Author Topic: Old goat. Very thin - how to bulk up (Read 2989 times)

Bluff · « **on:** May 16, 2016, 08:54:52 pm »

Hello
My oldest goat - about 11/12 ( we got her from a commercial goat herd and are not sure - she came here to retire) is very thin. She seems to have lost a lot of weight quite lately and suddenly. Worming and coppering up to date. She gets her share of calf pellets am and pm and is currently enjoying as much gras as she can eat.
She is quiet but def still all there.
Any ideas as to how I can bilk her up a bit?
Thank you

Anke · « **Reply #1 on:** May 16, 2016, 09:56:09 pm »

Has she been tested for Johne's disease? Any diarrhoea? Is her appetite good? Any problems with teeth? Is she arthritic?

If she is otherwise healthy - soaked beet shreds, Readigrass or Alpha A will help to put on weight, but not quickly. Lots of hedge browsings/branches when greener will also be appreciated.

But at over 10 years old she may also have come o then end of her life, especially if she had been in a commercial herd, where life is often a but harder on milking goats.

Bluff · « **Reply #2 on:** May 16, 2016, 10:18:50 pm »

Thank you. Her poop is fine. I think she has ground her teeth down as she seems to have problems chewing but not painfully so. Not tested for johnes but pretty sure she was jabbed for that at the farm. She is a meat goat so not milked but still worked pretty hard.
I will cut some branches for her and try the other things you suggest. Many thanks

pharnorth · « **Reply #3 on:** May 16, 2016, 11:22:42 pm »

Maybe not what you want to hear but more than once I have had this problem with animals and later on wished I had called the vet for euthanasia earlier. Once they can't eat properly they never seem happy and it is a down hill journey of an unknown length.

Bluff · « **Reply #4 on:** May 17, 2016, 10:21:32 am »

Thanks - it isn't really what I want to hear - or think to be honest but chatting with the vet yesterday made me think that we might have him out to look at her and give us his opinion.
She has been limping very badly over the weekend and I thought it was the end but the limp miraculously disappeared yesterday (after a 30 mile round trip to the vets to pick up some amalycin!!)
Poor old girl

Anke · « **Reply #5 on:** May 17, 2016, 11:22:37 am »

Bluff · « **Reply #6 on:** May 17, 2016, 11:55:13 am »

The herd that she came from is certified CAE free I understand.
However I will not rule anything out
Time to get the vet up I think

thank you all for your advice

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #7 on:** May 17, 2016, 12:13:47 pm »

It may be worth doing FEC to check she isn't resistant to current wormer? if they were regularly wormed i believe hat can happen.
maybe switch to mixed flake, beef nuts etc rather than calf mix