I am hoping some of you more experience goat people will help me out here. I just lost another goat to this mysterious sickness. This time it was Pearl, she was only 4 or 5 months old, sweetest lil thing. Mostly Nubian, part Boer. Sunday morning when I went out to feed them she was there with the others for breakfast, but wouldn't eat. She just laid there upright, like they do on their knees with their head up, but wouldn't come over and eat. I put her in a pen by herself with a fresh bucket of water and a bucket of the deworming feed, thinking she might just have worms or something. By Sunday evening she was laying down with her tongue hanging out, eyes open but lethargic. I tried to get her to drink some water by cupping my hands and pouring it over her mouth but she wouldn't drink any water. Her tongue and her gums, all inside her mouth were totally white, not the healthy pink they usually are. By morning she was gone. This is the same way her momma went about 3 months ago.
Any idea what this is?
question re: goat sickness
Hmstyl , Are you feeding them Sweet feed or horse quality sweet feed? I nearly lost my goats to sweet feed! They had the same symptoms and that of bloat!
actually, I am feeding them goat feed pellets. I didn't have very good results with the sweet feed, they loved eating it, but the feed was always one big lump with the humidity and all. The pellet feed is medicated to help against bloat. If they had bloat, their bodies would literally be bloated or swollen, right? I couldn't find a thing wrong with her. No swelling anywhere, nothing. I am thinking maybe she was bitten by a snake?
I have no suggestions. You may want to have her posted.
Check your feed for Mold! this humidity will sour the pellets in a heartbeat!
I suspect it was a worm infestation from the symptoms and signs you reported,and the time of year. Have you wormed the herd to include the kids? Doubtful it was sweet feed unless you were feeding too much, the white lips,tongue, is indicative of worms, they will go from healthy to dead in days, horrible progress and quite disheartening. Try Cydectin 1mg per 8 lbs of body weight. hope this helps. Cregg, Bar N Ranch, Texas.