# Young goat in poor health



## imported_ashley (Jun 9, 2011)

I have an 8 week old that has a very poor coat..he is loosing hair in some places, and he is half the size of the other 8 week-er. He is not as "spunky", if he falls over it is hard for him to get up. He is still eating well, poop looks good, and producing clear urine. He is VERY bony, you can palpate every vertebrae/rib in his tiny little body. I wormed him yesterday on advise from a friend, and I have not seen worms in his poop. I am afraid he is going to die if he does not fatten up..He just looks very skinny and unhealthy. I just bought purina goat chow and calf manna, (neither of the little ones are really interested in grain yet) Any other advise? 
I bought him from a "producer" that sold his mamma a few hours after birth and he was nursing on a dog for the first few days of his life..he has always been little, but the last few weeks he has been loosing weight. HELP!!


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## IceDog (Aug 1, 2010)

*Re: Worming and FAMACHA*

I've rescued starving young angoras before that needed help up if they got knocked down for quite a while, finally they can all get up on their own.

Will he drink milk out of a bowl if not a bottle?

Make sure he's getting the essential minerals, i.e. selenium, copper, etc. If you can get it (and if you're in a Selenium deficient area) I'd give him BoSe, if you don't have access to BoSe get a Selenium with Vitamin E gel for goats to give him.

I rescued a pregnant older angora doe that was nearly bald, very bad coat and skin. I just made sure she got goat minerals everyday. And gave her full access to a salt/trace minerals/selenium block. Her coat came in and has been beautiful ever since.

I'd get some Fortified Vitamin B to give him, which may also increase his appetite, and surely probiotics couldn't hurt.

If you think he is wormy, I'd de-worm him three times 5 to 10 days between de-wormings. Make sure you're giving him an adequate dose of de-wormer for goats.

Good luck.


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

You will probably not see the worms in the poo.
What did you worm him with? 
And how much. 

Also you will not see weight gain only a few days
after worming. But may see more vigor and appetite.

Sounds like he was not getting proper nutrition nursing
on a dog. :roll: 

A Bose shot. And maybe some red cell. Vitamin B?
Calf manna will help alot.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

I would try to get him back on a bottle or bowl. Have his poop checked for worms after worming (to check if he needs another worming) and a bloodwork done to discover other malnutritions.

Does he eat and chew his cud properly? Has he access to the food or do the other goats push him away?

He most likely has worms and/or does not enough to eat, that's why he's loosing weight.

It will take of work to make him into a healthy goat.

If you have the time, take him out several times a day and feed him individually to make sure that he gets ALL of his ration.


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## imported_ashley (Jun 9, 2011)

He is eating well, nursing a bottle two times per day. He eats until he is full and ready to pop and then browses on grass and weeds, and has access to fresh alfalfa and calf manna/purina goat chow.. He is not fond of the grain, he will try a nibble but thats all. He does like alfalfa and a select variety of weeds. His pen-mate is the same age, only about double the size and they get along well, they share food without incident. He seems to be a bit more vigorous in the last day since he was wormed. I used Ivermectin for goats..excuse the spelling, and doubled the dose per the U of I Caine Center's advise (double the amount of liquid wormer, triple the amount of white/paste wormer) and dosed him with a 50 pound dose. 

I thought I would see worms in his poo pellets but there is nothing that I can see. I did add a dose of pro biotics post-worming to prevent an upset tummy. He is still eatin/poopin/peein/playin...all of which are good signs in my book. 

So far, so good! Thanks for all of the advise! It helps alot!!


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

you may also think about using a wormer against tape worms, too, should he not continue to improve.


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## IceDog (Aug 1, 2010)

Great News!

I'd definitely de-worm him again within 10 days, ideally a 3rd time within another 10 days.

This will kill worms that the first de-worming didn't kill, due to the de-wormer being ineffective against immature stages, they were as they mature.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

Thats a touch and go age, I would definitely give him injectable Vt B complex, especially B12. Probios daily, 
even gatorade, and find out if you are in a selenium/iodine deficient area, the hair loss is something to find out why on.

If bottle feeding go 3Xs a day, you might add some honey to it. You'd need to warm the milk a bit to get the honey to mix into it. 

Good luck with him. Keep at him.


