Sunday, April 5, 2009

How to treat Bloat in a goat

I thought I would post a few small articles that have helped people in the past. This one is on how to treat bloat.


How to Treat Bloat
                We have experienced goats getting bloat, and have treated them all successfully. This information is just from our experience - we are not vets or professionals. It is what has saved a few goats' lives.

When a goat is bloated, the left side will be hard, and the right side will feel "airy." The goat will be much wider/bigger looking than normal and will usually not want to walk or move around very much. Thus, bloated. Bloat is usually caused by goats either eating too much grain (that they are not used to) or getting out on new lush green pasture. Bloat is a very serious condition and needs to be treated immediately.

For treatment, there are a few ways to go.

- my first line of bloat treatment is to go to the Therabloat bottle or the like. There are many brands of bloat treatment for goats and cattle. The dosage is normally on the bottle.
- if I do not have the above, give about 1/2 cup of Oil (mineral, corn, etc), add a couple of big spoonfuls of Baking Soda to the Oil, and drench it down the goat's throat with a syringe (withOUT a needle). Do this slowly and carefully so you do not get it down the goat's windpipe.
- I always give C&D ANTITOXIN. This will not hurt the goat. It is a water soluble, and this if it is not needed in the gut, the goat will pee it out. This helps balance the rumen and calms things down. A lot of the time, after a goat has bloat, a few days later they will come down with Enterotoximia, and that is a very fast, life threatening situation also. If it is an adult goat, I give about 10 cc of C&D ANTITOXIN, sub-Q, a couple times until they recover. With a kid, I would give about 3-5 cc.
- along with bloat, some goats will also get diarrhea. You can let it run it's course, just make sure the goat is staying hydrated and offer then electrolytes a few times a day.
- if you know how to tube a goat, you can tube them and let the air out. Only do that if you know how to tube a goat, safely!

I hope this helps. Again, this is just our experience. We are not veterinarians or professionals.

60 comments:

BUZZ TOPIC said...

i had a doe pass away from what i thought was bloat after she raided my mother in laws chicken lot and ate corn. but she was not tight like bloat speaks of though she did get diarah from it i tried everything but i still lost her her tummy was soft but she was screaming in pain by the time i got home and she had snot running out her nose then she was gone.

Good Goats said...

Hello,

Sorry to hear about your doe! I would guess that she got Enterotoxemia. If they get into something they are not used to eating, their gut can get off and enterotoxemia is very likely. The only thing that works as treatment is C&D Antitoxin. It is a very inexpensive drug that can save a goats life in that situation. I once lost a kid to it before I knew about it.

I guess it's time to do a post on Enterotoxemia. . .

Suriyah

Ashley said...

I have 2 goats and we lost a kid before we knew ANYTHING. It was sad espailly since we only had him for 2 weeks! :( One of our does has Bloat RIGHT NOW! We are trying to cure it but no luck! Its been about 2-3 days - I'm getting really worried. I'm only 13 - I don't really know how to treat this and I've never done it before... what do you recomend?

Ashley


PS I like your site A LOT!!! :D

Good Goats said...

Hello Ashley,

Have you given your doe C&D Antitoxin? If not. give her a 10cc shot right now. Also, if you have bloat release I would start her on some of that now also. If you want, you can email me privately at sf@goodgoats.net or give us a call at 918-598-4007... maybe I can help out more.

Hope she gets well soon,
Suriyah

Anonymous said...

Dear Suriyah,

I have a similar situation to Ashley's, we are fairly new to goat biz ut are learning. We had a mom with quads, one had too severe birth defects to live, and another lived to about 2 months and then died suddenly, which we think may have been due to bloat. We currently have a young doe who kidded several weeks ago, and she has a severe case of bloat. I found your site very useful and treated her with the oil and baking soda home remedy...will vegetable oil work as well? And I don't have C&D Antitoxin but gave her some electrolytes. Any advide at all would be helpful!

Thanks, Grace

Good Goats said...

Hello Grace,

Yes, vegetable oil will work just as well. I hope she is better by now. I would suggest you go online and order some C&D Antitoxin and keep it on hand at all times - it is a live saver.

Suriyah

KK Icons said...

