Sick Goat

[Dave Stein]

Nan hit it right on the head and we can see it all the way down here in Texas. A 21 day Corrid treatment with vitaman B. Use the powder form its 20% VS 10% for the liquid version.

She doesn't look bloated and she's very underweight. Have she been checked for worms (specifically coccidia)? Coccidiosis can take a goat down fast (diarrhea being a major symptom) and it can spread quickly through your herd. A fecal exam is the only way to determine this for sure. I've never dealt with this myself, so I don't know the best advice.

I think what's bothering people, Sydney, is not that we think you want your goat to die. It's the idea that you'll only give her till Tuesday and then off to the sale barn if she's not better. That's not much of a chance. But more than that, it really bothers us that you would fob your problems off on some unsuspecting person at the sale. Selling your sick goats is both irresponsible and unethical. You may not be able to afford this loss, but neither can the person who buys your goat. You also risk infecting up-to-now healthy animals at the sale. If, let's say, your goat had something horrible like Johne's disease, then you risk contaminating herds in your area with a terrible illness that cannot be cured, that lives in the soil for a very long time, and is infectious not only to goats but to cattle and all other ruminants. Your sick animals are your responsibility and if you cannot cure them then you must end their lives humanely and take the loss, unless you can give them away to someone with full disclosure. Anything less is dishonest and you can ruin your reputation that way.

That said, I also know that you are a teenager and you may not have much control over what happens to your animals. Your dad may be the one who decides to take her to the sale barn, and if that's the case then I feel for you. But I think we all want you to know that there is a better way to do things so that one day when you run your own herd, you can operate it in a more responsible way. Money is nothing compared to a good reputation and a clear conscience.

I hope you can figure out what's wrong with your goat and get her healthy again. I hope that whatever she has does not spread through your herd. Get a temperature and do a fecal exam!