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Re: coccidia
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In Reply to: coccidia posted by Mary on June 25, 2001 at 18:16:18:
Hi Mary,
I'm curious as to the reason why you had the vet do a fecal (though I agree it is a good thing to have regular fecal testing done)? Were your goats acting sick or were you doing this regular for a "worm check"? I may have missed a post here or something and am overlooking the reason.
I've been doing fecals on our goats for quite some time now and one of the very first things that I was both shocked and amazed at finding was that no matter wether or not a goat has coccidiosis, they have a certain amount of the occysts (sp) in their fecal matter.
You can imagine how I felt when my first microscope "find" was a coccidiosis cell staring me in the face. I quickly read up on it and found out that they do indeed carry these at all times.
I suppose the best way to explain it is like a person being exposed to the cold virus - sometimes you will catch it and other times you won't. It depends upon the strength of your immune system at the time of exposure, and for all practical purposes, the type of bacteria it is.
What makes these coccidia cells multiply is still a mystery to me but I would presume it has alot to do with many of the things that Kay pointed out. More goats in a closer space equals more bacteria present. Changes in weather mean the goats immune system must adjust, etc.
For treating this, Albon is definitely one of the top antibiotics for coccidiosis. For a time we used a product called Corid (Amprollium) that is a powder that can be mixed in the water. For some reason it is no longer available in our particular area so the Albon has become "the" choice. There is also speculation that Amprollium depletes Thiamine levels I believe - this causing it's own inherent problems for the goat as well over time.
My question back to the list - I know that antibiotics such as Penicillin when used too much cause bacteria to become resistant. Would this not be the same for an antibiotic used for coccidiosis? It has often left me wondering if "too much" medicated feed is bad over the long run.
I suppose that I am perhaps a bit skeptical about "many" (not all) vets quickly diagnosing a goat. Not many of them really know alot about goats (some do) and might just be trying to get some quick money for nothing. I could be wrong but I always throw that caution to the wind because with goats and vets, you can never be certain you are getting the right answer. Not that I want to cut down your vet for the diagnosis, but I think you have also done the right thing by asking and researching the diagnosis you received.
Hope this has helped and I hope all your goaties stay well!
Best regards,
Gary Pfalzbot
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