Help needed with 12 wk old wether with diarrhea

[20kidsonhill]

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.

 

[helmstead]

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.

 

[20kidsonhill]

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.

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.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

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.

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.

 

[ChksontheRun]

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

 

[Iwantgoats]

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.

 

[20kidsonhill]

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