Since ancient times, milk-producing animals have been the main breadwinners in the house. People’s lives depended on their health, body condition, and the amount of milk they produced. Despite the current pace of urbanization, the health and maintenance of domestic animals in good condition is a burning issue for any farmer.
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One of the oldest domesticated animals is the goat; humans have been living with it side by side for more than nine thousand years. The milk it produces is much healthier and tastier than cow's milk, more nutritious, and can even be given to very young children. Accordingly, it is very important to maintain the health of the animal in good condition. The most common illness is diarrhea. Intestinal disorders exhaust the animal, make it exhausted and weak, milk yield decreases, and if appropriate treatment is not started in time, this can lead to death.
Table of contents:Main causes of diarrhea
Before you begin to treat diarrhea in a goat, you must first determine what its nature is. The main causes of intestinal disorders in these animals are:
- bad food,
- colds,
- infection caused by pathogenic microbes,
- low-quality milk (in goats).
The most common cause of stool problems in goats is poor quality feed. If animals in private farmsteads are well cared for, then farms This cannot be said, animals are often not fed, stay in dirty rooms and often get sick. Feed (hay) can be rotten, frozen, sour, that is, a breeding ground for pathogenic microbes, falling into digestive tract goats, they begin to actively reproduce, and if the animal has a weakened immune system, then it is not far from death.
How to properly make hay and feed goats to avoid diarrhea
The basis of the diet of these mammals is hay. It is very important to properly prepare it for the winter to prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms in it. causing diarrhea. The main causative agents of diarrhea that live in hay are:
- putrefactive bacteria;
- toxic fungal spores;
- anaerobic bacilli and clostridia.
Therefore, in order to avoid contamination of feed with the above strains of microorganisms, it is very important to carefully monitor the technology of its preparation for the winter. Be sure to check the quality of hay before giving it to animals. Goats eat silage, cabbage, beets, and fresh grass well, but do not overdo it with juicy root vegetables, otherwise the animal may develop diarrhea. Also, before feeding vegetables, you should wash them thoroughly. It is better not to give compound feed, as this causes clogging of the intestines and the proliferation of pathogenic microflora there.
Diarrhea in kids
After lambing, it is very important to monitor the health of newborn goats, whose immunity is still very weak; even cold milk can cause diarrhea, bloating and undermine the health of the young. It is important to monitor the quality and temperature of the milk you give to your goats. The female must be healthy; in case of diarrhea, she should be quickly separated from the kids so as not to infect them.
Pathogenesis (how the disease manifests itself)
The main symptom of diarrhea is loose stools. Depending on the type, the picture of the disease may be different; loose stools may be accompanied by bloating, vomiting, fever, and the like. The classic goat stool is peas; turning it into sticky cakes or, in general, into liquid should already alert any farmer. Such symptoms indicate a deterioration in the absorption capacity of the animal’s intestines, and are caused by pathogenic microbes, the animal loses weight, the amount of milk decreases, and bloating appears.
When bacteria of putrefactive origin enter the intestines, bloating develops; the stool, as a rule, is very liquid and has Strong smell. The goat loses weight, loses its appetite, becomes lethargic and apathetic, and its milk yield decreases.
When infected with anaerobic microorganisms, diarrhea, general weakness, loss of appetite also appear, there is an increase in temperature and possible vomiting. A goat with loose stool must be quickly isolated from other animals and given appropriate treatment.
The most dangerous disease, causing severe dehydration and intoxication, is infection with fungal spores. The poison contained in them causes serious poisoning of the body and is accompanied by vomiting, severe debilitating diarrhea, fever, and general weakness. In some cases, the animal cannot even be saved, since the poison acts quickly and deadly.
