Newbie: Buckling 6 weeks with scours

[livingjourney]

Hiya, I just thought I would introduce myself. I have a 6 week old buckling and he has been scouring for two weeks. I have taken him to the vet twice, and he is on his third day of scour ban. He has been grazing all the lawn and I am pretty sure his scour is feed related. A week ago, his temp dropped to 36 degrees and he was on deaths door, but I managed to get his temp stable to 38.5 - 39 degrees. I have given him electrolytes from the vets. Still scouring. The first vet told me to double the kid replacer powder to water to thicken it up. This didn't work and from what I have read, it would be too rich for him. So, I have gone back to recommended mixture of kid replacer.

Two days ago, he had berries forming, so yesterday I gave him some lucerne hay which he gobbled right up, and I had berries again. But then, I had a goat breeder come around and told me NOT to feed the Lucerne hay, and to stick with three bottles a day of 350 mls each, and he can just eat straw. Well, he WON'T eat the straw, and he cries as if hungry. So, this morning, bottle feed, scour ban and two large hand-fulls of the Lucerne hay. He grazes around at the grass and seems very alert and runs to me wagging his tail when he sees that I have his bottle.

I don't believe he has cocci because there is no odour from his poo, it pretty much looks like pesto, and same consistency when scouring. He has no temperature, it is within healthy range. I have had conflicting advice from two vets, one goat breeder and I am pretty much trusting my own instincts on this.

Do you think that feeding him the Lucerne is to rich for a 6 week old buckling, he seems to LOVE it? OH, and he is NOT anaemic. Eyelids pink, as well as gums.

I would appreciate any feedback.

Sincerely

Vee

 

[Pearce Pastures]

I would be checking for coccidia if he was here, and probably would do a course of 40% Di-Methox. :/

 

[livingjourney]

Is Di-Methox obtainable from fodder and stockfood places?

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Not from TSC but other feed stores may. Our local store has it and keeps it available for me. You can also order it from Jeffers.com. If it is cocci though and has been going for two weeks, it would be best to get it quickly.

 

[livingjourney]

Is injectable? Or can i give it orally?

 

[ragdollcatlady]

You can give the dimethox orally, the 40 % is easiest because it is more concentrated so you give less. You would buy the injectible, draw it up with a needle/syringe but then take the needle off and give it orally for the best results if cocci treatment is your plan.

I don't know about lucerne hay, but my babies are eating alfalfa with their moms. They also browse and are only almost 4 weeks. I would think that for babies, straw would not have enough nutrition. Though mine do taste test their straw bedding regularly at this point, I think they eat more of the regular hay and they also are eating/ nibbling at the pellets/grain mix their mama is eating.

 

[livingjourney]

Today, we have a substantial difference in his poop. I have just bought some Rye and Oat Hay which is not so rich as the Lucerne. I have also bought the Oralject Goat & Sheep wormer. Should I try these first before thinking of the dreaded cocci? He isn't bleating as much, and seems much more content, and his poop is resembling dog logs now. Much nicer to see

 

[Pearce Pastures]

No, do not give a dewormer for this. First, it does not sound like worms. Second, giving a dewormer without knowing what type of worm you need to treat for is a waste of your money, not good for the animal, and builds parasite resistance which is a huge problem for everyone with goats.

I would still treat for cocci and now that his poo is more solid, grab some in a baggie and take it in for testing as soon as you can.

 

[OneFineAcre]

We give ours a course of Di-methox as coccidia preventative when they are around a week to 10 days old, about the time we disbud.

Any time we see scours we give a dose as well.

I agree with your original assessment that it is most likely dietary. You often see scours when their diet changes when they start to eat more solid food.

I don't know that I would have stopped with the lucerne hay, ours eat alfalfa.

 

[elevan]

It sounds dietary..."consistency of pesto and look of it"...that just screams dietary to me.

I would add some gelatin powder (from the grocery store) to his bottles to slow down the scours and let his system adjust to eating "solid" foodstuffs.

IMHO, straw is just filler and shouldn't be considered a food item for livestock. Straw is bedding.

I'm not familiar with lucerne hay, and so have no opinion on feeding it but if it's considered a livestock food where you are then it really shouldn't be a problem to feed.