# Goat OBSESSED with eating plastic



## Jenesis90 (Aug 23, 2013)

My 1.5 y/o lamancha whether is completely obsessed with eating plastic. He has consumed so much I'm shocked he's not dead. He's a bottle baby, I love him, but I have no idea why he does this or what to do! 

He's probably eaten the equivalent of 6 grocery bags, 2 trash bags, and half of a five gallon bucket so far- if not more. Probably a dozen candy wrappers (I live along side a busy road and trash blows in regularly)- oh, and he's eaten half a handkerchief (would've been the whole thing if I hadn't taken it from him, that was road-blown trash), half the upholstery from a sofa cushion (was a comfy goat lounge for almost 2 years until he decided it was edible a few days ago), a good length of heavy duty 1" braided rope (natural fibers, not plastic), and a leather leash. He also has a select taste for cardboard, but that doesn't scare me as much. I have no idea how many road-blown boxes he's eaten!

When he gets ahold of these things it's usually freak incidents; a bag blows into the yard, or he escapes (this goat climbs no-climb fencing and can fit through any hole too small for even a turkey to get through) and goes straight for whatever plastic he can find. Once he got out, opened a bin of split peas, ignored the peas, and ate 2 grocery bags! Today he escaped again and got into the hay, so I had to stick him in the chicken yard temporarily. He proceeded to break up and eat almost 1/4 of a 5gallon bucket while I went to the store! 

He drives me nuts! I'm shocked he's still alive! He is thinner than he should be, though not 'skinny'/boney, and he's much smaller than his brother. He gets a free-choice locally-formulated mineral, he's dewormed, and he gets free-choice grass and alfalfa hay and a variety of fresh forage. He's otherwise strong and spunky and lively, I take him hiking and he's hardy and tireless, he doesn't cry or bawl, he loves to sprint and head butt his brother, he has no indications of being in discomfort, and his poop is and has remained totally normal and healthy. He has no apparent health concerns, aside from being a tad thin (and it's not even so much that he's thin as his rumen doesn't get big and full like his brother's). Why on earth is he so obsessed with plastic?! Some folks have suggested he needs an oil supplement? I can do that, but I didn't know if goats are supposed to get oils, as it's not really a natural thing for them to consume...

:sigh:


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Wow! My daughter had a cat like that & I couldn't believe it didn't kill her either! Not only that, when we got a new kitten she taught her to eat plastic too.

2 good sources of oil for goats were suggested to me: black oil sunflower seeds & corn oil. I put vitamin E oil into the corn oil bottle also. You only give them a couple tablespoons. My goats got nice & shiny from these supplements & gained a little weight too. Some people also like wheat germ oil. Although avocados are a good source of oil for dogs & give them healthy skin, they're said to be toxic to goats.

If it's not dietary, maybe there are some clues you can notice. Does he try to eat plastic when you're out hiking? If not, maybe he eats it because he's bored & he needs some new things to climb on... Is he low status in the herd? Does he do it more after a stressful experience like getting a shot? Was there something unusual going on at the time he first began to eat plastic? 

I just had the funniest image pop into my head--a goat chewing on a Kong dog chew toy. It might be something to consider though. There's also a dog chew toy called Nylabone. At least they should be less toxic than plastic bags. Maybe you could try various substitutes on him--different kinds of sticks, bones, or dog toys, or maybe one of those "Greenies" dog breath fighting fake bones that are hard for the dogs to chew up quickly.

Good luck with this problem! We never got the one cat to stop. The kitten did stop when her "role model" moved out.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Funny this would come up right now,right on target Cobalt and Salt deficiency. If you can't find a cobalt block locally they do sell them through Amazon. Expensive but, they last half of forever if kept dry.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

I'd really like to know how this turns out--if you get supplements & he stops or doesn't stop, or anything else! onder:


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## Jenesis90 (Aug 23, 2013)

catharina said:


> Wow! My daughter had a cat like that & I couldn't believe it didn't kill her either! Not only that, when we got a new kitten she taught her to eat plastic too.
> 
> *lol, one of my kittens ate 1/2 a dirty washrag when she was a few months old. Luckily it stopped there! I've heard nightmare stories about plastic eating cats! How strange!*
> 
> ...