Treatment of diarrhea
Diarrhea most often affects kids, but adult animals are also susceptible to it. If diarrhea occurs in goats, you should not immediately use tablets and antibiotics to stop the diarrhea; just try to give them first weak solution potassium permanganate, perhaps the diarrhea will go away on its own. If this does not happen and the condition of the kids continues to deteriorate, the temperature rises, there is no appetite, the stool is of an uncharacteristic color (red, white) and foams, then in this case the disease is probably infectious and treatment with tablets and injections is required. In any case, before you start treating your animal, you should invite a veterinarian to prescribe a course of treatment for diarrhea. Among the most common means to stop loose stools are: vicarol, trisulfone, chloramphenicol, egocin and the like. Anyway traditional methods Treatment of diarrhea in goats and kids is much preferable to tablets. The most common among them is decoction treatment oak bark. One tablespoon of dry crushed bark is poured into two glasses of boiling water and infused for an hour, it is better that the broth is rich and dark. It should be given to kids after mixing a quarter glass in milk. If possible, milk should be excluded completely for the first two to three days of diarrhea, so as not to provoke worsening of loose stools. A decoction of chamomile, in which anti-diarrhea tablets can be dissolved well, is effective. To strengthen the immune system, kids should be given injections of vitamins; it is useless to drink them, since during an exacerbation the absorption capacity of the stomach and intestines is greatly reduced.
The effect of diarrhea on milk quality
How can diarrhea affect the quality of milk? Well, naturally, its quantity decreases, the goat’s intestines are infected with pathogenic microorganisms, from there they can easily get into the milk, which becomes harmful from the point of view of food safety. Milk reflects the quality of the feed given to the animals - fattier milk indicates a large amount of dry components in the feed (there is something to chew), more liquid indicates the juiciness of the feed (green grass, ripe juicy vegetables and fruits, cabbage). Milk from a sick animal should not be given to goats; their immunity is still very weak, and the body can easily become infected with the disease from the mother or simply not accept milk of insufficient fat content and quality.
Contagious diseases
Any goat breeder should know that in addition to diarrhea, these animals have other equally unpleasant and quite common diseases. They are divided into two main groups: contagious and non-contagious.
Contagious include:
- brucellosis;
- infectious mastitis;
- necrobacteriosis;
- foot and mouth disease
Common signs of infection with an infectious disease are:
- rapid and difficult breathing;
- elevated temperature(measured rectally);
- reducing milk yield;
- loss of appetite.
With brucellosis, the vagina of a goat swells, and the testes of males become swollen. Sick animals should be quickly isolated and given appropriate treatment and care. The room where sick animals were kept is thoroughly washed with bleach and other disinfectant solutions.
With infectious mastitis, pain and hardening occur in the udder, it becomes an uncharacteristic reddish-blue color, and in a neglected state, pus oozes from the udder. The animal is transferred to a warm room, the diet is changed, therapeutic massages, if necessary, antibiotics are injected into the udder and tablets are given.
Necrobacteriosis or inflammation of the hooves, this disease is typical when goats graze on swampy, damp pastures. Sick goats should be moved to a dry, warm room and the hooves treated by washing them by special means, if necessary, the veterinarian can prescribe tablets and injections of antibiotics.
Foot and mouth disease is one of the most dangerous diseases, sick goats should be isolated, the rest should be checked, and the livestock farm should be quickly quarantined. The animal is affected oral cavity, mucous membranes of the nose, profuse salivation occurs, and lameness appears. Specific means there is no treatment.
Non-communicable diseases
Non-communicable diseases in goats include:
- mastitis;
- cracking of the nipples;
- disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract;
- tympany;
- rickets.
Mastitis occurs due to improper care, unsanitary conditions, drafts in the premises where animals are kept after lambing. They should be placed in a warm place, compresses should be given to the udder and therapeutic massages, and vitamins should be given in tablets.
Cracking of the nipples is the result of improper care and rough handling of the udder. It should be wiped with special means: creams, Vaseline, warm vegetable oil, solutions from antibacterial tablets.
Tympany and digestive problems are typical when the animal is not fed properly. Especially in the autumn and winter, when there is little succulent food and disproportionate combinations of feed, straw and silage can cause intermittent constipation and diarrhea in the goat. Tympany is especially dangerous, which can even cause death.