What a lifesaver to find your article. My doe is down and foaming, so it might be too late. We already drenched her, and she is able to swallow, but she is very stiff with head thrown back. If she can stay around long enough, I might be able to drive out (hour drive) to get the C+D Anti-toxin. She was out to browse last night and hope she didn't get into something poisonous. It was weird not to have any warning, except I realize now she was off her food just a little on the stand. Ksenia from Flying G Farm

Good Goats said...

Ksenia, I am sorry to hear about your doe. I hope she gets better quickly for you. If you think she may have gotten into something poisonous, I would suggest you give her some charcoal. Won't hurt her, and if she did get poisoned it will help.

Also, if you can get her some C&D Antitoxin that would be wonderful.

Suriyah

Anonymous said...

Hello I have two Does, yesterday I came home and only one was foaming at the mouth and crying, she was standing so I started reading and saw info on bloating. Her left side doesnt seem to be much bigger. but I gave her some Baking soda and then later gave her pepto . I was told these would help with gas and stomach upset. My other doe started doing the same thing up all night crying. I did the same for her. They seems a bit better but I am not for sure. One of the does keeps squatting like she needs to pee but nothing happens most times. Any information would help. Thank you

Anonymous said...

Hello. I have two does who started acting sick yesterday. Foaming at the mouth ad crying all night. one was puking up lots of brown stuff. after reading a lot I gave them some baking soda for gas, then later gave one Doe some pepto bismol for upset stomach. They seem to be doing a little bit better but it also seems to come and go a bit. One doe keeps squatting like she needs to pee but nothing happens. Any advice would be appreciated thank you

Good Goats said...

@That Tree Guy -

I hope your does are better by now. If you want to shoot me a private email at sf@goodgoats.net or give me a call 918-598-4007 I can help you out more.

Suriyah

Unknown said...

Hey, where do you get the C&D Antitoxin?

Thanks,
Amy

Amyb said...

Hi,

Where do you get the C&D Antitoxin?

Thanks,
Amy

Good Goats said...

Amy - sometimes Tractor Supply or different feed stores will carry it. Otherwise, you can order the C&D Antitoxin online at places like Jeffers Livestock.

Unknown said...

Hi i just came across ur site looking for help with my male pygmy goat the passed two days i noticed he is pretty lethargic not wanting to get up much and he is squeezing his hind end like he has to poop i did see him poop so i dont think its a blockage of any kind do u think this could be bloat?

Good Goats said...

Krystal, it sounds like your goat may be constipated. If he is bloated, his stomach will be big.

Has he been wormed recently? Is he still eating? What is his temperature?

Anonymous said...

How often do you give the oil mixture?

Unknown said...

As previously asked above, how many times should you give the goat the vegetable oil daily?

Good Goats said...

You can give it every few hours until the goat recovers.

Anonymous said...

I gave my Pygmy goat baking soda and rubbed her belly and patted it. Some gas came out from the mouth and also from the rear. How long before she's better? Her symptoms were: coughing up green (feed?) and wheezing, laying down but can stand, large belly.

Good Goats said...

You doe should be looking better within a few hours. If not, you need to give her more baking soda and oil.

ChrisH said...

I have an 8 year old Alpine down with paralysis on the right hind quarter. Has had bad appetite and foaming at the mouth. Her belly does not look bloated or that bad. Some diarrhea. Took away her grain, hay only now. She had been eating a lot of rich green stuff. No problems with her neck movement, eyes, or breathing. Treating her with Maalox and Thiamine shots from the Vet. We are assuming Goat Bloat and Polio. What do you suggest?

Good Goats said...

Sounds like you are on the right course, but I would start her on injections of Penicillin as well. Goat Polio and Listeriosis have the same symptoms. Goat Polio is treated with Thiamine, and Listeriosis is treated with high doses of Penicillin.

I would highly suggest you go read this article - http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/listeriosis.html

Anonymous said...

We just got 4 nigerian dwarf goats 3 does and a wether. The oldes doe has a larg belly but continues too eat. I'm afraid she might have bloat. Her bellly is just as big on both sides. Is this normal for bloat systems or is it just the left side?

Good Goats said...

She most likely does not have bloat. She is either probably pregnant and her stomach is wide from that, or she is just a fat goat. Keep an eye on her though incase she stops eating and starts acting weird.

Unknown said...

