Buckling Issues *Pics Page 2*

[jodief100]

Wait, I just reread the first post. This goat is eating fescue hay. Is this possibly fescue toxicity? I am not familiar with it, so I don't know the symptoms. Just throwing it out there.

 

[cmjust0]

I also have a BS in Biology which is somewhat helpful.

I'd give my right arm to have a BS in Biology right now...

 

[cmjust0]

Wait, I just reread the first post. This goat is eating fescue hay. Is this possibly fescue toxicity? I am not familiar with it, so I don't know the symptoms. Just throwing it out there.

Fescue toxicosis is commonly called "summer slump" around here...if you see cattle on fescue standing around in ponds all summer, that's one of the symptoms I've heard of..

I've never heard of bloat associated with summer slump. Not to say that's not it, of course, but I haven't heard of it...

 

[Ariel301]

I majored in Equine Science at Colorado State University, and they had a fistulated Holstein too. Sassy was a freemartin (sterile female twin to a bull calf) that was bound to the ground beef factory and they bought her for that purpose. She would be brought out for all the freshmen ag students to stick their hand inside of. She had a magnet in her for preventing "hardware disease", so we would find the abomasum by fishing around for the magnet. They neglected to tell anyone that despite shoulder length gloves and lab coats, you would smell like the inside of a cow's rumen for several days. Yuck!

I think I would hang out with this goat for a while and see if he is burping. He does look full of gas. I'd be tempted to poke around in his rumen with a stomach tube, but that's the vet student in me talking...And this one is a little weird, but you can treat frothy bloat by drenching with plain Dawn dish soap, just a few tablespoons for a kid that little, it is supposed to help make the foam break down into more burp-able gas. I've done it before, saved a doe's life, because she was so bloated she could hardly breathe and didn't know up from down to try walking around,but she was sneezing soap bubbles for a few hours after lol!

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

How is your Boy doing??? That pic look like a FULL rumen....I would spend some time with him and hold your hand on his rumen and make sure its contracting ok..Is he's burping????? Its important to know thats theres movement... There is a definite point of no return when the rumen stops functioning. You can also try positioning him at an incline..making sure his feet are higher than his rear...that sometimes helps to remove gas....

If he got a bacteria in there or ate hay or grain having any mold he may have indigestion...milk of magnesia will detoxify and reduce the acidity of the rumen. It will also help encourage rumen contractions. He will scour in about 12/24 hr...it will clean out the rumen...and it will be foul smelling. *heed my warning its bad!!

You will definatley have to give him 1/2 c to a c of plain yogurt or probios for a few days..know your not a fan of probios..but if your clearing out the rumen like that your gonna wanna crank it up again...

Hope something helps...Poor guy..what a beer belly he has gotten for himself!!

PS I believe fescue toxicity is from a fungas being on it?? I think?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

It's not a fescue issue. This hay is Max Q fescue which has a novel endophyte which doesn't cause any issues. Also, fescue issues don't cause bloat.

He's doing fine. I skipped the grain yesterday evening and this morning. No huge belly. I'm going to feed him a small amount of grain this afternoon and see what happens.

I was thinking about the whole eructation thing. I think he has to be burping, because he doesn't bloat up like that when he just eats hay. Unless he's farting everything out...but I really don't think the burping is an issue. I really think he's somehow swallowing air or something.

This afternoon I'm going to feed him a handful of grain from my hand and see if I get the same results (balloon boy).

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Well, yesterday afternoon I fed him a small amount of grain from my hand and he didn't have any issues. This morning I fed him his normal amount, but fed him grain in a bucket and by himself. No issues. This afternoon I'll try feeding him normally (with the lamb) and see if he has issues. If not, maybe it was a weird fluke.

 

[warthog]

These wierd things just sometimes happen, but glad to see things seem to be improving. Keep us posted.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

It is nice to see things are improving! Im glad for you...they have a way of sending on some wild goose chases huh!!

 

[ThornyRidge]

I am gonna chime in here because I have a goat (pygmy) who is now 7 years old and has looked like this often. There is no official diagnosis for her and she has been examined by vet.. the conclusion is she has some issue (from birth) almost like a reverse reflux where she does seem to suck in air and become very gassy you can see too something in her throat/trachea quickly going up and down like maybe something is not sealing properly. She sounds like a pig snorting and such hence was named Miss Pyggy. and she is full of gas all the time! Her digestive sounds are sooooo loud you can hear her gurgling, belching and churning especially after meals when all are laying around relaxing. She also puffs up like that and even when you tap on her sides it sounds like a kettle drum. The amazing part is that once she belches or farts (yes she does that often too!) the swelling instantly goes down! I have on occasion even have lifted her front end up ( not sure that would be recommended with a buck) and that quickly aids in dispelling gases (usually in my face) and she reduces in roundness. I might add at times she has been so round it looks like she might pop, or at least tie a string to her and use her as a balloon if she would float! It is an interesting issue with her and does not seem to hamper her at all. I keep baking soda out free choice to help all other goats.. This particular goat is spunky and has been healthy, I have had no issues with her other than her "gas". Oh and I might add most goats have smelly belches especially if you happen to get one in the face but man alive this particular goat is a whole new level at times! sometimes it is best to be "upwind" if you know what I mean.. anyway goat belches, farts and all I love this goat she is truly special! I might see if he has any of these similariities and when he is puffed up tap those sides to see if they sound hollow. and then see if you can get him to belch and see if those sides go down at all. as stated earlier my goat has been healthy and is in good body condition otherwise.. so your goat may be some type of gas goat like mine! Just wish I could bottle it and use it for my car!