I have raised goats 25+ years and this has me stumped. A friend and I bought twin doelings in July at an auction. I brought them to my house and wormed and vaccinated and tried to get them to take a bottle. Carol's doeling Miss No, was much better at taking the bottle, mine ,Daffodil, was much more stubborn. they were fantastic at eating hay and weeds and grass. Carol took her baby home and put it with her sheep(much older and larger) even tho I advised her not to do it. I also gave her some liquid Corid to give her and the sheep for coccidiosis. Her little goat has gone down. She can not stand up on her own,but can stand when someone picks her up and puts her on her feet. She still eats feed(Purina Goat Chow) and alfalfa, and drinks water. She took her to the vet who said she had coccidiosis, the worse case he has ever seen. He gave her some medicine to treat the coccidiosis and sent her home after admitting he doesn't know much about treating goats. I have no idea what her tempature is and Carol has no thermometer. She has had diahrrea for weeks and weeks and I tried to tell Carol there was something wrong but she refused to believe me. I have not had this happen to any of my goats and know there is something causing the weakness, she is skin and bones and this could not happen over night. Is this all due to the coccidiosis??? Is there something else we should be doing??? Her twin is fine, fat and sassy. I do treat for cocci twice a year, and she has gotten the treatment as well as Carol's sheep while they were at my place. The one ewe that was with Miss No was also from the auction and did not get treated. Soryy this is so long but I am frustrated by the illness and by the owners sorry care of this little does. Please help me and Miss No, she deserves better. Thank you

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), November 09, 2001

Answers

The damage has already been done to this kid. Treating the coccidia now is like closing the barn door after the horse is out. She might survive if given really great care, but I am very sorry to say that it sounds like she is at death's door. And if she does live, her intestines have been permanently scarred by the coccidia, and she could be stunted for life and will not ever do as well as she could have. I have a lot of problems with cocci here and most of the kids I have lost have been due to this, as well as countless others that were culled because they just were not growing. I just read an article about it, and plan to change the managment so that we can correct this.

Here is what they say to do: Seperate kids at birth and keep them in a clean place away from older stock. Feeders and bottles, buckets, all should be kept clean and free of manure. The kids should be fed grain that has a cocciostat added. Albon can be added to the milk before they are old enough to eat grain. They should be kept off all pasture or grassy areas until they are breeding age, 7-8 months, and have by then built up a resistance to the coccidia.

I am sad to hear of your friends attitude tooward the little doe, I guess being purchased at an auction it wasn't expensive enough to be valued? Anyway, I hope she will give it some serious thought when the poor little doe dies. It sounds like you have gone the extra mile, and by the way, you might want to start giving your kid medicated feed as well, so that she will not get this way. Coccidia is funny in that you have to treat it before the diarrhea, after the runs are there it is too late and the damage is done.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), November 09, 2001.

I must say.. I hear things like this and it scares me to get the two mini goats I want to get next Spring. I can pretty much tell about all canine and feline ailments. And goldfish ailments too. LOL. But, when I hear about somebody with 25 years worth of goat experience having troubles..it gives me pause!

besides spending time with a local goatherder..what can I read to get more comfortable with acquiring goats?

-- pc (jasper2@iname.com), November 09, 2001.

I start all my babies on medicated feed. She can get some red cell in her , vitamen b injection, selium with e won't hurt .She is probally dehydrated also and will probally need sub Q injections of fluid .Best would be an iv but doubt she would go that far .Can't figure out why with diareha for weeks she did nothing.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), November 09, 2001.

My Nubian buck had coccidia really bad, just like you are describing. He could not even stand up. Was skin & bones & I thought for sure, a goner. The vet had me treat him with Albon liquid. The kind you usually mix with the water. Only I gave it to him once a day orally. Can't remember exact dosage. I believe a cc for every 10 lbs. of body weight. I kept his food in front of him because he couldn't get up to go eat. Also fresh water. He finally turned the corner & pulled through. Still can't believe it. As far as stunting his growth, I don't think so as he is near 200#. You might try the Albon. It won't hurt at this point since she is so bad.

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), November 09, 2001.

Also give your goat lactinex tablets to rebuild the natural normal flora of the intestines.Also add apple cider vinegar to the water daily about 1/4 cup per quart.I have had good results with this with use of the Albon.

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.co,), November 10, 2001.

I want to thank all of you for your help. The little doe, Miss No, is still alive but still unable to stand on her own. She is getting electrolytes, some kind of tube of vitamins, and glucose and other minerals, and she is on some kind of liquid coccidistat. My goats are all fine, including Miss No's twin sister. I don't usually buy from the auction, but went there to get ewe lambs from one of the auctioneers. We saw this lovely spotted Nubian doe with the twin doelings, and the doe was the grand-daughter of my foundation doe. I needed a companion for a single doeling who was very lonely by herself, and darn it I wanted that kid. My "friend' had to have one of the doelings too. She is well meaning but rather bull-headed about taking advice from anyone. PC, please go ahead and get your mini-goats, goats are wonderful creatures, who give me lots of joy. And, getting advice from a goat person is a great idea. I have never met a true goat lover who could not talk about them for hours.LOL

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), November 10, 2001.