# My Goat Won't take ammonium chloride?



## katherineann56

Buddy was taking ammonium chloride with water until today, he now puts his nose up at it. A few days ago I tried putting it in his food, he ate around it...lol NO IT IS NOT FUNNY. I took Buddy to the Vet today who put him to sleep, clipped his pee pee, put a catheter in and put a solution of vinegar & saline. Antibiotic and something to help him to not strain. They told me to give Buddy ammonium chloride 1/4 teaspoon everyday for 3 weeks then a week off and then start over again (3 wks with, 1 wk off):whatgoat: for prevention. He was eating the scratch for the chickens & sweet feed. Changed his food to Goat food that has AC in it. The vet said it was common, kidney stones in Goat, didn't make me feel better. Any ideas as too how I can get Buddy to take the AC? What can I mix it with? Ideas and help please. :book: 

Thanks,
Kathi


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## Jessica84

That stuff is NASTY!! Do you know about how much he drinks a day? Like his water trough how long does it take him to drink that? If it's a day, maybe with a little left out the dose the vet gave you in that. It really needs to be watered down. I've never dealt with needing to do this but helped a friend and that wether sure was not happy about it so we did it this way and worked out well.
If you want to do it in feed then I would get molasses or veggie oil, something to kinda bind it to his grain and mix like crazy


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## Goats Rock

You can mix it with water and squirt it down his throat as a last resort. Try mixing it with applesauce.


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## ShireRidgeFarm

I've heard mixed things about the feed with ammonium chloride - something about the other ingredients in the feed actually deactivating the ammonium chloride. I think what you really need to do, for the long term, is balance out the calcium and phosphorus in his diet. It should be 2:1 Ca to P, some even say 4:1. Most grains (that I have seen anyway) are too high in phosphorus, and grass hay is also high in P. Alfalfa pellets are a good source of calcium, and that's mostly what I feed my boys now. Most goats with urinary stones are getting too much phosphorus. 

I sprinkle ammonium chloride on grain and it sticks to the grain, and then the boys gobble it up. If that doesn't work, then you'll probably have to force feed him. Ammonium chloride is some harsh stuff, and just mixing it with water and feeding it will hurt his throat. If you can find something he will actually eat with ammonium chloride on it, that would probably be best.


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## olfart

Try a healthy dose of apple cider vinegar in his drinking water daily. I use 8 oz. per 1.5 gal. pail and refill it daily (in addition to their regular water tub). Elmer loves vinegar so much he tries to drink it straight from the bottle as I'm pouring it. The vinegar water bucket is empty before the day is out, so he's getting plenty of vinegar.


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## goatnutty

Our vet had us bottle feed a buck vinegar when he was blocked, but he hated it also. Little me and the full grown boer buck was quite a challenge. lol If he would drink it in his water though, it did work.


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## Goats Rock

My 4 yr. old Oberhasli wether licks it out of the feed bowl, after he eats. ( I sprinkle it on his grain). That is why I suggested mixing it with water.


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## katherineann56

Buddy does not like the vinegar, I am giving him bottle water, I have added the AC to milk (buttermilk, milk, and evaporated milk mix), he was a bottle baby so he is happy when he sees the bottle now, apple juice with vinegar. I never realized how smart goats are. I am keeping up with the vinegar till Sat. then AC. Don't want to over due and mess him up. I will give him the vinegar once a week after this. Thanks for all you guys on this site.


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## TDG-Farms

Get some cob, dampen it and sprinkle the 1 1/2 tablespoons over it. Mix and feed. The AC will cling to the damp grain. This is the only time you should feed a weather grain. Grass hay or alfalfa only. Or as mentioned above, alfalfa pellets. Mix 3 lbs of AC into a 50 lbs bag of loose mineral. This is for his daily prevention. Treat with as I have suggested above once every 2-4 weeks depending upon lose mineral consumption. But finish up your vet suggested treatment first.


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## katherineann56

How much AC should he be getting a day? Apple Cider Vinegar? He is still miserable, poor little guy. I feel bad, he is urinating, very slowly and dripping. The vet didn't see any stones in his bladder and said his bladder wasn't very full, it was a good sign that it was clear and coming out even if it was slow. Thanks for all the help, feel so bad for him.


