# Help I think Ava might be sick



## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

Ava is 7 weeks old and this morning she was looking bloated, and not acting herself. She is usually very playful but this morning she just stands beside me and while she is not acting in pain, I do notice her belly is large and she just acts a little off. What should I do for her?

I have done a coccidia prevention and her poop is normal.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Try giving her some baking soda, is her belly squishy or hard?
If it's squishy, and you can hear liquid sloshing....and even with normal poop, you might be dealing with cocci.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

No her belly is not firm, it feels soft. she is walking and keeps arching her back, almost like she is stretching. What should I give her to treat for Cocci?

She was on the prevention with Chorid and I had just started her second treatment.

I have pepto and Banamine should I give her any of that?


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

Also her and her three brothers are kept in a pen alone, with no other goats, and there has not been any goats in this pen. I thought cocci came from adult goats.


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

I wouldn't give pepto since her poop is normal.

Coccidia doesn't just come from adult goats - it's all over and is most easily picked up by kids. Here's an article.
I just went through a bout with coccidia in my adult goats, and I treat with DiMethox 12.5% so I can't really say what to do as far as the CoRid.

If she were my kid, I'd start by drenching her with a baking soda mix. Mix it with water so that it's liquidy, but still somewhat of a paste - enough to be sucked up into a syringe. I'd use a 6ml syringe and try to get about 2 - 3 cc's into her.

Then wait and see.

Is she still on the bottle? Have you taken her temperature? It should be around 102* so if it's lower/higher, that'd be a good indication something's off.

ETA - you could give her some banamine, but if she doesn't appear to be in pain, you might want to save it for future use.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

I gave her about 5cc of Pepto, can I still give the banking soda or should I wait now?

She is a little bit worse. Now she is pacing and up and down and her breathing is a little harder.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

I just rubbed her belly and she passed some gas and now acts a tad bit better. So can I give the baking soda?

If this where cocci would her passing gas help relieve her any?


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

Yes, give her the baking soda drench ASAP. If rubbing her belly worked I'm thinking it's not coccidia related.

If she starts throwing up some or acts like she can't poop at all, mineral oil will help her pass stuff. But be warned, the mineral oil will make her poop really runny and literally squirt out. If she is going to the bathroom as normal, don't give her the mineral oil.

Once she's even better, give her some probios too, to put some good bacteria in her rumen.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

Ok I gave her the baking soda, about 2cc was all I could get down her. And she is acting like I was torturing her, she just walks around now shaking her head and grinding her teeth. I can see a firm bulge appear every now and then on ther left side and I massage it and it goes away. She acts like she really likes it when I massage her belly


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

I'd keep doing that and try giving her the baking soda drench again in a few hours.

What about her temperature? Have you taken that yet?

This really doesn't sound like coccidia, just a case of something she ate not digesting well, but keep your eye on her anyway because I could be wrong.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

Ok now I am worried I made it worse. She is now foaming at the mouth a little and she keeps shaking her head every few minutes.

Did I do something wrong? I mixed the baking soda with a little water and made a past and used a syryng and while my husband held her I squirted about 2 cc in the side of her mouth, She freaked out and screamed and acted like I was trying to kill her of course.

She is standing still but she has a little bit of foam on her mouth and every few minutes she will shake her head. She still follows me around when I get up to move rooms and just walks behind me. She will not laydown anymore either.

I am afraid to give her anymore baking soda because of this now.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

Just took her temp it is 103.0


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

to me it sounds like a tummy issue possibly the beginning of bloat. 
I would give the baking soda drench and gently massage the belly.


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

Her temp is pretty much normal - it should be between 102 and 103, so there's nothing to be concerned about there.

The frothing is probably her regurgitating some of the baking soda, maybe next time make it a little more liquidy. There's no real doseage, just trial and error there. She also could have gotten some in her air pipes when fighting you.

If she's up and walking around, take that as a good sign. If she's down and out, that's when I'd get worried.

Have you seen her get up a cud lately? Shaking her head could indicate she's trying but can't get it up, in which case the baking soda could help break stuff up.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Feel her neck for lump...as in.... she may have feed stuck in her throat....