- worms;
- coenurosis;
- lice;
- scabies.
Brain diseases or coenurosis are very dangerous. A water bubble with bacteria forms in the goat's brain, which disrupts the work nervous system, the animal’s behavior becomes strange, appetite disappears. Infection occurs from wolves and dogs. Incurable.
Fleas mainly bother goats with long hair, biting and hurting the animal unbearable itching, scratches form on the body, the animal becomes nervous and loses appetite. As a treatment, animals are treated with chlorophos, and the room where they are kept is washed with a solution of bleach. All animals, both healthy and sick, are treated. It is better to treat animals once every six months as a preventive measure.
Once on the skin, the scabies mite gnaws through the wound and injects its saliva into it, the goats are bothered by unbearable itching, and keratinization appears at the site of scratching, which is gray-yellow in color and cracks. The inflammation process goes to the deeper subcutaneous layers. Animals should be sprayed with specialized products prescribed by a veterinarian; the premises where goats are kept must be disinfected with a specially prepared solution of bleach.
What to do with milk from sick goats?
First of all, such milk must be subjected to heat treatment - boiling. Milk from a sick animal can be distinguished by color and smell, they are more liquid, sometimes it generally curdles, the smell is unpleasant. It is better not to use such milk for food even after boiling, but to make cottage cheese and the like from it.
Condition of the goat housing
Goats should be kept in a dry, clean, heated area. Colds, unsanitary conditions, contact with other sick animals can cause diarrhea, since the goat is a very sensitive animal and the conditions of its keeping and feeding significantly affect its health. Accordingly, the quality of milk deteriorates and, as a result, our health, since we drink it, as you can see, everything is interconnected.
Methods of working with infected animals
Any goats suffering from loose stools should be separated from healthy animals as quickly as possible until the cause of the diarrhea is determined. Sick goats should be provided with more careful care and treatment; when the symptoms of diarrhea stop and the animal’s condition stabilizes over a long period of time, they can be placed again with the others.
This is interesting
In the mythology of almost all nations, the goat personified fertility, sex, as well as all the negative and positive elements associated with this side of human life. A person has seven chakras, the lowest of which, muladhara, is associated with the reproductive area and is responsible for digestion and the gastrointestinal tract. An interesting pattern is observed, it is especially pronounced in small households, where there is closer interaction between man and animal, if the owner is often sick, especially intestinal infections, then the goat feels it. An animal-human connection appears, where everyone feels each other, he drinks her milk - part of her body, he prepares food for her, devoting his labor and energy to preparing it.
The image of a goat often appears in magic, take, for example, the fairy tale about brother Ivanushka and his sister Alyonushka, where there are elements of reverse magic. Unfortunately, images of goats and goats are often used in black magic, although in essence they are relatively harmless herbivores.
Diarrhea is the most common disease among livestock. Goats and their young are especially prone to it. We will talk about the peculiarities of diarrhea in goats and kids, methods of its treatment and prevention in our article.
Reasons for appearance
First, let's look at the causes of this disease in adult goats and kids.
In adults
There are the following common causes of diarrhea in adults:
Diarrhea in a kid appears for the following reasons:
Did you know?The appearance of diarrhea after lambing can be predicted by observing the behavior of the goat. If she licks her baby for a very long time, the animal should have diarrhea.
How can diarrhea be dangerous?
Diarrhea is very dangerous for both adult goats and their babies in particular, because as a result the animals’ bodies are dehydrated and the intestinal microflora is disrupted. This is a serious test for the body, which can be fatal if the necessary treatment measures are not taken in time. Due to diarrhea, the goat's body is disrupted water balance. As a result, the amount of milk decreases significantly.
In addition, pathogenic bacteria get into the milk, especially if diarrhea occurs as a result of any infection. This milk is not recommended for human consumption. It is best to boil it and make cottage cheese out of it. You can drink milk only after the goat has fully recovered. 
