Another doe with scours...already lost one.

[cmjust0]

I could keep them locked up in the barn with just a tiny exercise area, but I'd be just as concerned about keeping them confined if someone happened to be shedding a pathogen..

As for the deccox dosage via feed...yep...that's why I'd rather have a non-medicated feed..

 

[kimmyh]

I would rather they poop in a small confined area that I can disinfect than a huge pen where nature will have to take its course, but that's just me.

 

[cmjust0]

Barn's wooden with a dirt floor.. Attempting to sanitize wood would be hard enough, let alone dirt..

My thought was that they'd run less of a risk of squishing around in shed organisms if they were outside, and that the weather would do a much better job sanitizing that area than I could do sanitizing the inside of the barn..

I get what you're saying, though.. You don't know how bad I want to tear one of my old pole barns down and replace it with an insulated metal building on a concrete floor..

 

[cmjust0]

Everybody seemed fine this morning.. Went out and checked them before work and the one who was most recently runny had hay all over her head where she was buried up in the hay feeder.. Some others were up and milling around, and those that were laying down had a cud. No muddy butts..

We're keeping a close eye on things, of course..



Should get a call about that Excenel either today or Monday.. YAY! Another $100 out of my pocket!

 

[cmjust0]

Another one...same thing as before.

Went from runny to pretty watery with some mucous in a very short period of time. We caught it early, though, so she got 3ml Scour Halt orally, 1.5ml Banamine, and 3ml Excenel right away. She ate a little here and there after that, and was up this morning...but she clearly didn't feel good. She was chilly from not eating enough hay.

The scour had gone from watery back to runny, though, and wasn't terribly profuse... She's due for more Scour-Halt and Naxcel later this morning, if she'll let my wife get it in her. Naxcel is THICK...takes a while to inject, even w/ a 20ga needle.

The good news is that she's a big healthy hybrid girl with plenty of reserve...both factors are working in her favor right now.

Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery..

 

[ksalvagno]

Sorry to hear that you are having trouble again. I sure hope she does fine.

I use an 18 gauge needle with the thicker stuff. It goes in much easier.

 

[Roll farms]

Sending good *speedy recovery* vibes and I agree, the 18 ga needle on thick stuff really helps.

 

[cmjust0]

Yep...20ga was the biggest I had, though. Wish I'd realized how thick that stuff was beforehand. I'm planning to pick up some 18's this evening.

Ugh..I hate this.

 

[FarmerChick]

force hydration if you must.
goats dehydrate very quickly with diarrhea.

you just can't throw scour halt at the problem....you kinda truly need to know WHY this is happening.

here is some diarrhea info just in case...use as you will.....
of course take what you need from the ifo.....


DIARRHEA

Diarrhea should not be considered an illness in and of itself but rather a symptom of other more serious health problems in goats. Before treating a goat for diarrhea, it is essential to determine why the animal is scouring. Administering a diarrhea-controlling medication can make the situation much worse. Slightly soft stool is sometimes the body's way of ridding itself of undesirable products through the purging effect of diarrhea. For example, one step in the treatment of Floppy Kid Syndrome involves the use of a laxative (Milk of Magnesia) to induce mild diarrhea so that the kid's body is rid of the stagnant toxic milk that has overloaded its digestive system.

There are four major causative agents of diarrhea in goats: bacteria, viruses, parasites, and management practices (overcrowding, poor sanitation, or nutritionally-induced problems).

Diarrhea can be the symptom of many different illnesses, including bloat, ruminal acidosis, laminitis/founder, copper deficiency, aflatoxin poisoning, anaphylactic shock, plant toxicity/poisoning, renal failure, selenium toxicity, coccidiosis, enterotoxemia (clostridium perfringens type C&D), salmonellosis, E. Coli infection, caprine herpes virus, heavy parasite infestation, and goat polio.

