In my previous article “shipping sickness and glutton gut ( bloat)” I shared with my readers the personal experiences we have had with each of these issues. I also shared a recipe “RUMI-CHAI TUMMY TEA” and treatment protocol for these particular illnesses and indicated that they are great for virtually any digestive related ailment your animal may be suffering from. Today I would like to discuss the unfortunate reality of bloat, the different kinds and what you can do if it is severe enough that even the above protocol does not bring about improvement.
As I stated in my previous article, we had some pretty serious bloat several months ago. We treated it with our extremely effective “RUMI-CHAI TUMMY TEA” which I provided a recipe for you to make yourself in my previous article along with baking soda and probiotics. But what if this isn’t quite enough?
There are various types of bloat from a very minor, tummy ache and feeling a little grumpy to noticeably very ill, lethargic, tooth grinding due to severe pain, foaming, severe diarrhea, unusual swelling of the abdomen, lying down, stomping of feet, pacing, and generally giving up.
Our girls experienced a variety of symptoms including some or all of the above depending upon the severity of their suffering and how much excess of grain they had actually consumed.
First, soft poo of any kind for any reason is generally not good for a goat. Their feces ought to look like small or large (depending on the size and breed of goat) dry, round berries and there really should be very little odor. A short stint of softer clumpier waste is acceptable for a few days after birth and after a change in feed or temperatures. as long as it only lasts for a couple of days and begins to dry up and change from there on it’s own, this is considered healthy and reasonable, but sometimes, goats can get too much rich wet grasses, or too large a volume of grain, or bad hay or others stresses that it overwhelms the gut and throws the PH out of balance. This then starts the cycle of a sluggish Rumin, the build-up of trapped gasses, and a very uncomfortable goat indeed.
In the case of very severe bloat that is not improving with the tea, and probiotics alone, I would then increase the probiotics, and give baking soda free choice to help break down any foaming of the gut to release gasses.
You may also irrigate the gut with oil. Olive, or organic Peanut oil or Coconut oil is best. This acts in such a way as to break the surface of the gas bubbles in the gut and allow the goat to belch which is very important for the goat. Mineral oil is not generally recommended for use as it is tasteless and increases the risk of asperation into the lungs which could cause another severe complication.
If you are concerned about poisoning via moldy hay, or the consumption of toxic plants or mushrooms, you may also use a drench of 10 ccs of activated charcoal powder mixed with water to make a liquidy paste, but this is only recommended in the severest of circumstances and when definitely dealing with some form of poisoning.
Lastly, if what you are dealing with is severe bloating and your goat is not improving and get larger and larger in the abdomonal area, you may have to consider tubing your goat with a skinny tube ( Not a water hose as it is too wide and can tear the esophogus and thereby kill your goat). The tube must be at leat 3 feet long and you must use something that is hard to place between the teeth to allow the tube to pass through without the goat biting through it. This can be as simple as a three inch square piece of wood with a hole the size of the tubing drilled through it to pass the tube through, or you can use a piece of pvc piping. This tube would be passed through the mouth, down the throat and into the rumin( the goat usually will readily allow the tube to pass down the throat once you get it into her mouth and into the back of the throat) and simply allow the gasses to purge through this tube. If it doesn’t happen immediately, you can gently move around the tube so that it moves around in the Rumin until it finds the gas pocket. Once gasses have been released, gently and smoothly pull out the tube in one movement from the goats body.
In the severest of cases when death may very well be imminent you may have to make the choice to attempt to save your goats life by making a hole in the side of your goat either via incision, or with a 16 gauge needle. The needle is used by sticking the needle in the largest part of the rumin on the left side of the goat, between the last rib and just before the hip. this will remain in place as you allow the gasses to be released. In the case of incision, you would make the incision deep enough to open the rumin about 3 inches behind the last rib, but you must be prepared to repair the wound immediately after the releasing of gas. This procedure can also increase the risk of peritonitis and therefore I would be hesitant to recommend this without the aid of a qualified veterinarian.
Generally with Bloat,diarrhea is better than nothing passing at all. If your goat has diarrhea, please be sure to give them the RUMI-CHAI TUMMY TEA and probiotics!!!I cannot recommend these two supplements enough! Please note that the diarrhea will slowly get better over several days and may take to or more weeks to completely clear up and return to normal.
Well there you have it. Everything you could almost ever know about Shipping Sickness, and Glutton Gut or “Bloat” as it is often called. My next article will be about coccidiosis, a common ailment and chronic scourge of particularly the wetter climates such as here in the Pacific Northwest and if you hadn’t guessed already, YES! It will include the recommendation of “RUMI-CHAI TUMMY TEA” as the top of the list treatment for this illness as well.
Peace to you and much blessing everybody.
Lorinda ( Breezee Creek Mama)