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## TDG-Farms

Should be 1 1/2 tablespoons a day while you battle his current condition


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## catharina

Bladder trouble is just so miserable--poor little fellow! He's probably still healing & it burns when he pees. Anything you can think of to get more fluid into him & keep his urine diluted should make it hurt less. I bet he likes watermelon--mine do. Having had more than my fair share of UTIs along with interstitial cystitis, I can tell you that eating less salt & NOT drinking acidic things like cranberry juice can reduce irritation of the bladder or urethra while they're healing. I hope he gets back to normal soon!


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## rochelle

Is it ok to give the boys watermelon & the rinds? Not the whole thing of course but how much can they have?


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## lottsagoats1

He may be swollen from the inflammation along the urinary tract, so it is keeping the flow slow and making it uncomfortable to pee. Poor little dude.

I feed my bucks grain daily because we can't get decent hay up here. I mix AC in with their loose minerals and then mix that with their morning grain, soaked beet pulp and alfalfa pellet meal. The minerals seem to minimize the smell/taste of the AC and they eat it right up. I haven't been using the AC for long, I just started this summer because it's been so hot and humid, I didn't want to chance them not drinking enough.

My boys are on an average of 3 to 1 ratio of calcium/phos. I have never had a case of UC in my herd (knock on wood). I am a big believer in alfalfa in their diet.


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## katherineann56

catharina said:


> Bladder trouble is just so miserable--poor little fellow! He's probably still healing & it burns when he pees. Anything you can think of to get more fluid into him & keep his urine diluted should make it hurt less. I bet he likes watermelon--mine do. Having had more than my fair share of UTIs along with interstitial cystitis, I can tell you that eating less salt & NOT drinking acidic things like cranberry juice can reduce irritation of the bladder or urethra while they're healing. I hope he gets back to normal soon!


He doesn't like watermelon, he is so picky and is cautious at anything I give him. The AC when I mix it with feed he uses his mouth to move it away. I am force feeding it mixed with peanut butter.Lucky to get 1/2 teaspoon down him. Tried apple juice and cranberry, not fond of either. I am not giving up...lol. I am sure he wishes I would.


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## catharina

Cranberry juice is more for infections & the acidity might possibly irritate him further. There are some herbal tinctures that may be more soothing (MAYBE slippery elm?) & also diuretic ones like uva ursi to make him pee more. I forgot if you're already giving him Banamine or asprin for pain--they also fight inflammation & swelling. It sounds like this is keeping you very busy--I bet you're tired! You are a great goat mommy!


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## katherineann56

He was on Banamine for pain he is better today, urinating without crying, and I got him a goat friend who is a couple months younger (wether). He has taught Buddy to drink more water out of the bucket & graze. I named him Thor, he is very skittish, not a bottle baby so am working to get him to where he will come closer and not be afraid. Thank you always for the great advice.


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## ksalvagno

Very cute!


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## Stinathegoatmom

*Kidney Stone-Ammonium Chloride*

I was using apple cider to get him to take it but he suddenly stopped drinking it but it did work well for a bit. I did just see to try apple sauce so I'll give that a whirl.


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## katherineann56

Update on Buddy and so sorry I have not been online for awhile.Buddy is doing awesome 2 trips to the vet and he is playing and acting up. His food has it already in it, I give him just a little bit of corn for treats, no more sweet feed. I have a total of 4 goats now. A wether (Thor), a female boar (Maddy), a female pygmy mix ( Lucy) I can't thank you all enough for helping me through such a crisis. I was so scared that Buddy was going to die and there was nothing I could do. :smile:


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## rochelle

Feed him a couple times a day an put alittle bit of the ammonium chloride in it and buy the food I have in pix, I put it on this food and the powder sticks on the grain. My goats love this grain, I only feed them this every other day with the powder mixed in it, no problems with them eating all their food, and they all drink more water!


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## Clehmanktm57319

I have mixed the amionum floor with fruit punch just a little in a bucket they seem to like it a lot


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