# Yellow Diarrhea



## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

So Honeysuckle has developed some yellow diarrhea within the past few hours. Just a bit of background info: she is 17 days old, being bottle fed whole cows milk. Her temperature is 102.7 as of a few minutes ago. The consistency of the stool was loose but not really watery, bright yellow, and slightly mucousy, smelled foul (not that any poop smells like flowers, but this was noticeably strong). 

What is the best course of action? Since I know kids can go downhill quickly, I definitely want to nip this in the bud quickly.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

When they are that young I usually go ahead and give them a dose (usually a 12cc syringe) of PeptoBismol. Then keep a close eye on their tail and dose as needed. I know some do not recommend that and say to let it run its course and such. But like you said, when they are young they can go downhill fast. Make sure the little one does not get dehydrated. Probiotics and electrolytes are good.


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

I don't actually have pepto bismol in the house  . I started her on neomycin, hopefully it makes a difference.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

At 17 days my guess is actually coccidia. 
Does she have other symptoms? Runny nose eye boogies? If not I dont think that antibiotics are needed. You did say temp is normal. 
I think that you need to treat for cocci.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I was thinking Cocci also. I would take a sample to the vet and have them run a fecal float on her. If it is Cocci and not treated correct and righ away you will lose her.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I know e coli way to well and sounds like it to me! I have not used the neomycin on kids yet but have on a few calfs and has worked well. I had 16 kids die from this last year, which was my first year having kids and did a lot of reading about it. If it is ecoli you might not want to use pepto since them having the runs is the bodys way of trying to get it out and using pepto will slow the process down and keep it inside. Dont get me wrong I am a big pepto user, but for this it is not best.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Oh gosh! There are so many variables. I guess the first question should be, how valuable is this goat to you? Either monitarily or emotionally.
Most of my kids are surplus and will be butchered. So they do not get trips to the vet. I treat them as well and quickly as I can. Now, if a bunch suddenly got ill; I would get one tested to find out what is going through my herd. Luckily, and it almost scares me to say so, nothing like that has happened to me. (Knocking wood as I type.)
So treatment will of course depend on your personal situation.
Is she any better?


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

She seems better. I did get a bottle of corid solution, sadly the local feed stores did not have any other coccidiostat. She is definitely valuable both emotionally AND monetarily, as of the two she comes from a much better breeding. If she does not improve, she'll be visiting the vet, stat. 

Today her stool was a bit more firm, not as loose but not how it should be. Behavior wise she isn't acting depressed, lethargic, etc. and has stayed active and alert.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Stacykins said:


> She is definitely valuable both emotionally AND monetarily


In that case I would think a fecal would be in order.
I really hope it is just an upset tummy and she recovers fully and quickly. :hug:


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Sounds like you're keeping on top of things. Good luck!


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

I already caught a fresh sample to drop off at the vet first thing in the morning. It is in a test tube in the fridge until then.


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

Vet determined it is coccidiosis! She is doing very well today, and the diagnosis determined the proper course of action. Her stool is already more firm. She is full of energy, at least, causing as much shenanigans as possible with her partner in crime!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

With Cocci...it's best to take control before it gets too far out of hand and you did just that! Theres alot of info out there that indicates that cocci symptoms are always a dark smelly diarhea or even bloody stool, symptoms come in different ways for different goats so having a vet to rule it out or confirm is always the best route to go.

Glad to hear that your baby is doing better!


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

I have to state that all goats, ALL, have coccidia, but kids are more proned to the affects of it. A non goat vet will tell you your whole herd needs to be dosed with a coccidiastat, as they saw it in a fecal. A none the wiser new goat owner would go with the vet and pay for the expensive bottles they sell.

No doubt in my mind that that is what she most likely has....but it doesn't make sense to me...Why do some babies get it and some don't? I was told once that it is on your property. But also they get it from adult goat poop...What age did you get your babies?

I hate coccidia, seriously the biggest worry I always have at kidding season.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Glad to hear you got a diagnoses and that things are improving.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Reading this and talking to my vet I am wondering if it could very well be cocci that Pan has. He could have picked it up from my birds. I used to keep pigeons and they are well known carriers and Pan runs all over where they used to fly. Plus his runny feces are dark like that. I haven't given them a good sniff yet, but I'm taking them in for testing in the am. So we should ha ve an answer tomorrow. My vet does all their testing in house and Eric will bring me the meds if I get a positive..
Keeping fingers crossed for Pan and your little girl Stacy!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Glad to hear you got it figured out and are on top of it! Zarafia, I think a goat can only get cocci from other goats, and chickens from other chickens and so on, someone is more then welcome to correct me if I am wrong, but think i read that some where, I have never had it so do not know much of it.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Well Pan is my only goat and was removed from his dam at two days old for bottle feeding. He's three weeks old now with no goat exposure since being removed from momma. His growth rate, appetite and attitude have been great, stools and urination have been regular and firm until this afternoon. So as soon as I saw something odd I was on the phone to my vet. Pan is my pet and will get everything my pom gets. Because he's a baby and my first goat I'm even more paraniod!


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

It he's positive for Cocci I will definitely ask my vet how he could have gotten it.


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

I wouldn't doubt they picked up the cocci from the farm they came from. Honey was nine days old, Dulce was two weeks old. Doesn't it take time to develop from the oocyst into an harmful stage? My land is 'virgin' land for goats, these two are the first. I have chickens, and the nearest horses are 1/2 mile away.



Zarafia said:


> Reading this and talking to my vet I am wondering if it could very well be cocci that Pan has. He could have picked it up from my birds. I used to keep pigeons and they are well known carriers and Pan runs all over where they used to fly. Plus his runny feces are dark like that. I haven't given them a good sniff yet, but I'm taking them in for testing in the am. So we should ha ve an answer tomorrow. My vet does all their testing in house and Eric will bring me the meds if I get a positive..
> Keeping fingers crossed for Pan and your little girl Stacy!


From what I've read from research, that it seems most cocci don't cross species. Cocci that infect avians don't jump ship to cats, dogs, goats, etc. because they are specialized. One big exception to the rule is toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic cocci protozoan, carried by cats. I wish in my human microbiology class we spent more time on zoonotic diseases, they're fascinating!

Thank you for the well wishes! I am rooting for your Pans recovery too, it isn't fun when youngins are not at 100%!


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

So maybe cocci that infect mammals infect mammals infect other mammals. I raise rats to feed my hawk, plus we have wild rats that infest my barn. Could they be the source? I will ask my vet. If so we will hav e to somehow deal with that. Very Scary!


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