In addition, diarrhea may indicate the following dangerous diseases:
- foot and mouth disease- this disease affects the nipples, udder, and oral mucosa;
- listeriosis- the animal loses its appetite, its body temperature rises, and coordination of movements worsens;
- pasteurellosis- are amazed respiratory system, intestines and other organs.
Did you know?Goat's milk, unlike cow's milk, does not cause allergies in the human body. In addition, it is very beneficial for health, as it restores intestinal function and its microflora, as well as hormonal balance body. To obtain daily norm necessary for the body vitamins, it is enough to drink just one glass of milk a day.
First aid
If your animal develops diarrhea, you need to move it to a separate room to prevent infection of the entire herd, as it is often caused by intestinal disorder is an infectious disease. After this, the goat is not fed for 8–10 hours. 
Instead, every 3-4 hours she is given warmed saline (200-250 ml each) or a decoction of oak bark, bird cherry, or starch solution. You can give your goat a couple of tablespoons of castor oil. In between this, you can give the animal to drink milk so that its body is saturated. This first aid should also be provided to kids, excluding from treatment Castor oil.
What to do and how to treat diarrhea at home
It is quite possible to cure diarrhea at home. Let's discuss methods of such treatment further.
Important!The room from which you took the sick animal must be disinfected to eliminate the source of infection.
Pharmacy drugs
A one percent solution is very effective for adult goats. "Rivanola" or 0.1% solution of "Furazolidone". But antibiotics are best "Levomycetin", "Biomycin", "Tylosin" and "Verakol".
The dosage of these drugs is determined by the veterinarian depending on the complexity of the disease.
Kids can also be treated pharmaceutical products, if folk don’t help. Give them antibiotics "Phtalazol" or "Sulcin"(0.2 g per 1 kg of live weight).
Folk remedies
Treatment of diarrhea in a goat can be carried out using a decoction of oak bark. It is prepared like this:
- Take a tablespoon of crushed bark, place it in an enamel container and pour a glass of hot boiled water.
- Leave the mixture for half an hour in a water bath to infuse.
- The product is ready when its color becomes almost black or dark brown.
- The mixture must be strained, the grounds squeezed out and poured with boiling water until the volume of the decoction reaches 300 ml.
Video: How to treat diarrhea in a goat
Rice water helps with diarrhea. You can prepare it like this:
- Rinse a glass of rice. Soak it for 10 hours.
- Pour it with a liter of water, add a little salt and cook for about an hour over low heat.
- Strain the mixture, add 50 g of sugar to the water and bring it to a boil.
- The animal should be given 1/4 cup of this decoction every 2 hours.
Frequent enemas with activated carbon, dissolved in warm water. For the treatment of diarrhea in children, in addition to the remedies described above, a decoction of chamomile is well suited. It is prepared in the same way as a decoction of oak bark. Chamomile has a beneficial effect on the intestines and eliminates irritation.
Important!If the diarrhea does not stop after using all the remedies described above, call your veterinarian. He will give an intramuscular injection of antibiotics.
Care and feeding of goats during illness
During illness, make sure that the animal does not come into contact with other pets. Keep the room dry, clean and warm. Make sure the litter is thick and soft. Change it regularly. Avoid drafts and dampness. Constantly monitor how often the animal defecates. 
Treatment with decoctions will protect the goat’s body from dehydration. After the “starvation diet” time has passed, you need to start feeding the goat a little with scattered oatmeal or fresh hay. You should not give the animal heavy food: cake, meal, grain dirt and clover. Young animals must be fed milk half diluted with water.
Important!Most often, the animal feels better on the second day. On the third day, the diarrhea should stop. If this does not happen, seek help from a veterinarian.
Prevention measures
To avoid diarrhea in your patients, it is necessary to carry out the following preventive measures:
- Follow sanitary and hygienic rules for the care and maintenance of goats.
- Feed them quality food.
- Give animals fresh and clean water.
- When lambing, follow the rules of hygiene.
- Do not overfeed goats.