- - -



> Funny this would come up right now,right on target Cobalt and Salt deficiency. If you can't find a cobalt block locally they do sell them through Amazon. Expensive but, they last half of forever if kept dry.
> 
> * I've had them on Manna Pro for some time and it made them fluffy and soft but otherwise didn't really help. He was developing a chronic copper deficiency. I switched a few weeks ago to a locally formulated free-choice mineral. It has cobalt in it. I will start with a little high-fat/oil supplement like BOSS, and see if that with the new minerals helps in the coming weeks. If in a month he's still a turd muffin I'll try a cobalt block  Funny thing is none of my other goats do this! Just him! *


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Any chance you can post a photo of the nibbler?

This affliction is known as "Pica". I did a quick google search and found this interesting (related to cattle): http://www.pakdairyinfo.com/pica.htm

There are several other interesting reads if you Google "pica in goats"

Most herds in the U.S. required additional mineral supplementation in ADDITION to free choice loose minerals so definitely do not discount the possibility that he may have a deficiency. I would try giving him Replamin Plus oral paste weekly for a couple months and see if you notice any changes.

I do think there is a strong relationship between bottle raised animals (cats, goats, etc.) and Pica but I couldn't seem to find any documentation of this.

The bottle raised animals in my herd certainly fulfill the "goats eat anything" stigma WAY more than the dam raised animals. One in particular will consume large quantities of paper if given the opportunity (a real hassle for my record keeping binder!) Her favorite is the paper wrap around bales of pine shavings which scares me because there are staples in there! I have to be pretty conscientious of her.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I just want to follow this thread. Very interesting.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

In addition to the above advice about deficiencies, I would reccomend something like the picture I am posting, as long as he wouldn't eat it. (Picture is from the naturally healthy horse).

I'm not sure if that would work, or, more importantly, I just realized he will need to drink during the day as well, and you don't want to keep him from doing that. Sorry if this wasn't too helpful.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Following...I'd try the cobalt block now...Jill is usually right on target.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Might also want an x-ray of his rumen to be sure he isn't full of plastic...


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## Jenesis90 (Aug 23, 2013)

I plonked a cobalt block in my Amazon cart. Will probably have to wait til next week to order it. I guess I may as well. So they're on a free-choice mineral high in copper, I'll add the cobalt block. What else would you recommend? 

This goat knows how to take a fabric nose cover off- I used to use halters but he learned how to spend all day rubbing it threadbare on a rough surface until it breaks- then he eats it, of course. e.e Nor can I leave collars on the goats (not that I want to) because he'll spend his time eating the collars off the other goats.

No x-rays. I don't have the budget to be vetting the goats like that. I love my boys, but the damage is done and he's not gonna get surgery. He's just gonna have to press on!


Attached are photos from June, the most recent I have. I was test fitting their new soft packs. Their copper deficiency was undiagnosed at the time and they were still on MannaPro. Their fishtails have filled in much better on the new minerals since the photos were taken. Otherwise he's about the same, just a little bigger


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## Jenesis90 (Aug 23, 2013)

Ïsol is the brown lamancha in question, orange pack. His brother Aster is the bigger white one with the green pack. Aster is growing like a weed. He's not prone to nibbling strange things, he's a good solid build and a healthy weight. He's well over 100lbs by now and several inches taller than his brother. Ïsol has always been smaller, thinner, and an infuriating turdmuffin. I doubt Ïsol is 100lbs yet.


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## Jenesis90 (Aug 23, 2013)

And on the packs I had to dowse every zipper, tab, strap, corner, and cover with bitter Osha oil, otherwise Ïsol would have/will chew them to pieces. e.e


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