Sunken hips in goat

[tod1972]

For many months now, my biggest pygmy wether ("Goat Boy") has had sunken hips. He still has the fat belly, but around his back hips he looks undernourished, even though the other goats do not (and of course are eating the same things).

My vet is little help, because while he is well-meaning, he doesn't have much experience with goats (he has some), and he has NO experience with pet goats that aren't simply considered merchandise. Sadly, my favorite goat died under his treatment (to his credit, he did all he could) to urinary calculi, even after about $1,500 of treatment.

That is one reason why we don't feed much grain at all to our goats anymore: we were told too much grain is a common cause. Worse still, Goat Boy was wethered early, and so he is high risk for urinary calculi.

Anyway, both my vet and I thought worms were the likely culprit, so I tried worming him with fenbendozol. That didn't work, so the vet recommended an intensive double-dosage for a couple of days, and that didn't work (I used Probios after each worming, as usual).

Since many worms are immune to fenbendozol in my area, I tried Ivermectic paste instead (which i heard was far more powerful, but also far more dangerous if overdone). That didn't work, and I first tried the Ivermectic about 3 months ago. I have tried monthly ever since.

Any other ideas on why my goat would have sunken hips? He is admittedly the largest one, so perhaps he simply needs more calories than the others, but they all have free choice hay and mineral all year long, fresh greens daily for at least an hour or two from spring to summer, and about a cup of grain every other day (all the boys are wethers, and I have one lone, unbred doe). The other goats seem healthy: he is the only exception, and my family is terribly worried about him. : (

 

[Chatychick]

SOmetimes if they were not treated for Cocci the will tend to have what they call a cocci belly and it makes the hips seem hollowed out, or make them look potbellied. I give my wethers oats and alfalfa pellets mor pellets than oats as they dont get to go browsing like my does do. I just make sure if I give a cup of oats they get 3 cups of pellets. This helps prevent UC and also you can give Ammonium Chloride and this helps also. I get mine from Hoeggers Goat Supply..Giveing grain everyother day is hard on their system, you need to be consistant when feeding grain. I feed mine 2x a day and make sure they gets lots of alfalfa pellets and Ac also.

 

[helmstead]

I agree with Chaty. Wanted to ask though, how much of the Ivermec paste do you give? It's actually really difficult to overdose Ivermec...you should do 3-4x the dose by weight when using the paste. In other words, a 50 lb goat should get a 200 lb dose of the paste. Perhaps you're underdosing? Also, tapeworms can cause potbellies, which you'd want to treat with Valbazen.

 

[Chauntecleer's Keeper]

tod1972, from what I have been told there is a very good goat vet in Morrilton, AR. I have not had to use him yet. His name is Cy Shurtleff and the number is 501-354-1738. Good luck.

 

[tod1972]

How do you treat for cocci, and what is the best way to administer the ammonium chloride (in water, grain, mineral, and how much per what)?

 

[tod1972]

Chauntecleer's Keeper :

tod1972, from what I have been told there is a very good goat vet in Morrilton, AR. I have not had to use him yet. His name is Cy Shurtleff and the number is 501-354-1738. Good luck.

Morrilton is quite a ways, especially since I don't have a really good way to get them there. I think it's about an hour away. As much as I wish I had a more qualified vet, my vet at least makes house calls. I can also put them in the backseat to go to my vet in an emergency, which is just a few miles down the street. I suppose I could put them in a dog crate and take them via my father's pickup to Morrilton in emergencies. It would be kinda far for regular maintenance, which is what I'd really like to be able to provide for my goats. I wonder if Shurtleff makes house calls this far. You don't know of anybody a bit closer to Little Rock, do you?​

 

[Blooming chicks]

I was told not to feed alfalfa because it would also contribute to urinary calculi problems. Is this not correct? I am really confused. I was also told no pellets (or grain) for wethers castrated young, that a grass hay diet with free choice minerals was all he would need (as far as food).

 

[Granolamom]

Quote:

Me, hubby, and the kids...

 

[Chatychick]

well if the calcium/Ph is out of wack it will cause the UC faster. If and I say If you feed grain there has to be some alfalfa pellets or hay to counter balance it. I have a 4 yr wether that eats oats and alfalfa pellets 2x a day and he is doing fine. They get grass/weed hay as this is what they like and what we bale on some of out land for the goats. I also dose the boys including my buck with AC when the weather changes and under stress. I dont feed it to them all the time as it wont work when you need it. This works for me and some others that I know.

 

[helmstead]

Quote:
No, not entirely correct.

If you're graining the wethers...then you MUST use alfalfa hay. Grain + grass hay = UC

Alfalfa, IMO, is the perfect food for bucks and wethers. The Ca/Ph ration is as close to perfect as you can get.

Also, as Chaty said...AC at the appropriate times will ward off UC. New theories say you should not feed AC constantly, that the goats system will become accustomed to it and render it useless...so just use it at the appropriate times of the year.