| Author | Message | ||
     Cindy Hance New member Username: chance Post Number: 6 Registered: 10-2005 Rating: N/A |
One of my goats has had on and off loose stools for a while. It's not pellet like. She'll go and it will look the dog poop and then the next time it'll look like mush and then kinda like dog poop again. The past two days it's been most likely like dog poop. I wormed her again about a week ago and I've given pepto a couple of times-Any suggestions? Thanks Cindy | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 138 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
What did you deworm with, how much did you give? How long have you been using this dewormer, especially on this goat? Have you had a fecal exam done? Check her lower inner eyelid membranes for color. They should be bright pink almost red. If they are pale or white this also might indicate a dewormer failure (resistant parasites). Her problem is still likely to be worms. You could be underdosing, in which case you will have resistant parasites and need to switch to another class of dewormer. If she is the low goat on the totem pole, she may be reinfected sooner than the other goats due to eating parasite contaminated food. If her feeding habits change often this could be the cause. What is your feeding regimen? Do you feed grain? How often and how much? Have you changed feed or the amount of feed recently? Does she graze or browse for most of her roughage or does she have hay? Dry lot or pasture? Access to alot of fallen leaves or acorns? Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Cindy Hance New member Username: chance Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2005 Rating: N/A |
These are pygmy's forgot to mention...We used Ivomec to deworm I think it was 3cc I had gotten it from the vet - she probably weighs about 25-30 lbs. We've only had them about 3 weeks and her poop only been right maybe 2 or 3 days. Her feeding probably was changed when we got her but I figure that should be done with now, NO? It's just her and her sister we have. They get about 1 1/2 cup of food 2x times per day with hay, she has grazed a bit on green grass too (not much left there) but no leaves or acorns. Cindy | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 139 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Probably a bit too much grain feed or is that 1 1/2 cups for both of them? I give what they will clean up in 5 minutes (less than a cup) and hay the rest of the time. Did you give the Ivomec orally? This is the way it works best on goats. You can buy Ivomec injectable for Cattle (or a generic) at the feed store for lots less than your vet will charge. Buy a needle and syringe too to get it out of the bottle! Draw up the right dose, remove the needle and give as far back in the mouth as possible. Give at least 1 cc per 25 pounds, go over rather than under. Ivomec is quite safe, give an extra cc to be sure. The clumpy stool may also be coccidia which the Ivomec will not work on. For treating coccidia I recommend a sulfa drug rather than Corid. A sulfa drug is safer, usually more effective as there is alot of resistance to Corid now. You can find Sulmet, Dimethox or Albon 12.5% drinking water solutions at most feed stores. They are labeled for use in cattle and poultry. You give it straight from the bottle do not mix in their water (they won't drink it it tastes terrible). Give 1 cc per 5 pounds the first day and 1 cc per 10 pounds for 4 more days. Now I just dose at 1 cc pe 5 pounds for all 5 days. There is a very handy pygmy weight chart at http://kinne.net/weights.htm Most people SERIOUSLY underestimate their pygmy goat's weight. Please use the chart for your goat's sake. Underdosing with ANY drug leads to resistant parasites and bacteria and the treatment fails too. Does she have access to a loose mineral? Blocks don't work for goats, their tongues are too small and too smooth to be able to lick enough. It needs to be for goats only (or beef cattle). Anything labeled for sheep or for sheep and goats does not have enough copper for goats. Pygmies seem to need a higher level of copper than dairy goats. For my pygmy herd I use a beef cattle mineral with 1200 ppm copper. Look for a mineral with 900 to 1200 ppm copper and a 2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Most beef cattle minerals have this calcium to phosphorus ratio as that is the best for them too. Copper is essential for their immune health and for their resistance to parasites. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Cindy Hance New member Username: chance Post Number: 8 Registered: 10-2005 Rating: N/A |
1 1/2 cups for both the goats together. I did give the ivomec orally. I'll bring the vet a fecal sample and see what he says. We're working on getting the loose minerals now so presently no access to it. Thanks for your help. She just the most precious little thing- Cindy | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 141 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Let me know what you find out. Yes they are the most precious with an overabundance of too cuteness! We just had 2 does kid last week, the new ones are bouncing all over. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Cindy Hance New member Username: chance Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2005 Rating: N/A |
Thank you I will let you what he says. I can't wait for our babies. Ours are still kinda scared of us. So I'm hoping we'll have more luck with the babies. I wanted to ask to - is it safe to pygmys in with boers especially the buck if the pygmy's are already bred? They are just so little compared to the buck we're getting...and what about the babies? Cindy | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 142 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Best not to mix. You can't really be sure the does are bred (really YOU CAN'T) until they kid and then they come back into heat about 5 days after kidding. A doe in late gestation should not be in with a buck for any breed, they tend to smell just like a doe in heat and don't have the capacity to fight off an overly amorous buck. Horned and dehorned should also not be mixed. Pygmy does come into heat for the first time at about 3 to 4 months old. A boer will breed then given the chance. Goats can and will breed through a fence. I hand breed ALL of my goats. I like to know exactly when kids are due. There is no other way to know for sure. Many goats breed at night. Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic | ||
| Cindy Hance New member Username: chance Post Number: 10 Registered: 10-2005 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the info. Do you always keep your buck separated out then in his own area? Cindy | ||
| Maggie Leman Moderator Username: maggieleman Post Number: 143 Registered: 07-2005 Rating: N/A |
Yes I keep all of my fertile bucks separated, I have 10 breeding bucks, 2 retired bucks, 1 vasectomized teaser buck (he lives with the girls), 1 old wether, 35 breeding does and 11 young does. I keep my bucks in pairs or threes so they have company. Lots of people keep a wether with their bucks. When a doe comes into heat I take her for a 10 minute rendezvous with the buck of my choice. Occasionally I pen a doe or two with a buck for a week or so (this sometimes involves a bit of juggling). Some does come back into heat about 5 days after a regular heat cycle. This is called a 5 day heat. It is usually short but intense often at night and is the true fertile heat cycle. It happens more often at the beginning of the rut or in late spring to early summer. My buck pens are spacious and have room for a buck and 3 or 4 does. I very much like to know exactly when the does are due. Less guessing why a doe may feel under the weather, I can vaccinate and give supplemental BoSe shots at just the right time and I am in control. I keep very accurate records. I can plan for vacations and shows this way by having "No Breeding" blackout dates. I can let my boss know when I have a heavy kidding time coming up (he knows my goats come first). I lose ALOT less babies and doe this way. BTW I breed pygmies, my website is www.maggidans.com Maggie Leman Goat 911 Capri Medic |