However, diarrhea is not always the result of an infectious disease. It can be nutritionally induced by overfeeding on milk or grain, by using poor-quality milk replacers, or by sudden changes in feeding schedules or in the type of feed being offered.

Neonatal Diarrhea Complex, which is the term used to describe diarrhea occurring in kids under one month of age, the cause of which may not ever be diagnosed, usually occurs during kidding season when extremes of weather take place . . . . excessive heat or cold or heavy rains. Kids less than one month of age do have not fully functioning immune systems, so diarrhea can take a heavy toll. Dehydration, acidosis, electrolyte depletion, and hypocalcemia (low blood sugar) can result. The kid becomes weak and can't stand, has a dry mouth and cold extremities, body temperature drops below normal, and the sucking response is often lost. Sick kids should be isolated from the herd, placed in sanitary facilities, and fed in containers that are up and off the ground to prevent further contamination. Administration of oral and subcutaneous electrolytes along with an appropriate broad-spectrum antibiotic is the recommended treatment.

Coccidia and/or worms usually are the cause of diarrhea in kids over one month of age. Both of these conditions are transmitted by fecal-to-oral contact and occur most frequently in intensive management situations where pens and troughs are not kept clean and dry and overcrowding exists.

Adult-onset diarrhea is less common than in kids, but nevertheless is quite possible. Overfeeding on grain (such as shell or cracked corn) can cause severe ruminal acidosis . . . literally shutting down the goat's digestive system . . . and can result in death. Heavy parasite loads can cause diarrhea in adult goats. Almost anything which negatively affects the proper functioning of the goat's rumen may cause scouring.

When a producer sees diarrhea in one of his goats, do not run for a bottle of Pepto-Bismol, Kaeopectate, or Scour Halt. First figure out what is causing the scouring, then treat appropriately. Use a rectal thermometer to take the goat's body temperature. Mix electrolytes (ReSorb or equivalent) and orally drench the animal to prevent dehydration. Administer electrolytes under the skin (subcutaneously) if the goat is already seriously dehydrated. Never use Immodium AD to control diarrhea in a goat. This product can stop the peristaltic action of the gut, bringing the digestive process to a halt, and death in not uncommon under such circumstances. If the scouring is slightly soft stool, let it run its course. When body temperature is above the normal range, use a fever medication and an antibiotic to control infection. Obviously, very watery diarrhea requires a different approach and much more intervention on the producer's part.

Producers should recognize diarrhea as a symptom of a more serious health problem and investigate further to find the cause before running for the Scour Halt bottle. Sometimes, but certainly not always, the diarrhea is helpful in clearing up what is wrong with the goat.

 

[cmjust0]

force hydration if you must.
goats dehydrate very quickly with diarrhea.

Been there, done that.. Not with this one, though, as she was only truly 'watery' for a little while and she's got plenty of reserve. If we determine at any point that she needs electrolytes, believe me...she'll get'em.

And for anyone who may be interested in determining whether a goat's hydrated, pinch their upper eyelid. If it tents a bit instead of snapping back, the goat's dehydrated and needs electrolytes ASAP.

you just can't throw scour halt at the problem....you kinda truly need to know WHY this is happening.

If it's the same thing as the other four -- and I'm 99% sure it is -- it's a bacterial gut infection. We sent fecal samples of the last ones to the University of Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Lab for cultures, at great expense, and they didn't turn anything up. Widespread word on the street is that they're pretty much incompetant, though...so we'll probably never know exactly what type of bacteria we're dealing with.

What I do know is that a combination of Scour-Halt, Banamine, and Centiofur saved three after we lost the first one. So, that's what we did this time, too. She was on her feet and alert this morning, though chilly.. The one who died laid down quickly and basically never got up again for more than a few minutes at a time, and acted pretty out of it the whole short time between onset and death. The one who died also didn't eat...we saw this one nibbling last night after the Scour-Halt, Banamine, and Centiofur. I also saw her bring up a cud..

I'll keep y'all posted.