# Can a Goat Have Irritable Bowel ?



## Mike (Dec 10, 2008)

I've noticed a trend as of late with one of my wethers. Several times this fall/winter he's had brief episodes of scours. Usually the cow pie version and not the liquid version. About six weeks ago he had a pretty bad case including liquid squirts that lasted about 1.5 days. Twice since then he's also had episodes about 2 weeks apart that only lasted basically a couple hours or one or two soft, runny BM's... then back to normal.

There was no change in food, his temp was normal and otherwise he was fine. He's up to date on worming etc... I at first thought perhaps overeating (he is the alpha wether of the two and tends to push his way into the other guys food), so I cut off all grain and have stuck with just hay. But it still seems to occur now and then.

This goat, for some reason, is terrified of vehicles... not my vehicles as he apparently recognises them, but any strange vehicle.... even the sound of one passing nearby on the road if it's loud makes him want to bolt. I have established that nearly each time I notice scours he has been scared by the guy plowing out our road and the area around the goat pen. Usually I have been down there with the plow guy and calm him down and then he's fine but every time I haven't been home the plow guy tells me Bucky panics and runs all over the pen ending up in the barn.

So.... seeing as how he poops or pees evertime anyone excites him anyway... is it possible that he's getting really scared at the plow and that's what is upsetting him ? I think it's time for calm-down pills. This rambling make any sense ??? :shock:


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

There are basically three reasons I know of that a goat would have runny bowels. They are sick, they have a parasite problem or they have a feeding issue. The last could be a goat who just gorged itself on green grass in the spring or a goat who doesn't have enough roughage in its diet.

You didn't say how old the goat was. If it is under a year I would suspect coccidia or worms as the main cause but any bacterial or parasitic infection could be responsible.

If the goat is older my guess is it may be the connected to its diet. Goat systems are designed to process roughage and feeding too much grain can cause digestive upset. Basically their rumen can't work properly and it causes intestinal problems on down the line. I'd cut out the grain completely for awhile to see if that clears it up. Some really leafy hay may also cause some of the problems.

I'll post our feeding regimen in the "Feeding Forum".


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Goats can have problems with cocci at any age, but the weanlings and older goats are most likely to have it. I'm now also doing research into nematodes which cause cocci- like symptoms, primarily in elderly goats whose immune systems are losing their ummph.

The first thing I'd do is is have a complete fecal test done including cocci, lungworms and liver flukes as well as the more common ones.

Then, I'd put him on some lower quality grass hay for a couple of weeks, along with about a half a cup of good yogurt with live cultures in it. If it's a kid, then I'd use about 2 tablespoons. They usually quickly acquire the taste for it and will eat it off the spoon. You can use a drench syringe or turkey baster at first. Probiotics such as Probios(TM) are the same as yogurt only more expensive but easier to feed if the goat doesn't like regular yogurt.

If you don't see any change after doing all of these things, then he may have IBS. You can give him Kaopectate to slow things down or Pepto BIsmol to both slow things down and coat his rumen.

Stress is entirely possible but you want to rule out all the other stuff first.


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