- Avoid large amounts of heavy food.
- Vaccinate against infectious diseases.
Diarrhea in goats - dangerous illness, which may signal the presence of other serious diseases. To prevent its occurrence, take preventive measures, and if you notice the first signs of the disease, do not delay treatment for your patients. Breeders become concerned when animals show signs of diarrhea. Diarrhea in a goat can lead to rapid dehydration. The goat is rapidly losing weight and her behavior is changing.
What factors provoke the development of diarrhea?
Diarrhea in a goat can begin for several reasons:
- the animal ate bad food;
- indigestion occurred due to colds;
- negative consequences were caused by intestinal infections;
- In goats, diarrhea may begin after drinking low-quality milk.
Pet owners must pay Special attention cleanliness of the premises. Loose stool in goats it occurs when rotten and frozen hay gets into the feed.
IN digestive system penetrate pathogenic microorganisms which provoke the development of diarrhea. This food is especially dangerous for young goats. The situation is aggravated due to decreased immunity.
How to make hay to avoid diarrhea
Rotten hay contains bacilli and pathogenic fungi. The breeder needs to ensure compliance with technology during feed procurement. The animal owner must continually evaluate the quality of the silage.
Goats love cabbage, beets and fresh grass. Do not overfeed animals with juicy root vegetables. They can cause diarrhea.
Don't neglect hygienic requirements. Vegetables should be washed thoroughly before feeding. It is better to refuse feed. In some individuals, such a diet can lead to intestinal blockage.
Signs of diarrhea in kids
The immune system in young individuals is at the stage of formation. Even cold milk can cause short-term digestive upset. Quite often, goat kids suffer from bloating. A warning sign is a high temperature.
Pay attention to the goat's health. Milk from a sick animal can lead to infection of the young. If an infection is suspected, it must be immediately separated from the herd.
Thanks to this technique, the spread of the disease in the herd can be avoided.
There are several characteristic symptoms diarrhea:
- The animal suffers from bouts of vomiting and bloating.
- Indigestion is accompanied by a change in stool consistency. Instead of peas, goats produce sticky cakes. With intense diarrhea, loose stools appear.
- The animal begins to lose weight.
These signs indicate that the disease has led to a deterioration in the absorption capacity of the intestine. Pathogenic bacteria disrupt the digestion process of food.
Goats' milk supply decreases. Diarrhea is accompanied not only by a decrease in milk yield. The sick animal rapidly loses weight, it develops apathy and lethargy.
Fungal spores that actively multiply in spoiled feed pose a danger to goats. During their life processes, they release toxins that are absorbed into the animal’s blood.
Signs of the disease include high temperature And general weakness. Intoxication manifests itself as severe diarrhea at the goat. In such situations, you need to act quickly. To save the animal, the help of a veterinarian is needed.
Treatment of diarrhea in adults
To eliminate the symptoms of diarrhea, you need to give the animal a weak solution of potassium permanganate. If your health condition worsens, you should call a veterinarian. Do not use antibiotics without the advice of a specialist.
Pay attention to the color and consistency of the stool. Red or White color bowel movements indicate serious violations. During treatment infectious forms For diarrhea, antibiotics are used in the form of tablets and injections.
In case of diarrhea, the following medications are used:
- Vikarol;
- Trisulfone;
- Levomycetin.
It is best to use traditional methods, since chemical components can cause side effects. To eliminate diarrhea, you can use a decoction of oak bark. The raw materials must first be crushed. To prepare a glass of decoction you will need 1 tbsp. spoon of bark.
An infusion of chamomile flowers is an effective remedy for diarrhea. When a sick animal has diarrhea, its immunity decreases. It is necessary to take measures to increase the body's resistance to pathogenic bacteria. The animal needs vitamins.
The milk of a sick goat can cause infection in young animals. Diarrhea occurs due to the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the body. The quality of milk is influenced by the composition of the feed.
Increased fat content indicates that the goat eats dry grass. To avoid diarrhea in young animals, fresh root vegetables must be present in the feed.
