Goat diarrhea, or runny poop is referred to as scours. Too much milk or too much grain feeding can result in sour milk. Scours is more likely to affect goat kids than fully-grown goats, though adults are not immune to it.
Coccidiosis, an intestinal parasitic disease, and enterotoxemia, a bacterial infection, are additional causes of scours.
Scours is characterized by teeth grinding and diarrhea. Fecal matter can range in color from light white to watery brown. Stop giving your goat milk and grain to stop scours. You can administer kaolin-pectin along with lots of water if the condition is severe.
Scours Treatment
First, control watery poop by giving your goat anti-diarrheal medication such as Kaolin-pectin or Pepto-Bismol. Avoid giving them any dairy products, as this will make it worse. Avoid dehydration and keep your goat hydrated with plenty of fluids and electrolytes. If the diarrhea continues, contact the vet immediately.
Scours causes your goat to dehydrate at a fast rate. You must give them electrolytes. You can make your own electrolyte solution by mixing 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, ½ a cup of honey (or molasses), and 4 quarts of lukewarm water.
This can be given to your goat with a syringe. Once the goat has recovered, you’ll need to rectify the gut flora with a probiotic such as Probios. Other methods include giving your goat kombucha or fermented foods. Ensure your goats are vaccinated regularly with Litterguard® LT-C, which helps prevent scours.
My Essential Goat Supplies
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This little giant bucket fits on a fence and this one’s easy to carry.
A sturdy dog collar is essential. Don’t do rope (they’ll break and tangle) or chain (injury!).
A Black Water Tub is way nicer than buckets that tip over. I like to get a 20 or 30-gallon in each pen so my goats have plenty of water, but you can get 100-gallons if you have a lot of sheep in one pen.
Loose minerals in a small bag or a Purina 50 lb bag, and a mineral feeder for free-choice is the best option. One side holds minerals, and the other holds baking soda. Don’t feed sheep goat minerals because it usually contains copper- something that is fatal to sheep.
Hoof trimmers are a necessity because you’ll need to trim your sheep’s hooves every few months. These are nice for the price.
Don’t make the mistake I made by waiting to order a drench gun before you need it. I was surprised by how often I use it. It helps with bloating, dehydration, and other ailments. Here’s a good drench, but you can also drench a bloat solution or water if dehydrated.
Digital Thermometor for when your lambs act sick. You’ll need to know if their temps are too low or too high so you can accurately diagnose the issues.
Vetericyn for wound care. It makes a big difference in a speedy recovery.
Check out this list of goat milk supplies you need if you have milk goats.