Hi. I have a billy goat that I feel has bloat or is constipated. For several days, he has stood away from our other goats, will not eat, and just stands around. He is drinking and urinating. We have given him some mineral oil for several days with a syringe. Tonight we gave him some probiotics and an enema. I've seen small amount of diarrhea ooze out. Is there anything else I should be doing???

Melissa said...

hello, i've been reading your post on bloat. we just got a baby goat he had been hurt by the male goat and we've taking him to the vet and nursed him back to health he's about 9 weeks old. we have been reading up on how to care for him what foods and what not, we had been giving him sweet feed and went to tractor supply and purchased some got feed.( purna Noble Goat Medicated ).. we started him on that only 1/2 cup he bloated right after eating didn't think anything of it until today he is still bloated looking, but is still eating,drinking and going to the bathroom normally. is this bloat and what should we do?? Please help. Thanks Melissa

Good Goats said...

Maxie Ball - for starters, take your buck's temperature. Does he have a fever? I would give him a shot of vitamin B to boost his appetite. Does he have any signs of pneumonia or a respiratory problem?

Melissa - as long as your baby boy is eating, drinking and acting completely normal - then no, he is most likely not bloated. If he starts to act off, you can give him a little baking soda and oil just to be safe.

Thanks,
Suriyah
918-598-4007

Melissa said...

Thanks for the info, Iv'e got a few more questions i hope you can help me with we are new to this, he is the only goat we have have never had goats before so not quite sure what we are doing. We have him in a 12x12 pen and I let him out to graze we feed him 1/2 cup grain like 3 times a day plus we are still giving him milk twice a day.. not sure if this is right we kinda going with it.. Any info would help.

Melissa said...

Thanks for the info on bloat. I have a few more questions that i hope you can help with Like i stated before we rescued this goat he's about 8 or 9 weeks old and he is the only goat we have, not quite goat ppl but couldn't let him die. We have him in a 12x12 pen and i let him out daily to graze, feed him 1/2 cup grain about 3 times a day and 8 oz milk twice a day is this right? and will he be OK with it being only him? Any info would help!!!

Good Goats said...

No problem. Does he have a shelter to go in?

He needs hay. Growing babies really need an alfalfa type of hay. I would only feed him grain twice a day. He needs more hay than grain. Other than that sounds like you are doing great. Does he have a friend? Goats will do better if they have a goat friend.

He needs to be wormed also, and given a coccidiosis treatment - http://goodgoats.blogspot.com/2013/03/preventing-coccidiosis.html

Melissa said...

Yes he has shelter, and we've wormed him and i had been reading up on the coccidiosis treatments.No he is the only goat we've got we are out there in the pen several times a day and my son even goes out late at night to check on him.. Thank you so much for all your help.. I'm sure i'll be back with more questions.. so glad i came across your blog.. Thanks Melissa

Melissa said...

OK Thanks and what type of Alfalfa hay should i feed him and how much? because iv'e been reading that it can cause urine problems.

Good Goats said...

Nope, alfalfa is just fine for bucks. But, you can also feed him a grass hay. As long as it's good quality almost any kind of hay will be fine for a pygmy buck.

Melissa said...

I have a question we have recently rescued a baby goat been busy trying to get him back better we are not goat people but could not just see this little fella die the owner really didn't care one way or the other. I'm a soft hearted person. So now we have gotten him up and going but have learned that they are heard animals.So I was wondering we are not wanting to breed so would it be ok to get another buck and raise them together?

Melissa said...

hello, i have a question we have recently rescued a baby goat we are not goat people but could not just let him die and the owner didn't care one way or the other. So we've gotten him better and now at a stand still because we've leaned that they are heard animals and being that we have bottle feed and had a lot of human contact he is like a big baby and we can't seem to find him a home where people just raise them as pets, So we were wondering being that we are not wanting to breed can we just get another male goat to raise with him.. OR do you know of any people in the Georgia Area that raises them as pets that would take him.. in need of help!!!! Thanks Meliss

Good Goats said...

Yes, you can get another male goat to raise him with. I would suggest wethering (neutering) them both so they don't get stinky when they grow up.

Anonymous said...