In this way you can reduce the fat content of milk.
A distinctive feature of goat kids is low immunity. Pathogenic bacteria pose a danger to young animals. Low immunity increases the risk of infection from the mother.
What diseases cause diarrhea in goats?
Any breeder should know the symptoms of infectious diseases. Diarrhea occurs with brucellosis or mastitis. Indigestion indicates foot and mouth disease or necrobacteriosis.
TO characteristic features infections in goats include:
- Elevated temperature.
- A sharp decrease in milk yield.
- The sick animal suffers from difficulty breathing.
- The disease is accompanied by loss of appetite.
During the treatment process, it is necessary to treat the premises where the goats were kept with disinfectant solutions. A sign of mastitis is pus that comes out of the udder. The animal suffers from painful sensations. Antibiotics are used to treat mastitis.
Necrobacteriosis is accompanied by indigestion. A sick individual's hooves become inflamed. They must be washed regularly with special solutions.
The veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics. Due to improper feeding in the animal
Tympany may begin. The disease leads to chronic diarrhea or constipation. You need to know how to properly plan your diet. Excessive amounts of feed can cause diarrhea.
Diarrhea or diarrhea (Diarrhea) is the frequent passage of liquid feces.
In his normal condition Goats' feces are shaped like peas.
The stomach of sheep, like that of cows, has 4 chambers - it consists of a rumen, a mesh, a book and abomasum. Anatomical features stomach, see article.
To get acquainted with the peculiarities of digestion in goats, goat owners are offered the article “”.
Reason diarrhea in goats is most often improper feeding, eating spoiled, moldy and fermenting feed, drinking low-quality water. Diarrhea in goats is especially common in the fall, when young grass appears on the pasture after rains and is exposed to autumn frosts. Eating such grass often causes diarrhea in sheep.
Diarrhea in goats can be caused by diseases of the proventriculus ("", "".
Often the cause of diarrhea can be various poisonings - “”, “”, “”.
The cause of diarrhea in goats can be postpartum diseases - “”, “”.
A number of infectious diseases lead to the appearance of diarrhea in goats - “”, “”, “”, “pasteurellosis”, “”, “”, “”.
Diarrhea in goats can be caused by the presence of certain intestinal helminths. While in the intestines, helminths cause mechanical damage mucous membrane, as a result, its inflammation develops and as a result, goats develop diarrhea.
Symptoms The main symptom of the disease is diarrhea. The stool becomes thin or watery, mixed with mucus and sometimes blood. Depending on the cause of the disease liquid stool bloating and increased body temperature occur. Goats refuse to feed, chewing becomes slow, sluggish or stops altogether. The abdominal area is tense and painful on palpation. When auscultating the intestines, the veterinarian notes sharply increased peristaltic sounds. Subsequently, the goat develops symptoms of intoxication - increased breathing, trembling and fibrillary twitching of the muscles, sometimes convulsions, and symptoms of dehydration appear. When diarrhea is caused by an infectious disease, symptoms characteristic of a particular infectious disease appear.
Treatment. Before starting treatment, animal owners must first eliminate the cause that led to diarrhea in the goat. A sick goat is prescribed a starvation diet for 1-2 days. For a sick goat, they give good-quality hay, crushed oats, the goat’s watering is not limited, up to full recovery We provide a strict diet, with the exception of coarse, low-nutrient and non-traditional feed for goats. Add bran mash, liquid oatmeal or rice porridge. In order to cleanse the intestinal contents, the goat is given castor oil, sodium or magnesium sulfate in a dose of 40-100g. Antibiotics are used as antimicrobial agents, preferably after preliminary titration in a veterinary laboratory. Sulfonamide drugs with an intestinal spectrum of action are used - etazol, sulgin, phthalazole at a dose of 0.2 g/kg of animal weight per day. A course of antibiotic treatment and sulfa drugs is at least a week.
