# 4/7/09 Cocci - prevention, treatment, causes...



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

It is that time of year again when kids are born, rainy weather and humid conditions are created.

What are your practices to prevent cocci or treat it.

If you feel confident: what are the causes of cocci.

Signs of cocci???

I think this will be a real helpful resource.

Cocci - or Coccidia is a parasite that feeds off the Thamine in the animals body. It can destroy the intestinal lining and cause stunted growth or delayed growth in young kids. The signs of cocci are varried as you will read below and it can kill all ages of goats.


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## Thanatos (Mar 16, 2009)

I cant say I have a program yet, but I do know that a major part will now be fecal testin. I will at a minimum be testin quarterly. as to a prevention regime, I have no proof, but after the post on that kocci-free I read the ingrediants and the main antiparisite in it was grapefruit seed ext. we feed them grapefruit on a regular basis anyway(got a huge tree) and they keep the tree trimmed up good so the fecals will tell.

As to cause it is passed in the poo the little critters hatch, get on plants, next goat eats em and they grow in the new goat. If the goat is havin stress issues this will make em more suseptible. I think if I am wrong I will be told shortly...And then I learn new stuff :wink:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

You're right Jason...all goats have cocci, and the oocysts are passed in the feces...wether you keep your pens spotless or not, cocci is present. An outbreak can caue detrimental affects on kids as well as adults. Keeping feeders clean and feedng hay in racks and not off the ground can prevent contamination by feces. Cocci thrive in wet warm areas, so keeping the barn floors dry is important....outside is different though, especially in shady areas.

Prevention can be done with adults that "live" with the kids, this will prevent them from shedding the oocysts,theefore the kids can't pick them up. Or the kid can be treated preventively......Trob1 has a very good article on her website that I follow...including the prevention in kids as well as treatment for infection.


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## fcnubian (Oct 23, 2007)

We practice coccidia prevention. I rather prevent it then deal with it when it hits.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

What do you do to practice cocci prevention Amy?


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## fcnubian (Oct 23, 2007)

I start prevention at 3 weeks of age. It runs 5 days. I repeat it until they are older. I use dimethox 12.5% right now since that is what I have. Once it's gone, I'm going to switch to corid since there are quite a few breeders currently using it with great success. I also put their dosages in the milk. Much easier to give.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I use the Di-Methox powder from Jeffers, I followed the mixing directions from the Hoeggars catalog....1 1/2 teaspoons Di Methox powder to 1 cup of water... each kid at 3 weeks gets 1 1/2 cc twice a day for 7 days, then 1 1/2 cc once a week til weaned.

With just 3 kids this year it is easy to just stick a syringe in their mouth...I did sweeten it with Stivia, they all get on my lap waiting for it.

I also keep dry bedding in the stalls, covering any berries their moms drop, but as an extra precaution, ALL of my adult does were on a preventative before these kids were born, dosed with Di Methox according to weight, individually. 

I do think that prevention is easiest when the numbers in the herd is manageable, At the moment I have 6 does and 3 kids.....my 3 bucks are separate and don't have contact with the doe's pen so they are spared the bitter meds :greengrin: I do have 2 stalls in my nursery, but can make another if I move the grain can....so I just may have 3 girls freshen next year :wink:


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

I am curious what you all think of giving a medicated feed? I would only do it at the farm, since it is hard to make sure the babies get their Albon or Di-Methoxx when I am not there. We are not milking any does down there now, so us drinking the milk is not a worry.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Giving a medicated feed, provided yuo can ensure that each gets the required amount will ensure that each doe is getting the amount of Deccox needed for prevention. Deccox is the active coccidistat in most medicated feeds.

I did have my kids on this last year but because as babies they don't tend to have grains as the main staple in their diets, they weren't getting the correct amount of the med to hlp them.


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

So, right now I am mixing Deccoxx in their minerals at the farm. The mom gets it, then so do the babies? Our kids at the farm eat grain with gusto.  

My cousin doesn't mind giving them the cocci meds but she is just so busy with school and work. . . it'd be too easy to forget. Wish they could come out with a cocci med that can be given once or twice and not 5-7 days in a row. :sigh:


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

I pretty much have done what fcnubian does. Dimethox 12.5% for 7 days (1cc/5lbs the first day, then 1cc/10lbs the following days) at 3 weeks of age and dose again every 3 weeks after that (so at 6wks, 9wks, & 12wks). 

I mix the Dimethox 12.5% with kool aid mix in the drench gun or syringe and the goats drink it right up.


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