# Coccidiosis, lost another kid



## sandoval (Apr 14, 2009)

Hi all,
I am so sad, this is the second kid I loose this season. The first one started crying more than usual for a couple of days, no diarrhea. In the third day her cry was very loud and I noticed that the little poop berries were black, from blood. I didn't think of cocci because she didn't have diarrhea. I sent the feces for a test but she died 2 hours later. The test showed 4t level of coccidia. 

Then today, a large 5 week old buckling was crying, the pain cry I had heard before. I immediately gave him an injection of banamine for the pain and 5 cc of Dimethox, and wrapped him in my goose down jacket. He died in a horrible colic an hour later. This kid was perfectly fine the day before. Today he had diarrhea, didn't loose weight, but his gums were pale. 

I started to add Dimethox to the water on all 4 pens with dams and kids today. I am so scared about how quick and devastating this parasite is. 
What else could I do? I read that coccidiosis is a bad management disease. But I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I keep 2 dams and her kids in each pen measuring about 10 ft x 30 ft. Once a day I take them for a walk for about 2 hours to feed on grass and brush. I usually leave the dams all day in the pasture but with kids I am afraid that the dogs will kill them. I don't have dogs but people around here let their dogs attack my goats. 
The ground in the pens is sandy dirt and each pen has a shed, bucket water, feeder, and goat minerals. I replace the water daily. I brush the pens every 2 days and collect the manure. I live in coastal CA where it is dry but it never gets hot at the coast. 
Am I overcrowding? Could it be the wildlife or rats that are bringing so much coccidia to the area (I live in an reserve)? Is it normal for coccidia to happen so fast and deadly? I would appreciate any advise to help me improve my management and health of my goats.
Thanks,
Devastated Cris


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## Skyz84 (Jul 25, 2011)

So sorry about your kids :hug:

I don't know the answer to your question but I do know I decided to start a prevention program with our kids. We have a lot of parasites where we live and I have dealt with Coccidia in puppies and chicks. Not fun. I started our kids on Sulmet at 3 weeks old. They get a 5 day dose at 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 9 weeks. This is our 1st year breeding goats but I decided I didn't want to risk it. I've seen how fast it can take down other animals and until I see a reason NOT to use a prevention it leaves one less things I need to worry about.

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/coccidiosis.htm

You can buy a bottle of Sulmet at most feed stores for around $10. It goes a REALLY long way (at least for us with our Dwarf Goats).


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## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

Bless your heart :tears: coccidia can be so mild yet other times so devastating. 

I don't have a high count of coccidia here but I give ALL the young babies 1 round of albon suspension. I REALLY reccomend this medication in my opinion it is so safe for them-most of them like it, it tastes good to them and it knocks the coccidia out flat-none left. 

Remember that adult does carry the coccidia parasite normally-nothing you can do to completely irradicate it. I keep albon around and if I run a fecal and see lots of coccidia I will give a round to my adult goats.

You can get the #'s WAY down w/some rounds of dosing. You treat once a day for 5 days. Same regimen w/kids and adults. If you work with a veterinarian you can buy albon suspension on most supplier websites. They just call the vet's office for permission. 

Also--look to fiasco farms website. They have a wonderful medication information section and they tell you exactly how to dose the medicine. 

I hope this info helps you. There is nothing you did wrong sounds like you take such loving care of your babies. I think this medicine would work much better for you.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Here's a good article about coccidia with some steps to treat it also http://goat-link.com/content/view/145/155/

According to the article it is species specific (they say breed, but I think they mean species), so your goats would not be getting it from the local wildlife. According to my vet all goats have cocci in their gut, but normally it is kept at a very low number and is not harmful to the goat. They told me that adult goats can have it act up if they have been stressed in any way which includes having a high wormload. I would have a fecal done on your adult does and worm them if they do have a high wormload, I would also continue with the treatment and follow-up with another fecal about 10 days after the last day of treatment. Once they are treated, I would get the kids started on a medicated goat feed, either with decoquinate or monensin (Rumensin). This will help prevent the kids from getting it again. From what I have heard, adult goats can not eat enough of a medicated feed to help them, so it is really only for the kids.

Hopefully you can get it under control and don't lose any more kids.


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## LoneStarChic (Jan 19, 2012)

For treatment, Dimethox (which is Sulfadimethoxine) 40% injectable given at 1cc per 5lbs, orally is my go to method & most effective I have found. Given once a day (by syringe or in a bottle, not in the water) for 5 days, no skipping days. I get mine from Jeffers for about $19.

I do not play around in regards to coccidia...... I have seen it wipe out entire kid crops (boer friend lost 16 kids this year!)..... I start all kids on a strict prevention program at 3 weeks old & repeat every 21 days until well grown. Typically, 3-4 rounds per kid, at that point they are big enough that they eating enough medicated pellet to consume enough medication to keep coccidia in check. But I won't rely on medicated feed as a sole prevention until they are old enough that it is their main source of feed & consuming large quantities...

If you can't get your hands on the 40% injectable, you can buy the 12.5% solution in gallon jugs.... The dose is higher, 3.2cc per 5lbs, but I've had to use it when I couldn't get the injectable. Sulfadimethoxine is sold under quite a few names..... Albon, Di-methox & VetOne are the common ones I find it under here & at feed stores that carry it, it's usually by the Cattle meds. Oddly, I need an RX for Albon from my Vet Supply, but can get the same concentration of Di-Methox, which is the same drug, with no RX from the same place.....

