Ewes with bad scours - possible grain overload...Ideas?

[chubbydog811]

I have 2 ewes this morning who came up gross poop. Most of the flock got loose yesterday, and were found in the barn when my mum got home. I'm not sure how long they were out, but they could have potentially gotten into open/full grain bags.

One of the ewes is only clumpy/watery. Normal color still, just very soft. She was one who was in the barn. The other ewe is making puddles - the one that was on the pasture still. She is super smart, and it is possible she went in the barn, filled up, and waddled back to her pasture to sleep.
The poop issue came up over night, so I'm assuming not worms. Yesterday, everyone had normal poops (yes, I've been checking! A lot of them got clumpy poops after going on the new pasture, so I dewormed them. They got better shortly after that.)

The grain they may have gotten into was called Lamb and Kid from Poulin. It is a medicated feed with DC in it.
I couldn't tell how much of the bag they got into since I have been feeding it to all the lambs and kids and hadn't really checked how much I used. I assume it wouldn't take much of that to make them scour though...

Knowing the details, I'm also assuming I should just allow them to scour to clean out their systems? Maybe for a day or so and if it doesn't get better, do something different. Anything I could give them to help them out at all? Electrolytes, ect? Any other tips?

Thanks!

ETA: Neither ewe has blood in her poop. I thoroughly checked to make sure.

 

[20kidsonhill]

I am assuming it is the same for goats. So unless they look really bloated, uncomfortable or lethargic, I would leave them scour for the day. If they started to look like they feel terrible I would treat them for overeating disease. Have them been vaccinating with CD&T?

If they bloat, drench with lots of mineral oil.

If they start to run a fever or start to look really sick treat with C&D antitoxin.

Check with the experts, but you I beleive you can also give them several cc's of Penn G orally to help with a bacterial bloom.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I'd just keep an eye on her and as long as she's acting normal let it run its course. If you want, you can give her some hay and/or baking soda to help her rumen even out a bit.

 

[chubbydog811]

Thank you both! I am pretty confident it was the medicated feed (these girls don't get grain. Only pasture and minerals.), so I'll just watch. They have hay and fresh water available to them right now - I was planing on moving their pasture today, so half of their fencing is down, and they are locked in the dirt lot.

Thanks again!

 

[feed grass]

overeating is a serious matter-- and it won't take long to lose one to it.. Don't sit back and let nature take it's course-- nature kills them... When they overeat- they're stomach shuts down.

Treat with a half of tube of charcoal, give probias, and LA200. Also you cannot give enough Vit b12 to anything... Give the whole mixture once, then about 8 hours later give it all to them again, except the LA200 and Charcoal. offer grass hay as well.

It will take about 3 days to get going again, and maybe one more day to get back eating grain.

We used to have a fence jumper who would do this about every other week. She'd overeat- we'd treat her-- she'd be sick for a week-- and after the next week she'd be feeling good enough to jump out and do it all again...

 

[aggieterpkatie]

If the ewe is acting sick or lethargic or has no appetite, then by all means treat her. If she is acting normally, I would not treat her. I've had ewes scour after being turned out on new pasture, and they're fine after a day.

 

[feed grass]

If the ewe is acting sick or lethargic or has no appetite, then by all means treat her. If she is acting normally, I would not treat her. I've had ewes scour after being turned out on new pasture, and they're fine after a day.

totally different story than one getting exposed and hammered with grain...

 

[aggieterpkatie]

If the ewe is acting sick or lethargic or has no appetite, then by all means treat her. If she is acting normally, I would not treat her. I've had ewes scour after being turned out on new pasture, and they're fine after a day.

totally different story than one getting exposed and hammered with grain...

Doesn't really sound like she was hammered with grain, to me. That's why I said if she's acting off, treat her. If not, she'll probably be fine. If she's acting fine, she probably didn't eat that much grain to begin with.