# GOATS GETTING SKINNY



## peggy

My girls were all wormed last fall and they all seemed fine all winter, but I notice that they look like they are starting to get skinny. I know that my doe that freshened a coulpe months ago is putting all her energy into nursing the kid but why are my older doelings getting skinny? They have free access to alfalfa hay and minerals, etc. They get some grain twice a day. Mom gets lots... Oh and their eyelids are nice and pink. I am thinking that they need to be wormed again but I tought with pink eyelids that they were fine???? Any thoughts would be appreciated.


----------



## JessaLynn

If your unsure I would have a fecal done if it were me.If your feeding them free choice alfalfa and graining them and they still aren't keeping a good weight without even being in milk..I would suspect worm overload or waisting disease.


----------



## HoosierShadow

I'm going through this... My does started getting skinny in Feb, and are sooo thin now with 5week old kids on them  I had wormed them with Ivermectin after kidding and again 10 days later....wormed with safeguard a couple of weeks ago...and guess what? Did a fecal and found out that there was a wormload despite using Ivermectin and safeguard! I just rewormed them on Wed.... I know how frustrating it is.... I hope you figure out what is up with your girls and get the weight back on them.


----------



## StaceyRosado

I would be considering coccidia as a culprit


----------



## peggy

My understanding with coccidia is that there is diarrhera and a loss of appetite and it usually hits young kids. None of the goats have diarrhera and they are all hungry and eating well and the kid is the only one that is not looking thin. She is doing very good.


----------



## GotmygoatMTJ

I would recommend getting the fecal done on them. Thats the only way you'll know if there is a worm problem or not since the eyelid test isn't working.


----------



## toth boer goats

> My understanding with coccidia is that there is diarrhera and a loss of appetite and it usually hits young kids. None of the goats have diarrhera and they are all hungry and eating well and the kid is the only one that is not looking thin. She is doing very good.


 That's what I thought...but... I learned it from here... on TGS.. that a Adult goat was wasting away(losing weight)....no matter how fed and eventually died...they discovered after death... that is was indeed cocci...the Doe didn't have the typical scours.... just was losing weight... the goat did have appetite...


----------



## liz

Pink eyelids are a sign of health...as my vet had told me, there are other parasites that can infest a goat without causing anemia. Having a fecal run would tell you that there may be a parasite issue.


----------



## cdtrum

Not all worms cause anemia like Liz said, nor does cocci I believe. I would for sure have fecals ran, at least then you can rule some things out or discover what the problem is.


----------



## quakingcanopy

I agree with a lot of what you have been told. Not all parasites cause anemia. And then of course there are non symptom forms of cocci as well as other parasites that don't cause diarrhea or other typical symptoms. A fecal would probably be most helpful. If you would prefer to just dose them aggressively then I would recommend getting corrid and doing 1 mL or CC per 3 lbs or weight for 5 days in a row to treat cocci. Then valbazen at 1 mL or cc per 11 lbs for 3 days in a row. But, neither of those is cheap. And it's a lot of medication to administer. So, when it's all said and done a fecal would probably be easier. So at least a few goats for a solid diagnosis. 

Let us know what you decide and that the results of your fecals are!


----------



## peggy

Thanks for all the ideas. I will be going to the city in a week and will try to get a fecal done. Not sure which vets in this area do them but I will find out. I don't think goats are high on the priority list of the vets around here.


----------



## StaceyRosado

coccidia doesnt just strike young kids and you are right for kids though it tends to express its self in scours. In adults and some kids they just loose body condition and nothing else changes. Appetite isnt always effected either


----------



## HoosierShadow

peggy said:


> Thanks for all the ideas. I will be going to the city in a week and will try to get a fecal done. Not sure which vets in this area do them but I will find out. I don't think goats are high on the priority list of the vets around here.


See if there are any animal hospitals...they typically have labs... From my experience in trying to get one done, most vets here send them off to the lab...which is typically one of the horse hospitals around here...I avoided the 'middle man cost' and just took it straight to the lab. He had never done a goat fecal before, but was experienced enough to know what he was looking for since he was a lab tech in a top rated facility.


----------



## toth boer goats

> Thanks for all the ideas. I will be going to the city in a week and will try to get a fecal done


 Your welcome.... :thumb:


----------

