question from someone new to goats

[hoosiergal]

what is the reason for giving baking soda?

 

[ksalvagno]

aids the goat to buffer their rumen and helps avoid bloat

 

[kstaven]

Wether or not you really need baking soda depends on what they are eating, if you quickly change diets, or if they are highly stressed.

We haven't used it here in many years.

 

[lilhill]

We haven't used it either. There's been no need for it.

 

[Rockytopsis]

I keep it in the barn for free choice, it is there if they want it.

 

[norcal]

I just read on another list that Baking Soda can possibly cause UC. Is this a fact, or an idea, unknown?

 

[cmjust0]

Anything that raises the pH of the urine can be a factor in urinary calculi. Baking soda has a pH of 9, which means it's a fairly mild base... I suppose one could make the argument that baking soda may contribute to increased incidences of urinary calculi.

Then again, rain water is said to have a pH of 5 whereas normal tap water is usually neutral at 7...are we increasing the risk of UC by offering water from the tap instead of natural rainwater?

Worms also raise the pH of the GI.. I suppose it could be postulated that a high worm load can also contribute to urinary calculi...do we increase the risk of UC by grazing goats instead of offering them unlimited browse or keeping them on dry lots with free-choice hay?

Who knows...