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## feederseaters (Nov 8, 2009)

Sounds like this little guy never received any colostrum from his mom or foster dog. This may be an ongoing battle with his health. Just keep him in his best condition and know that his immune system may be compromised easier than the average goat's. Keep one step ahead of the game, probios and extra attention are a good start.

Good luck and keep up the good work.


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## WGARDNER (Aug 20, 2011)

He sounds like he has Coccidiosis. It is not treated with wormer. If he does he has probably infected you whole herd, so they will need to be treated. I'd buy milk replacer get him on a bottle. Put 1 tablespoon of yogurt in every 8 ounce bottle. Don't over feed him. Take a stool sample to the vet and ask to check for worms but most importantly coccidiosis. And then treat immediately.
Colostrum is great but you can raise kids without it.


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## WGARDNER (Aug 20, 2011)

Sorry one more option. When he falls over does he look drunk?

If so he didn't get his first CD-T shot. Overeating disease can show up looking like this. No they don't have to overeat to get it. There is an anti toxin shot (really cheap) for this. I'll bet he has coccidosis (hair loss unthiftiness) and his dam didn't get her vaccine this year and he wasn't given one either so he'd be very susceptible.

Hope this helps. 
Wendy


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## IceDog (Aug 1, 2010)

IME with very thin young goats, they just don't have the muscle to get up if they end up flat out on their sides. He'll get past this he's just had a very rough start! Poor boy.

I thought I remembered you saying he had normal poop berries, that he didn't have diarrhea so I didn't think Coccidiosis. Still one thing I give all my goats when a new goat joins us or if I have stressed goats is GSE and Colloidal Silver in their drinking water.

Hope he continues to improve for you!


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## imported_ashley (Jun 9, 2011)

IceDog,

You mentioned Fortified Vitamin B...where do I get it and how is it administered? He is not drinking as much milk as I think he should..this morning he only drank about 2/3 the "usual" amount and he has been doing this for a couple of weeks now. He seems to be healthier and more spunky, i'll worm him again in a week or so, but I am not seeing any visible weight gain yet. I am going to go in search of a scale today so I can closely monitor his weight. 
How do I make him interested in grain? He is 9 weeks old now and wants nothing to do with it..


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## imported_ashley (Jun 9, 2011)

Jake said:


> Thats a touch and go age, I would definitely give him injectable Vt B complex, especially B12. Probios daily,
> even gatorade, and find out if you are in a selenium/iodine deficient area, the hair loss is something to find out why on.
> 
> If bottle feeding go 3Xs a day, you might add some honey to it. You'd need to warm the milk a bit to get the honey to mix into it.


How much probios? I dosed him with 5 (I don't know the unit of measure) about 6 hours after i wormed him. Continue this daily? 
I know this are is selenium deficient area, could that be a problem at this age with his primary intake being milk? I don't know about iodine..how do I find out about that?
What does the honey do for the milk? Extra calories? I'll try it. And I have been thinking that 3x per day would be better..we are starting that today.

Thanks so much for the help!!! Willy (our little one) appreciates it!


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## IceDog (Aug 1, 2010)

Fortified Vitamin B can be somewhat difficult to find. I've never found it locally here.

I consider it to be a must have on hand for goats after the first time I needed it and couldn't find any.

I've ordered it from different online livestock supplies, most recently Jeffers where a small bottle was under $6.

I give it sub-q. But I have wondered if it can be added in drinking water too when its not a critical situation.

Don't wait too long before de-worming again or the immature worms you miss when you de-worm will mature and reproduce, then you'll have immature ones that get missed again.


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## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

I get the Vit B 12 in a plastic syringe from my feed store for oral use, has 4-5 doses, and they like the taste, lick their chops, I am taking 5-6 for our trip cross country, the pro bios just google it, I get it in a powder form, dose is in grams, add to feed and/or water. The doesage is on the plastic bottle. The probios is put out by Microbial Products and I get that from my feed store also.


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## imported_ashley (Jun 9, 2011)

UPDATE: Thanks for all of the advise...after some intensive care, little Willy is now strong and healthy. He no longer looks like a skeleton with hair  After some oral Coccidiosis treatment and de-worming, the little monster is lively and well. He is eating very well and though he still is not interested in grain he loves crab grass (I am walking around the neighborhood picking crabgrass for him..the things I do for my animals  ) He has gained at least 5 pounds in the last couple of weeks! Thanks everyone!


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

that's good to hear - thanks for the update


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