# Need help fattening up my goat



## karenN (May 20, 2011)

Hoping you can give me some advice, I have an 8 year old goat named Bucky, he has recently been diagnosed with CAE, I have had the vet out several times. Ill give you the run down on what we have done.

I first noticed he was dropping weight so I wormed him waited a couple of weeks no change so wormed again. waited about another week and had vet come out to see what was wrong. We did blood work oh also about that time noticed his front knees looked swollen. Well blood work came back and vet said it was odd. Proteins were low and so was hemoglobin. Not what he expected for a goat with possible CAE. So he posted it on an intranet with other vets to see what they thought they were unsure also.

So what we have done is butte him 2 grams first time then 1 gram every other day for about a week I am backing off on that right now it has been two days no butte. Also he gave him an injection of minerals just in case he was lacking.

Then he came back and gave him an antibiotic shot just to cover bases in case something else was going on. It seemed to help he also gave some liquid formula 10 cc a day called red. It is vitamins and minerals. been doing that daily. Bucky seems to be perking up. Vet came 1 week later gave another antibiotic shot.

I have been feeding eastern orchard grass hay, alfala, he ate sweet feed and oats in the beginning but doesn't want it now. Also bought equine senior he doesn't really care for that either. Been taking him out grazing he likes that. But any suggestions on what I can feed him that he might like that will put the weight on. He just doesn't look like he is gaining he looks like an old skinny goat and that is not who he is. I love him dearly and just need some direction on what he might really go for. He really likes the alfalfa so I feed that to him alot just doesn't seem like his body is absorbing. Also how long before I might see a change in weight.

Any feed back would be greatly appreciated. 
Thank you so much
Karen Noel


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Welcome from NJ :wave: 

I am confused. So the blood showed he is CAE +? For that I have heard of vets doing steroids to help ease the pain from joints and also mild tranqs. Not sure why the antibiotics. :shrug: 

Vet did a fecal and no worms? Worming every few weeks wont kill off the worms in their life cycle correctly. Also what type of worms? Some wormers only treat some worms. 

Also the food ratio may be off; I don't think this could be why he is low weight but it can cause Urinary Calci.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Welcome...glad you are with us... :wave: :thumb:

I am sorry your goat may have CAE .....With CAE...they can lose weight...
http://www.fiascofarm.com/goats/cae.htm

How strange though... that they are unsure on the CAE testing...I would get another sample and send it into another lab... to see what they say.....

I'd do a fecal on him... to see if he has worms or cocci..... sometimes certain wormers may not work...or can be under dosed... when deworming you must deworm 10 days later no more no less to get the hatching eggs.... If you don't hit it right the eggs will hatch and it will be like you didn't even deworm him....

Put out loose salts and minerals for goats....free choice....

What are all his symptoms?

Red ...is probably red cell... it is iron and builds the blood...

How are his teeth? He may have rotten teeth ....that when he tries to chew the hay ...it hurts...he may be doing more of swallowing... than chewing it ....making the body not absorb as much....
Have you tried Alfalfa pellets?

If you have a scale...get a weight on him once a week to see if he is gaining or not....


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## karenN (May 20, 2011)

Symptoms are. Walking a little stiff a little swelling in knees it was worse but better now and dramatic weight lose.
But has appetite but picky on what he likes. Drinking, pooping peeing all good when vet checked him no temp. Vet checked teeth they are good to he is chewing and swallowing. Right now will eat alfalfa and grazing and treats carrots and apples. Does not want oats or sweet feed. Which he use to just love the oats. Just bought some beet pulp turned his nose up at that. 

He is bright eyed. The reason the vet gave him antibiotics was just encase there was a secondary problem on top of the CAE. Because his blood work showed a depressed immune system. After he got the shot seemed to pick up. Seems like he is perky one day and not so much the next then perky again.

I guess what I need to know has any one delt with CAE? And did there goat go through weight lose and if so were they able to get the weight back up and how. I can manage the pain for him just really worried on the weight.

Thanks you guys. I just want to get him better.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

If I were you I think I would talk my vet into treating for Mycoplasma. You really didn't answer if he send blood to bio-tracking or even a university for testing. A regular vet isn't set up to do CAE testing normally. Mycoplasma can be causing eveything your seeing including the CAE like symptoms. Beet pulp pellets can help with weight gain and goats that won't eat their grain often have acid stomach and need baking soda. If he is put on antibiotics he needs a course of them not a shot here and there. Goats motabilism is very fast and burns through medications very quickly. A shot here and there creates resistance in the bacteria you're trying to kill.


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