Sick baby goat - HELP EMERGENCY

[AltonaAcres]

I chose not to vaccinate against CD/T for several reasons. Please don't attack me about this, I really care about my animals and only do the very best for them. Besides, most people would not have vaccinated their goats at this age, so even if I had, he would have already had this issue. His belly doesn't look bloated to me...........he's pretty uncomfortable though. I will try the vegetable oil. How much? How would I know if this is a gut issue and not something else? I've been gone so have no idea if he got into something.

 

[cassie]

Is his abdomen bloated at all? They can get a frothy bloat. Vegetable oil (NOT mineral oil) orally via syringe can help knock down the froth and bubbles and make him more comfortable and get things moving. Dosing with probiotics as well if you think this is a gut issue.

GasX is MUCH better than mineral oil for bloat. It is fast, effective and safe. It is possible to get oil down the trachea of a struggling goat and if you do you may have cured to bloat but you will have killed the goat.

 

[cassie]

I chose not to vaccinate against CD/T for several reasons. Please don't attack me about this, I really care about my animals and only do the very best for them. Besides, most people would not have vaccinated their goats at this age, so even if I had, he would have already had this issue. His belly doesn't look bloated to me...........he's pretty uncomfortable though. I will try the vegetable oil. How much? How would I know if this is a gut issue and not something else? I've been gone so have no idea if he got into something.

I wasn't attacking you. You pays your money and you takes your choice.

 

[chickens really]

Did you do a fecal test for coccidiosis? If area is damp/wet coccidiosis thrives and very hard on baby animals.
You shouldn't vaccinate a baby goat till past 12 weeks of age. So you are correct.

 

[chickens really]

Join Backyard Herds and post under emergency threads. Always great advice and friendly, helpful people.

 

[cassie]

Did you do a fecal test for coccidiosis? If area is damp/wet coccidiosis thrives and very hard on baby animals.
You shouldn't vaccinate a baby goat till past 12 weeks of age. So you are correct.

You are right about coccidia, but if I had waited until 12 weeks to vaccinate my baby goats for tetanus and enterotoxemia I would have lost a lot of them. My kids got CD/T and BoSe the day they were born or shortly thereafter. Then they got CD/T every three weeks or so until they were about 12 weeks of age. Because of antibodies in the colostrum which may interfere, a full immunity response may not occur until 12 weeks which is why mine got the series.

Disbudding/dehorning are done well before 12 weeks. So is castration. Both castration and disbudding can expose a kid to tetanus. Young kids can and do die of entero. My vaccination protocol was given to me both by my personal veterinarians and by the caprine veterinarians at UC Davis. I didn't just cook it up out of thin air all by my ownself.

 

[AltonaAcres]

Update: all recovered!! Eating, drinking, pooping, peeing. Still separate from the flock while it's so hot. Thanks guys!