Until the issue is under control, I personally wouldn't use Sulmet or Corid as here, on fecals, those aren't nearly as effective as the Di-Methox (Sulfadimethoxine). I only use Corid in PREVENTION rounds in healthy kids showing no symptoms, never as a TREATMENT for an outbreak.

I'm so sorry for your loss....... It's just so heart breaking to loose one  Hoping you don't suffer anymore losses....


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## sandoval (Apr 14, 2009)

Thank you everyone, this is so helpful. 
Cris


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

If you prefer to do natural prevention, Molly at Fias Co Farm uses her own herbal wormer weekly on kids. She also sells the herbal wormer. I have used it.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Regardless of how clean a pen is kept...all goats have cocci. It's during times of stress that they will sometimes get an overload...does can shed oocysts in their berries without showing symptoms and once you have an outbreak, it takes a very long time to have the property clear of it and to my knowledge, only dry sunshine gets rid of it...not bleach or other disinfectants.
I do prevention doses with all kids here starting at 3 weeks of age...for that week, each kid gets 1.5cc twice a day of 12.5% DiMethox, then a single dose of 1.5cc once a week until they are weaned or leave for new homes.
Haven't had but 3 cases and the first is what brought the issue here with a buckling I bout 5 years ago, the following year I had 1 kid get an overload...after that, I chose to prevent with meds/


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## Karen (Jun 22, 2010)

The tips have already been offered, I just wanted to add my condolences for your sudden losses. It's so hard, and fills our heads with "What Ifs .." But just picture them leaping and spinning and running free at the Rainbow Bridge.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

So sorry that you are going through this. You live in a coastal area which maybe why there is more of a problem as the soil may not ever get a chance to dry out. This must be frustrating to have to deal with this.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I have a kid or two going through a bout of coccidiosis, and I just found out that ground cloves are supposed to both treat and prevent it. Just tried it today, so I don't know yet if it works.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Cleanest opperation and you can still get cocci. Some kids and some adults will be more susceptible to it. Hope that with the advice given you see quick improvement. :hug:


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

One of my kids got it. He was pretty down and out. Just used the cloves and cinnamon twice and so far his scours have stopped and he seems ok now. I'll tell you in a few days if it really cured it.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have heard that ground cloves are a natural coccidistat...not sure about treatment with it though.


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## sandoval (Apr 14, 2009)

This forum is so great for good information, natural and traditional medicines,and the emotional support. Thank you so much.
Here is a new development. Two of my does suddenly became very sick today, at the same time. Not eating, abdominal cramps, depression. I think it is entero. I haven't changed the diet but I moved them to a different pen. A few days ago I started offering yeast from Hoeggers, Iodine, and dolomite. I don't know if these additives could have induced entero. I gave the CDT antitoxin, tetracycline, some baking soda and am crossing my fingers. 
Now I wonder if the kid had entero too. The kid or the does did not have diarrhea or bloody stools. I only vaccinated the kids that were going to be castrated because I was short on the CDT toxoid. Oh boy, it has been a roller coaster year. 
My 15 tear old daughter had cancer 2 years ago and last year she had TSS from using tampons. We were very lucky and she is OK now. But I am still with raw nerves about diseases in general.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

:hug: For all the goat issues. and :hug: for the stuff with your daughter. How hard that must be on you both. Hope that she stays well.


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## jaycee (Aug 3, 2011)

LoneStarChic said:


> If you can't get your hands on the 40% injectable, you can buy the 12.5% solution in gallon jugs.... The dose is higher, 3.2cc per 5lbs, but I've had to use it when I couldn't get the injectable.


Ok Crystal, I began cocci prevention treatment on my oldest kid this past week. I have the 12.5% Dimethox solution in the gallon jug. I was basing my doses off the recommendations on the Fiasco Farm website. I believe it says 1 cc/5 lbs 1st day, then 1 cc/10 lbs thereafter for 4 days at 3 week intervals up to 9 weeks. Did I underdose by alot here? Is there much danger of overdose with this stuff if I started it at the higher rate you use?


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## Tabitha (Jan 24, 2012)

I have had cocci every year. I use sulfamethazine in the milk according to the bottle. We got it in our barn from our chicks. I've heard that once it's in the barn, you can't get rid of it. The only thing I know is once the kid lays down, It is very hard to get them back up. With mine as soon as I noticed bloat or diarrea I walked them around as much as I could. Hope you don't loose any more. I know the helpless feeling of not knowing what to do. ray: that everything is better for you. :hug:


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## GoatChick (Oct 7, 2011)

Hey everyone! Last year we lost 8 bottle babies to Cocci within a day of each other...Once we knew why they died we started using "Sulmet". We start our bottle babies about 2 weeks after birth....we treat by putting it in their bottles at each feeding for 1 week.....Then again if we notice they are getting scours again...To date, we have not lost another baby due to Cocci.....Once they are all weaned and out in the pasture with all the other goats if we notice ANY babes with scours we then put CORID in the water tank and treat ALL of our goats....Just wanted to put down what we do! Best of luck!


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