Hi I have a Nigerian bottle baby he was born march 23 this year. yesterday morning I noticed he was suffering from diarrhea later that day he started to bloat up. After giving him the baking soda, walking him, and massaging his tummy and nothing working I finally had to tube him. It was sad but he did wonderful and is no longer bloated. however the diarrhea is still there and its quite serious his gums and under eye lids are still pink so there is still time. I have put him on an electrolyte diet ( water, baking soda, salt, honey and sugar bottles) but he does not show much interest in it. his poop is very runny and green. is there anything else i should be doing?? also our doe seems to have over ate on the hay and is stuffed full i say stuffed full because she is not airy on one side she is just solid on both sides. she is energetic and still eating and drinking should i do anything for her??
thanks your site is great

Good Goats said...

Hello - sounds like you treated him great for the bloat. As far as the diarrhea goes, did he get into some kind of new feed or pasture? With it being green that is what I would assume. I would give him Pepto bismal (or Kao Pectate) to help harden his stools and soothe his tummy. If he starts acting off I would give him some C&D Antitoxin as well.

It sounds like your doe is just fine :)

Mouse House on the Hill said...

I recently got an Alpine, neutered male goat approx 3 yrs old. First time goat owner. He has a huge pen (40' x 40') and a lean-to. We give him hay, and I feed him "goat feed" from Theisens farm supply - about 6 - 8 cups a day. I let him out for an hour or two in the evening and he munches on what he likes. I've also been giving him 8 - 10 crackers, and mulberry branches - he seems to like all this stuff. But it is really hot outside / humid now, and he hasn't been drinking a lot of water and I am concerned. He's always had a fat belly in the month I've had him, but he didn't eat all his goat feed yesterday for the first time. Could he have bloat? I noticed his poo isn't as pebble-y - that some of it is chunky, like a bunch of pebble poo all stuck in a lump. He has been burping sometimes when I feed him crackers - that is why I think he might have bloat. Can you give me your thoughts ? I bet I am feeding him too much :/ Also - if it is bloat, and I need to give him vegetable oil - what is the best way to do that without involving a veterinarian? I can have someone hold him - but how do you get that 160 pound'r with lovely horns to drink it?

Good Goats said...

Sounds like you are feeding him way too much. 6-8 cups of grain is way too much for a wether. All wethers do is eat, they don't produce anything and therefore do not require that much high quality feed. I would drop it to 2 cups a day. He needs more grass, browse and grain. The diarrhea is probably from all the grain and crackers that his stomach is not used to. I would try cutting back on the grain, giving him more hay and seeing how things work out. If you think he is bloated just take a syringe, mix up some baking soda and oil, and squirt it down his throat. You can also use a turkey baster. You do not need a vet to do this.

Pygmies said...

I've got a goat suffering from bloat going on 4 days now. Not eating, barely drinking. Just treated him with durvet bloat treatment using a tube down the throat.

He looks really bad, doesn't have the energy to stand any more. Is it acceptable to immediately give him some water down his throat? I don't want to water down the treatment. Also, any liquid nourishment I could give him until he starts eat again?

Good Goats said...

He needs to get over the bloat before he will eat anything. Get some more bloat treatment down him along with some baking soda. Also, get some C&D Antitoxin and give him an oral and injectable dose ASAP.

Tori brown said...

hi! i have a 6 month old nubian and his belly is really big!my goat looks bloated... he has been at my house for 3 days now, he gets like 1/4 scoop of 12% sweet feed, and a handful of hay a day. he has a billy block ( mineral block) and a bucket of fresh water. he is a goat tying goat,he is 6 months old, and when i take him out he grazes most of the time while i tie him. so about 30 min a day he gets to graze a little bit. i just wormed him today with 0.10 cc of wormer. i dont know whats up with him i mean he is my little buddy lol... i dont want anything to happen to him. im trying to take care of him but i dont know that much. so if i need to give him something please tell me how much or how many cc's. if i can give him something not from the vet that'd be the best for us. kinda like a homemade remedy.

Carol said...

I have a 6 month old male goat. I do feed him grain about 2 cups per day. Yesterday in the afternoon we noticed him wimpering in the corner, frequently lying down, belly not bigger than normal, with his tail up and renching, movements of his belly like spasms. I do give him Diamatmus earth for worming but did not worm him with regular worming products. I thought it might be bloat after reading about bloat so I have him the formula of mineral oil and baking soda yesterday. He stands when you enter the pen, but still with his tail up and abdominal spasms. I don't notice him drinking but he never drank much (he is a Lamacha). He also has been eating a small amount of ear corn (that's new) Let me know what you think. I guess I could give him an enema but not sure if it would help

Good Goats said...

