gave it last night.  This am, no more liquid poops for Rolex.  They are still logs but not liquid.  Sure wish I knew what brought this on.  I am guessing lush fresh grass that he had never had, over eating on rich hay, and still sort of weakened from the bout with dermatitis just came together to create an environment for the over growth of coccidia.  All of the adults have pellets again this morning, and it is raining so they will not be out eating the rich green stuff.
> 
> Do other people have difficulty with stuff like this in the spring.  This is the first time we have had goats and I would love to know if this is typical.


Yup, cocci is a pain around here in the spring, that is why we were trying to kid out in December and sell off all our kids by April, this year we kidded in February and march and we have now treated all the kids twice for cocci(with corid) and had to treat 2 or 3 of them an extra time. we check bottoms twice a day on everyone for scours/liquid poop.   

All our kids also receive a medicated feed, but it only helps so much if they are still on pasture with mom. Once they are weaned then they are put into a dry lot until they are sold(at 3 or 4months). If they are keeper does, they will go back out on pasture  and one pound of medicated feed at around 4 or 5 months of age, but i keep a very close eye on them their first summer. And if they are show whethers for 4H, they go back on a tiny bit of pasture, but they are on a ton of medicated grain, up to 3 or 4 lbs each. 

The key to cocci is either treat on a regular basis for it, or always be thinking about it and have the medications on hand to start treating right away. 

After 4 or 5 months of age, I find not only should you be considering cocci, but don't forget tape worm loads(large grains of rice in the poop) and those nasty baber pole worms(anemia). But cocci is always my first suspect when dealing with young goats under 15months and especially during wet pasture conditions.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 13, 2011)

n.smithurmond said:
			
		

> I know there are varying opinions on this, but I do think using Pepto as a treatment for scours may only mask the symptoms while the illness persists and possibly worsens.


I use pepto(kaopectin) during treatment with medications, but never as the only treatment.    

Getting fecals done is a good idea, have used Corid (straight and in drinking water source) and sulfa-demethoxine, both work very well.


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## helmstead (May 13, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> I use pepto(kaopectin) during treatment with medications, but never as the only treatment.


I don't necessarily disagree with that - however it should be reserved for more experienced producers who have a good idea of what they're treating.  

For me, I want to know when the TREATMENT is working, not when the pink stuff worked, so I never administer the pink stuff anymore.  I have had some nasty cocci strains, and a run-in with e.coli - and if I had used the pink stuff I _never_ would have known the treatment wasn't working and that I needed a fecal & stronger drugs.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 13, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> 20kidsonhill said:
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That is a good point, I will keep that in mind.  I actually only use kaopectin if it is really bad runny poop and I am worried about the animal surviving, and then only for the first day. lUckily for us, the strain of cocci we have seems to be treated fairly easily, would like to keep it that way. The barber pole worm however is another story. Hate that worm.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (May 13, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> 20kidsonhill said:
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I agree.  I've used Maloxx before in an adult goat I was treating for severe bacterial scours, but this was in addition to Rx antibiotics.  I do think that heading straight for Pepto or something similar when kids are scouring is flirting with danger because kids go downhill so darn fast.  If the Pepto masks the illness for even a day or so the kid could end up a lot worse off.


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## ChksontheRun (May 14, 2011)

Thanks for the feedback on Pepto.  I gave it at the advice of a seasoned goat person when I called for help.  I won't do that again. (give Pepto I mean, she has had some very helpful advice for other things.)

I did have the fecals done.  Adults are clear, don't even need to be wormed, vet thinks just the diet change with all of the new green stuff caused the problem.

Kids have only coccidia.  Vets instructions for Corid that they have found very successful around here is 1 cc for each 5 lb of body weight per day, for 5 days.  They said they are aware that in some areas Corid is not helpful, but in this area, at this dose, they said they have not had any problems with unsuccessful treatments.

Everyone has better poops today.  Rolex has a cleaner butt, and soft logs instead of loose poops so all is on the mend. 

Now we head into 5 days of rainy cloudy weather.  Ugh.

Have a great weekend


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## Iwantgoats (May 14, 2011)

I find this very interesting being a new goat owner of 1 year.  Had our first born kids this spring and don't know anything about it!  YIKES!  What is cocci?  Is it contagious?  What are symptoms, other than diarrhea?  How do you treat?  One day my little buck has some loose stool and  just thought it was from eating too much fresh grass.  Cleared right up and did not think anything of it.  It was only one day of softies.  Would appreciate any info on this.  Thanks.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 14, 2011)

Iwantgoats said:
			
		

> I find this very interesting being a new goat owner of 1 year.  Had our first born kids this spring and don't know anything about it!  YIKES!  What is cocci?  Is it contagious?  What are symptoms, other than diarrhea?  How do you treat?  One day my little buck has some loose stool and  just thought it was from eating too much fresh grass.  Cleared right up and did not think anything of it.  It was only one day of softies.  Would appreciate any info on this.  Thanks.


Here is some good reading on the subject.  As far as your buck that scoured one day and then cleared up, I would bet cocci, but some kids can fight it off, their bodies always have some cocci in them, they don't have to have constant scours to be affected by cocci, they could just have slower growth rate or not be looking the best or their systems could just be doing a good job of dealing with it. It runs a 21 day cycle, so young kids don't have much of a problem with it until after 3 weeks of age, wet spirng pastures is a major cause of spring cocci outbreaks, Other causes of outbreaks can be a kid undergoing stress from weaning and/or going to a new home, a mature doe after kidding or nursing her kids during worm summer months with a lot of rain.


Two main treatments Corid or Sulfa-dimethoxine(Albon).  

http://www.goatworld.com/articles/coccidiosis/goatcoccidia.shtml

http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/coccidiosis06.html


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