Follow her neck down...from underneath her throat... down to the base of her chest where it ends...can you feel anything abnormal?


Did she have access to any grain over load or moldy hay ..or feed?


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

Also - keep her up and walking. This is a great way to get whatever's in her rumen moving in the right direction. If she doesn't seem to be passing any poop or gas, try a little mineral oil, but be prepared! 

Here's an article on bloat if you want to read it.


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## firelight27 (Apr 25, 2009)

It really sounds like bloat to me, and the advice of the others is very good. I've also heard you should make them stand with their front end elevated when they are bloating. I have only had one bloat. I forced baking soda in balls down her and rubbed and rubbed (and rubbed some more!) her rumen. It seemed like forever, but she kept burping and gurgling as I did so and after awhile seemed pretty normal.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

I have never seen her chew a cud. She is still on milk, but does have access to alfalfa and I have seen her eat a lot of alfalfa. I am going to post a picture of her what she is doing now and how her belly looks.


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

At 12 weeks are you starting to wean her? She should definitely be eating hay/some grain and drinking water.

I'd probably cut out the bottle today until she starts acting better.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

They are on a lamb bar and where down to eating once a day, and I have seen them drinking water and I have to refill their water twice a day, also they are eating about 1 large flake of alfalfa every two days.

I just rubbed her belly and she passed more gas and it did seem tomake her feel a tad better, she even walked over to me.

Here are pictures of her just a few minutes ago.

This is how she is standing and drooling also, she is falling asleep standing up, because she will be very still and loose her balance and catch herself.









Here is her belly:


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

As for her appearance, she looks fine. Her stomach doesn't seem too distended from my point of view. Maybe a little full, but not too bad.

Keep her up and walking and massage her belly, though, and do another dose of the baking soda in a little while. I'd skip that bottle for today (unless she's already had it) and probably tomorrow too depending on how she's doing.


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

Has she had her CD&T shots?


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

Ok she just passed a HUGE amount of gass when I rubbed her belly and now she is acting more normal, into everything even trying to headbutt the cat. Pawing and nipping at me for attention. I am so happy to see her acting more like herself no matter how annoying she is lol.


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

:clap: 

Great job! Keep going and she'll be better in no time.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

No I was planning on giving them today infact. I just bought it and got it here. How much do I give them and can I give it to her now or should I wait a day or so on her?


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

Ok I have to go put her outside now, she is driving me carzy now lol. She keeps unplugging my mouse on my computer.


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

You can give her (and everyone else) the CD&T today. It can only help at this point.

You give 2cc to each goat regardless of age, weight or breed. Follow up with another 2ccs in 20 - 30 days.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Sounds like the baking soda helped, keep her burping!


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Glad that she is doing better!!
Yes I would give it to them all now and don't forget the follow up for any who are getting it for the first time.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

Well I let her outside and she just went and layed down in the dog house, so I thought she was getting bad again so let her back in the house and she was fine, she tipped over the trash and pulled out all the papers and made a huge mess, so while I am cleaning all that up she walks over and tries to jump on my desk and pulls all the bills in the floor and starts eating them. So I just had to put her back outside again. I will check on her in a few minutes and see how she is doing. But so far she seems to be acting fine in the house. She did pass more poop and her belly does not have the hard not in it anymore.


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

she could just be resting....i'd put her back outside and let her lie down if she wants, but check on her in 30 min or so and go from there.


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## Kfin (Jun 23, 2010)

Well I just checked on her again and she was laying down with the other two boys. But she got up and came to me, she still has a bigger belly than the boys and has not eaten. 

Should I give her some more baking soda even in she is not acting in pain?


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## glenolam (Jul 20, 2010)

I probably would. It can't hurt anyway.

You could also leave some baking soda out in a bowl or feeder of some sorts. If she feels she needs it, it's there. From time to time I put some out in my goat's mineral feeders just to keep their rumens moving. Sometimes they eat it in a heartbeat and sometimes it sits there and gets clumpy.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I have two feeders out all the time one with loose mineral the other with baking soda. They eat both as they find necessary.


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

Me too, I have a feeder with loose minerals and baking soda out at all times and I see even the babies eating them on a regular basis.


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