Newbie here-problem with scours in 1 year old pregnant Saanen

[willow_top_farm]

Hi all, totally new here and in the world of goats, please bear with me if I sound like an anxious new mother.

We brought home two bred does that are both due to freshen within the next month. Both are Saanen and about a year old, first time fresheners. The day after we had them home "Betsy" had a day of scours. The breeder had just given them a dewormer and since I was introducing a new hay, we figured that was caused it. She was back to normal the next day.

Now, yesterday (close to two weeks here now) her poops started looking "clumpy" then later turned to pudding-like poops. Today, this morning when I checked on her, her poops were back to clumpy. But this evening they are runny. Now the only thing different would be that for the last three days I started bringing the girls an evening treat of one night a small slice of fresh broccoli, then the next two evenings baby organic carrots. All three nights, "Tundra" refused the vegetables, but Betsy happily ate all the vegetables. Could this have caused the upset stomach? She seems to be acting fine otherwise. Tundra, who refused the veggies is totally fine.

I feed the does 3 cups of grain (breeders special mix that they were used too) and free choice hay. I also have free choice to minerals and baking soda. This evening I did give her pepto bismol tablets. Should I be worried about dehydration? Should I get some Probios?

Any advice is welcome!

 

[redtailgal]

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[willow_top_farm]

Thanks for the welcome! I'm already smitten with my two does. I agreed to purchase them last fall and had been anticipating them like my new babies! And now I feel like a new mother with infants all over again. I'm watching them like hawks and stressing over every little thing! :/

Regarding Betsy, my breeder told me to get some Priobios and Corrid (to treat for Cocciodios). I also gave her a couple of Pepto Bismol chewable tablets . She also said the runny poops may well be the result of the new carrots and broccoli I introduced to her, but she's surprised that Betsy's so sensitive to the little bit I gave her. I also think I'll take her off grain for a few days and see if that helps, but that makes me nervous because she's a month away from freshening and I don't want to pull back too much on her nutrition...she's going to need it!

Any other thoughts or advice on this is welcome!

 

[redtailgal]

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[ksalvagno]

Sounds like it could very well be the veggies. I would not feed any and see if it clears up.

You could always have a fecal run and see if there are any parasites. Then worm accordingly.

 

[willow_top_farm]

The breeder wormed both does the day I took them home (April 2). I did stop the veggies and only gave her 1 cup of grain (vs. 3 c.) today with Probios sprinkled on top. Her poops this morning are back to "clumpy", which is an improvement and she's still acting and looking her normal self. I held back on the Corrid though because I wanted to see if she keeps improving without it. The breeder said she had already treated her (preventatively) a few months ago anyway and usually only gives this to her goats once in the spring and once in the fall. If she goes back to runny poops again, I think I definitely add the Corrid to their water. I just don't want to treat haphazardly with medications...

Now...this is something new and maybe unrelated. As I was petting her this morning I noticed a lump just behind her right front leg on her torso. It feels fairly small, in the shape of a small snow pea. She doesn't have this on her left side and my other doe doesn't have this either. Should I be freaking out? Tell me it's a fat cyst or something benign like that!

 

[20kidsonhill]

If it feels like a fat cyst and doesn't grow and get soft, it is probably a vaccinating cyst, we vaccinate ours behind the front leg in the crease area, and get an occasional cyct, if it grows, and gets soft, take her back the breeder right away, do not keep her, do not let the abcess break in your barn or property.


I am going to bet worms, or coccidiosis blooming from the stress of her move, I would have a fecal done on her and then you wont have to keep guessing. A fecal would be a good idea anyway just to help you know where your goats stand on the worm load scale,

A 1 year old goat, will get run down by worms and coccidiosis and not always scour from them, because their system can handle a bigger worm load. But it will pull her down and not help her overall condition.

 

[willow_top_farm]

Yeah, after I thought about it, I realized that (lump) it may be from a CD&T vaccine the breeder administered. I've sent her an email to double check it...sigh.. I will bring a fecal test into the vet to figure out what's up with Betsy. Great suggestion!
Thanks!