[Penninehillbilly]

Hi
My goat has kidded, but like last year she has started with laminitis, caught it quicker so hopefully she'll soon pick up. 'whinging' bleats and warm feet.
She had got out of her pen (Thursday, the day she was due) and overfed on beef and ewe nuts, luckily not enough to be fatal to her or babies
Given her pen&strep, but she doesn't seem keen on hay,
Any advice on what I can feed her so she can feed her kids but not aggravate the laminitis?

[landroverroy]

Ivy leaves are traditionally good for tempting the appetite of a ruminant.
You obviously need something high fibre to get her rumen working efficiently again after pigging on concentrates and after the antibiotics. So I would try her on maybe haylage or some of the expensive but very palatable high fibre stuff sold for horses. Natural yoghurt may help also with getting her rumen going again.

[fsmnutter]

It's fibre that produces milk yield so plenty hay or haylage. If poor or loss of condition, oils give calories for weight gain without carbs that can affect laminitis.
I take it she's had some anti-inflammatory as well? Combivit or similar b vitamin complex can help feed up the rumen bacteria after an overfeeding type laminitis.
Hope she feels better soon!

[Penninehillbilly]

Thanks, gave her another dose of P&S this morning, she's eating 'haylage', actually it's so dry its hay. Been told not to give her ANY concentrate, so some lovely local people have given me brassica from their gardens. Not much ivy around, but remembered  where I've seen some down in the valley. Will get some tomorrow.
Feed store only had crushed oats, not rolled, so got that, is it OK or should I try and find rolled?
Droppings been a bit soft but seem OK now.
No she hasn't had anti-inflammatory,  i thought the AB's were enough, that's all I was told to give her last year. Do I need to go to vets (bit of a trek), or anything over the counter?
Same Q re Combivit?
Her rumen does seem to be gurgling well :-).
Getting different opinions on sugar beet, OK to feed or not?
And what about wholemeal bread?
Sorry for all Q's, just doesn't seem right not giving her concentrates :-).

[landroverroy]

A goat can produce a fair amount of milk on good hay/haylage alone. So she does not need concentrates at this stage.
Presuming your primary target is to get rid of the laminitis then I would definitely not give her any concentrates - no wholemeal bread either until she is ok again.

[Penninehillbilly]

Thanks LRR,
Bowl of brassica and a sprinkling of crushed oats for her while the others had their breakfasts