If diarrhea is prolonged, then the following is prescribed orally: tannin, oak bark, which it is advisable to alternate with mucous and coating substances (decoction of flax seed, oats, rice water and so on.).
To combat dehydration, it is administered subcutaneously or intravenously. saline. When cardiac activity weakens, glucose solution and caffeine are administered intravenously.
To treat diarrhea caused by an infectious disease, treatment and appropriate measures are carried out with this disease, in case of diarrhea caused by helminths, we carry out deworming.
Prevention. Prevention of diarrhea in goats is based on the observance by owners of private household plots and peasant farms of veterinary, sanitary and zoohygienic rules and norms for feeding goats (). Do not allow moldy, rotten or frozen food to be fed to animals. To prevent diarrhea infectious origin vaccinate them against infectious diseases of small ruminants that are widespread in the region. When carrying out lambing, follow the rules for providing obstetric care ().
Small cattle are more resilient than other domestic animals. However, young goats are susceptible to various diseases.
An inflammatory process or mechanical damage to the intestinal mucosa prevents fluid from being absorbed. As a result, the stool is very liquid.
Danger to young animals
Prolonged diarrhea in young animals can cause exhaustion. If you do not take care of a sick goat, its death is possible.
IN postpartum period With diarrhea, goat kids refuse to feed. The behavior of young animals is passive, there is no reaction to external stimuli.
In one-month-old kids and older ones, disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract appear for the following reasons:
Diarrhea can also be a symptom of another disease or be a consequence congenital pathologies digestive organs.
Causes of diarrhea in adults
The same reasons are typical for adult goats as for kids. However, the problem often arises due to serious illnesses stomach or intestines.
The cause may be an excess of protein in the feed, an unbalanced diet or a sudden change in feed, feeding on moldy hay, or poor-quality feed.
Adult goats are prone to colds caused by drafts and temperature changes on the farm, and poor hygiene in the barn. The bedding in the goat shed must be changed regularly.
Postpartum problems
Females often develop diarrhea during the postpartum period. The problem is often associated with trying to lick fluid from newborn goats.
The shorter the period of licking, the lower the likelihood of diarrhea. Getting hair inside the body also causes diarrhea.
Another reason is the desire of breeders to feed the animal after birth. Often, owners can overfeed the animal, which leads to digestive problems.
Some breeders advise giving the goat sweetened water after giving birth, which will saturate the animal. However, an excess of water will also affect the condition of the female. It is not advisable to give more than 3 liters of liquid to an animal.
Poor quality feed
Important! The main advantage of small ruminants when raised in households is their endurance and ability to eat almost any type of feed.
Animals are characterized by omnivorousness and high digestibility of rough and fibrous foods. At relatively low feed costs, animals provide a large number of milk.
However, when feeding low-quality feed, health problems in the goat can significantly impair productivity.
Common mistakes in feeding small ruminants:
- When preparing haylage and other feed for long-term preservation, owners do not comply with its storage conditions. In damp rooms, plant food becomes a habitat for highly toxic fungi. The spread of microorganisms can completely destroy hay reserves. Before feeding livestock, it is imperative to check the quality of the products. If dampness, mold or fungus is detected, it is undesirable to give this type of food to the goat. This causes mycoses of various natures.
- Goats are often given cake containing gossypol. The substance tends to accumulate inside the animal’s body due to slow excretion from the body in feces. Therefore, it is better to give the cake occasionally. Excessive accumulation of gossypol can lead to disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract and diarrhea.
- Farmers prepare diets that are not appropriate for the age of the animal, health status and purpose of cultivation.
Goats prefer succulent food and root crops - potatoes, beets, plant shoots. However, forming a diet only from such products will not give everyone necessary substances animals, which may result in diarrhea.
It is advisable to give combined feeds in limited quantities. With excessive use of animal feed, the gastrointestinal tract gradually becomes clogged.
Binge eating
Excessive amounts of fiber in the diet may also cause problems with gastrointestinal tract. Feeds rich in fiber include straw, chaff.
