Hi, My name is Sue and I have been helping out at a water gardens for a while now, they have a few animals there including two Pigmy goats, I am very concerned about one of them in particular, he is very thin, if he were mine I would of had the vet out, I am trying to persuade the owner to do this but in the mean time I wondered if anyone could give any advice, I will explain how they are kept. They live in a smallish inclosure ( not too small for two goats ) but it has no decent grass or foraging, they are given a small amount of goat mix a day and hay or straw but one in particular can't seem to manage to eat it ( tooth problem? ) I have asked the owner to let them in with the other goats ( lots of grass etc ) which he has done and I have bought some Alphalfa pellets, since going on the grass I have noticed what looks like cud on the floor just outside their shelter ( can't think what else it could be ) I am very worried about this little goat, please can anyone help or is it a case of needing a vet to check teeth etc...... If he was mine and it were his teeth I would be preparing fine veg and any other foods to help him put on weight but the owner won't do it. Thank you
well its a hard thing when they arent your goats. thin goats usually mean wormy - have they been wormed recently? Cud on the ground means the goat is actually eating but regurgitating the food - something that goats do and they chew it and then reswollow to digest. But if the cud is being expelled that usually means the goat has a stomach ache. Straw has no nutritional value -- they need hay or brows.
Is there any way you can open the goats mouth & check the teeth out? We had one doe last year that dropped weight & then we noticed swelling on her cheek area--we finally pried her mouth open & looked in with a flashlight to find a cracked tooth. We got her to the vet & they pulled the tooth out. Worms also came to my mind when I read about him being thin. Do they have access to baking soda--they will lick at this to help sooth a stomach ache if that is part of the problem.
Thank you, yes they have been wormed, I nagged the owner into letting me do this a few months ago, it was my first thought too when they were getting thiner, I will try and look in their mouths, I did attempt it once but need someone to hold them while I look! :devilish: Any more ideas welcome, otherwise I will let you know if I have an outcome ( hopefully a positive one!! )
Yep, I was going to say everything that has been said. Just so you know, goats eat on average of 5 times a day to keep thieir rumen like Stacey said, straw is bedding NOT food, they need a good grass hay or alfalfa hay. Not everyone has hay out for thier goats at all times, but they need to be able to eat a little when they get hungery. Right now I feed my goats in the evening, but I have enough out for them that they still have a little left by the time I feed again. Good luck and God bless you for trying to help this Pygmy out. :leap: Also, check the back teeth (be careful, those teeth are very sharp) and make sure there is not a absessed moler.
