# Help!! My goat ate a plastic bag!



## timk

I need some advice! one of my goats ate a bread loaf sized plastic bag while on a hike today, the people I have talked to, said he will pass it, but I know of cattle and have heard of at least one goat who died from eating a walmart bag.

Please share any advice or experience ASAP.

Tim


----------



## Rex

Tim, there is no pat answer. It is dangerous for a goat to swallow something that large because it can wad up and stop the flow through the digestive tract. In other cases it strings out and passes on through. Watch him carefully for loss of appetite and bowl movements. Make sure to check the area to see if he passed the bag and remove it from the pen before another goat does the same thing. Also note any swelling in the stomach area and signs of distress. If he appears to be plugged up you'll need to get him to the Vet ASAP!


----------



## timk

Thanks Rex!

40 hours post bag eating and all seems well, though no plastic in the poop. Can you tell me how long until I know I am out of the woods with this?

Tim K


----------



## Rex

Hi Tim,

I hate to say it but you are not out of the woods a long as the bag remains inside the goat. It is possible it got caught up in the reticulum (the second chamber of the stomach). This chamber is sort of honeycombed and large items do not pass through it very well. If the goat chewed the bag into small scraps when it chewed its cud or if the bag gets strung out it may pass through fine. But if the bag is still intact and in a wad it may still be lodged in there and could plug up the digestive tract at any time. Keep watching for signs of it passing but if you don't see anything, an X-ray may be in order.

Are you positive the goat ate the bag?


----------



## Hasligrove

Well---I'm an xray tech--and it probably won't show the bag but it would hopefully show if there is a blockage somewhere. Hopefully things are moving through ok. My only other thought...and someone please chime in....is maybe some mineral oil to help it pass. I know you give mineral oil for constipation. Hope it goes well. I had something kinda the same ---I thought one of my boys swallowed a screw as he was "helping" me build something. Luckily there was no screw in the xrays so he must have spit it out and I didn't see him do it.


----------



## Nanno

Cuzco ate a bread bag over a year ago and it never gave him any trouble (thank goodness!). I watched, but I never saw a sign of it passing even in little bits, so I'm not sure what happened to it. Apparently it never bothered him, though, because he never ailed a thing. I know for sure he ate it too because he tore it right out of my hand and swallowed it before my horrified eyes.  I grabbed the other end and tried to pull it out of his mouth, but he had that thing in a death grip and wouldn't let me have it. After that it was a matter of watching and waiting, but nothing ever came of it. I've been much more careful when feeding him treats from a plastic bag ever since.


----------



## timk

Thanks for the replys everyone, So far so good, he has been eating, acting and pooping normally. I have been breaking up his poop and so far I havent found any plastic in it. I have been keeping him pened up instead of in the pasture so I can look for the bag, but at some point we would both like to get him back on the pasture. 

I had thought about the oil, but if he continues to possibly burp it up and chew it, I don't think I would want to move it along? But I don't really know my ruminate anatomy like I should.

Nanno, I am so glad to hear that! We have all been pretty stressed about this, and Rex, Yes, my wife witnessed the bag eating, but couldn't get to him in time to get it out, though we both tried much to the chagrin of the goat!

Thanks again for the help,

Tim K


----------



## timk

Hi Every one,

I thought I should give an update on my boy. 2 months post bag eating incident and no problems!! I am thinking we may be out the woods?!

Thanks to ever one who offered advice

Tim

022300151...jpg022300151...jpg


----------



## Rex

Thats good news!


----------



## Danies Goat Farms

Rex said:


> Thats good news!


Hey I also have a goat that is not eating and isent looking well she hasn't pooped or any thing, what could it be


----------



## Kass

Danies Goat Farms said:


> Hey I also have a goat that is not eating and isent looking well she hasn't pooped or any thing, what could it be


Welcome to TGS! This thread is very old, you'll want to make a new one to get more answers. 

Sent from my SM-A115U using Goat Forum mobile app


----------

