Let me set the story.....three weeks ago we notice diarreha in our goat field, it took a week for us to figure out who it was, Naomi my four moth old baby...so we wormed her (along with the rest of the herd), and two weeks later she still has it (Oh, I went t our local PBS animals health store and picked up some high calorie high energy supplements for her to help her gain her weight back-she lost a alot of weight) so today I took her to the vet. The vet took her temp. slight fever. took a sample of her....droppings. And took them inside and did a fecal float/smear. she was hoping that is was....coccidiosis (I think thats what she said).....but it wasn't.,.....what she found was strange. She said she found some trichomonas bacteria in her droppings.....she said that it's mostly found in dogs and cats....has anybody had this is there goats? what is trichomonas (I completly forgot to ask the vet)?
I forgot to mention, all the other goats she's with are 100 percet fine and dandy, also she eats her grain and hay, fine and she loves being outside grazing.
Trichomoniasis (cause by trichomonas protozoa) is a sexually transmitted disease that, apparently, can cause problems in cattle. It is also common in people. I couldn't find anything about it in goats Did the vet say what you needed for treatment? And is your little girl bred?
beings that she is 4 months old I doubt she is bred unless it was an accident? did you have some stool samples from other goats tested to be sure they dont have it? Just because they look fine doesnt mean they arent fighting off the same thing. Some goats just never get scours when sick. what are you treating her with?
Hmmm....yeah, she is NOT bred! The bottle's down stairs....so I'm not sure what the med. is I'll post in late....I do know one of the two med. is a anti. diarrhea tablet that I crush and give to her twice a day....with the meds the vet said it should clear up in eight days (if not she said there are other treatments) ....she said there was only a small amount of the virus/bacteria..... also the way...Naomi is....she's never been "normal"...she's a quiet kid....while most of the others kids are hoping around and playing she peacefully stands there watching them....that or she'll be grazing.....since she was born she's been quiet...like I have a feeling she was born with a weaker immune system.
(Reading the doc's hand writing is hard) but the other pill I'm giving her is :? metroxidatol (or metioxidatile) something like one of these....
Tritrichomonas foetus (commonly called "Trich" or just plain "Trichomonas") is a flagellated protozoan parasite diagnosed through male preputial washings and culture not through fecal sample. It is dormant in males but causes early abortions (15-18 days after conception) and pyometria (infection in the uterus) in females. Trich is not a bacteria and it does not commonly cause diarrhea. :chin: I have only ever heard of Trich being a problem in cattle herds, but I think that goats can get it too. I'm inclined to think that your vet meant to say something else?? Some other intestinal parasites that your vet could have said that sound a lot like Trichomonas are: Trichostrongylus or Tricuris. Trichostrongylus sp. are commonly known as "Bankrupt Worm" or "Hair worm" and they are in the same family as barber pole worm and other stomach worms. Tricuris sp. are commonly called "Whipworms" and rarely cause disease (edit: rarely cause disease in large animals, but highly pathogenic in small animals). I can't think of what bacteria would be close to sounding like Trichomonas. Treatment for Trichomonas (for animals and humans) is Metronidazole at 75mg/kg IV every 12 hours for 3 days. Use Ipronidazole on males. One other thing that I can think of is . . . Trichomonas can look a lot like Giardia under a microscope which is another flagellated protozoan parasite that is also treated with Metronidazole. Giardia commonly causes bacteria and can affect all mammals. It is transmitted by drinking contaminated water. Giardia is also diagnosed by fecal flotation or smear. Source: Foreyt, William J. Veterinary Parasitology: Reference Manual. 5th Ed. Blackwell Publishing Professional 2001.