Feeding with such feeds usually begins in winter and spring, before new shoots form. Thus, animals do not receive enough vitamins and minerals.
As a result, the volume of the anterior sections of the stomach, especially the rumen, increases in animals. Constipation and diarrhea may occur. The same problem occurs when animals are kept in crowded conditions without walks and when there is a lack of fluid.
Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract
In this case, the ability of the organ mucosa to absorb fluid is significantly deteriorated. As a result, the stool is filled with fluid, which leads to diarrhea.
When a helminth egg enters the body, the shell opens and the pests enter an environment favorable to them. They begin to spread throughout the livestock through feces.
Symptoms may vary depending on the cause of diarrhea:
- With diarrhea caused by infection, the animal has liquid stool covered with foam, or a completely foamy mass. The color of the stool may be unusual and may contain blood. The animal will refuse food and move little. Possible pain after feeding. The goat often gives voice.
- Non-infectious diarrhea does not differ in severity. The stool is liquid, but without foam. The goat's appetite is normal and she moves a lot. However, you will need to monitor the animal.
First aid
If diarrhea is detected in livestock, it is necessary to isolate the sick individual from the rest of the animals. This is done for the safety of the herd. The goat is kept hungry for about 10 hours.
It is advisable to give saline solution. If you are weak, you need to give milk. Next, the remaining livestock should be examined and, if necessary, general antibiotics should be given.
Treatment with antibiotics and folk remedies
During treatment, it is necessary to monitor the amount of liquid consumed by small cattle. If the disease lasts for a long time, antibiotics should be given.
The course of acceptance is up to 5 days. If drug treatment does not help, you can use folk remedies. A decoction of oak bark helps a lot. You can give a sick animal up to 60 ml three times a day.
Oak decoction recipe
Given folk remedy helps with diarrhea and other diseases of the digestive system.
To prepare you will need:
- Take 3 tbsp. l. crushed oak bark, pour into a container and pour a glass of boiling water.
- Leave in a water bath for half an hour until it turns black.
- Pre-filter to remove the grounds and top up to the original volume.
Goats are given 50-60 ml of decoction up to 3 times a day. When blood clots appear in stool it is necessary to use Rivanol or Furazolidone.
You should consult a doctor for the dosage and composition of the solution. It may be necessary to enema the animal using activated charcoal.
Nursing
When treating a sick animal, be sure to monitor the frequency of bowel movements during a starvation diet. It is necessary for the goat to consume decoctions.
This will prevent dehydration of the body. It is permissible to give castor oil or bird cherry to adult animals.
After a period of fasting, a sick goat should be fed with oatmeal. Sources of fiber in the form of quality hay will also be needed.
You should not give cake, clover or rubbish. Goats should be given milk mixed in equal proportions with water.
However, if after two days of such help the animal does not feel better, you should definitely contact a specialist.
May be required intramuscular injection. The results from using antibiotics are usually noticeable after three days.
The effect of diarrhea on milk quality
Due to reduced feed digestibility, daily milk yield is greatly reduced. Diarrhea also affects the quality of milk.
It contains less nutrients, macroelements necessary for the development of kids. Therefore, it is better to give newborn animals milk from healthy goats.
What to do with milk from sick goats?
If the disease is infectious, the causative agent of diarrhea can get into the milk, so it is undesirable to give it to young animals and drink it yourself.
In order not to pour out the milk, you can heat treat it. After recovery, it is advisable to allow the goat to recover for several days and then consume the product.
Conclusion
The appearance of problems with the gastrointestinal tract in goats occurs less frequently than in other farm animals. However, the problem significantly affects the quality and quantity of products and can lead to the death of young animals.
In order to cure a sick animal, you need to determine the etiology of the disease, then take action. Be sure to separate the goat from the rest of the herd to avoid infecting other animals.
Treatment is carried out using antibiotics and drugs traditional medicine. A decoction of oak bark, which is given 3 times a day, is especially effective. At the same time, you need to ensure proper nutrition.
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