Hello Carol,

Hmm, I'm not sure what's going on with your buck. Have you taken his temperature? If not, please do. A normal temperature for a goat is 101-104 degrees. If it is much higher or lower than that I would be concerned. Also, is he urinating? Please check. If not, Urinary Calculi may be a concern.

Anonymous said...

I need a little Info.. Im feeding a doe fot a show she just isn't bulking up. She also looks a little bloated. She seems to be finicky. I give her probiotics good hay good feed????? Im doing something wrong.I only have three weeks left. Please help???

Thank you MK

Anonymous said...

She died if Enterotoxemia.
Always have CD Antitoxin on hand.

Good Goats said...

Kyle L. - thank you for the comment. But, I have been raising goats for 10 years and have NEVER once killed a goat by treating them this way for bloat, and I have saved their lives.

Besides, I have NEVER ever heard of puncturing the goats LUNG to deal with bloat. Bloat is when air is trapped in the goats gut, NOT the lungs. Puncturing the goat's lung with a needle will do absolutely nothing to treat bloat.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
Just had a doe kid 2 days ago, triplets a little early I thnk.
Littlest one weighed 2lbs 10 oz
was weak and didn't want to stand or nurse, I fed with syringe every 2 hours, by morning she was up and would nurse on her own. This morning she looked bloated, thought she was constipated so gave her enema. She past a lot of dark stringy stool, but no yellow stool.
She still looks bloated. Bigger on left side than right.
Any suggestions? Thanks

Laura said...

I have a 5 month old fair goat that just stopped eating and drinking for 2 days. I gave him B12 shot and electrolytes and he starting eating and drinking but now he is bloated. Any suggestions?

Unknown said...

Just seeing this blog post, I've been up all night with my half grown boar billy. Every time I think his stomach has gone down some it seems to fill up within minutes. I have given him a tablespoon of baking soda and also about 4 oz of canola oil (it's all I had). He is not foaming at the mouth however in the last hour or so he has started grinding his teeth so I know he's in more pain. Any suggestions on my next step? I've also been massaging him throughout the night getting burps here and there also lots of firm pellets. Thanks in advance!

Laura Burch said...

Thank you for the advice. My gost was/is bloated, but after the oil and baking soda, and much walking her, she seems to be feeling better, and not as bloated. You can't get the cd antitoxin anywhere! Called to local feed stores and checked online. I have read penicillin? What else could I do?

Anonymous said...

hi is bicarbonate of soda the same as baking soda

Anonymous said...

I have a 8 month old buckling that has had diarrhea, unwilling to eat, drink, and is sluggish for about a 2 weeks. He is a little bloated now. I originally thought it was worms because two other bucklings had diarrhea the same time and I wormed them and they got better. After a few days of not getting better I treated him for coccidiosis and gave him penicillin shots for 5 days. He ran a temperature one day of 105 F but the rest have been normal at 102 to 103 F. I have been feeding him oatmeal, electrolytes, water, and high calorie supplement. I am pretty sure that he does not have worms since I wormed him for everything. I attempted to do a fecal and could not see anything since the sample was not good. I am thinking another antibiotic could fix the problem. I was curious what you were thinking. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Jared

Good Goats said...

Yes, bicarbonate of soda is the same as baking soda.

Hannah said...

Hello! I have a goat whose sides stick out pretty far. He has had a big tummy for about 2 years. Could it be bloat? He doesn't act like he is in any pain, but when I thump his side he sounds like a drum. His breathing is kind of rapid. He eats, plays with my other goats, and acts completely normal. Is he bloated or is he overweight? Thanks!

Unknown said...

I'm getting ready to treat my goat for bloat but realize I only have olive oil in my cupboard. Will that work? Also, she appears to be constipated what can I do for that?

Anonymous said...

Both of my Pygmy goats look like they swallowed basket balls. I thought they had bloat, but both sides are swollen, not just the left. Neither act sick in any way and haven't eaten more than 2oz grain a day for two years. I feed them hay and scrap vegetables from the house, but not an excessive amount. Are they possible just fat? I can feel their hip and spine bones and there isn't an appearance of fat anyplace but their girth.

Anonymous said...

745Does goat involve only the left side of a goat or can it involve both sides making the goat look like a barrel?