# Diarrhea - where to start



## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

Emma - my 6 week old Ober girl has diarrhea. I noticed it this morning when I went out to bottle feed. She wouldn't eat anything. I called in sick to work, called the vet, and they said bring a fecal sample. So - I followed her around for 2 hours with a tupperward container - no luck. She is happy and running and nibbling on hay and jumping on me as much as possible. 

So - 

1.) I've heard coccidi can happen and the symptoms are quick and you lose a goat.

2.) I've heard cut back on the amount of milk (she drinks 20 oz 3 times a day).

3.) I've heard the temp of the milk.

4.) She just got a new flake of alfalfa from a new bale on Saturday.

5.) I noticed she is starting to eat more grass growing in the enclosure.

She's never had any drugs. I'm not sure if I monitor and wait a few days or if I start one of the drugs mentioned in the coccidi discussion. I don't know what she has.

Any help would be appreciated!

Tonia


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

It could be several different things. Too much milk, Cocci or even too much green grass all at once. I'd continue with the fecal sample, dose her with Albon and cut back on the milk for a few days. The hay is unlikely to cause diarrhea so that should be fine to continue free choice. Most likely it is too much milk or over doing it on the green grass. The fecal sample will tell you for sure on the Cocci.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

You need to start with the cocci treament as soon as you can, if you can't get a fecal done tomorrow. Waiting is dangerous when you don't know. Keep working on the sample, if she has diarrhea it shouldn't take long.
Worming with Ivermectin horse paste should also be done asap so that you are covered for the bad things first.

Again, you can lose a kid with no symptoms so better to panic now and feel foolish later when it turns out to not be anything.


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## rtdoyer (May 6, 2010)

Thank you for the replies. My 2nd ober girl (1/2 sisters) had same symptoms this evening. I went out and did a feeding at 9:30 pm (less milk this time) and both had 'more solid' waste. I have a 'more solid' sample and a 'runny' sample for the vet in the morning. 

I need to go through and read the forum posts on worming and get going with that. I am also ordering the Albon and Deccox over the internet as our farm store doesn't carry them.

Again - thanks for the replies. It is frustrating/overwhelming when your kid has something wrong and my lack of experience isn't helping. I guess you learn as you go.

Tonia


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

I would give them a handful of Quick oats.
Raw. I found with my rabbits that it helped 
bind the bactria that is in the gut or colon
to the dry oats. So even if my theory is wrong
it will not hurt them any.

I did not hear anyone mention Probiotics
or plain yogurt. It is something I use for
all my animals when they have stool problems.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Probiotics are a good idea. I use regular yogurt mixed in with the milk when we have anyone with diarrhea or they are under stress from shipping.


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## McDanAx (May 24, 2010)

Last year, when my boys small, they were having the same symptoms mentioned above. I searched this forum and saw where Sweet Goat Mamma had advised someone to use yogurt. The next morning I filled a big cattle syringe with Activa yogurt . Each goat got a dose/ syringe full. There has not been any issues since. So, a year later, thank you Sweet Goat Momma for the advice.


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