Raising goats comes with some challenges. Horned pets are often exposed to diseases. If a goat regularly foams at the mouth, it means that the animal needs urgent help from a veterinarian. As a rule, an unpleasant phenomenon signals a malfunction of the animal’s gastrointestinal tract. The sooner a diagnosis is made and treatment is prescribed, the greater the chance of saving the pet’s life.
Main Causes of Foaming at the Mouth in Goats
The reason for the appearance of foam at the mouth of an animal can be a whole bunch of diseases and ailments.
- The problem lies in vitamin B1 deficiency.Thiamine is vital for the normal functioning of the animal's neuromuscular system. The vitamin is responsible for the production of energy for the full life of the body. Thiamine deficiency affects the nervous system of a horned pet. Most animals become ill at 4-5 months of age.
- Another reason for the formation of foam at the mouth of an animal is tympany. Due to the fermentation of accumulated food, the rumen stops and swells. The cause of the problem should be sought in low quality feed or an incorrectly formulated diet.
- In infancy, goat kids often suffer from dyspepsia. The trouble lies in the disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. At this moment, babies experience slight diarrhea, weakness and bloating in the abdomen. The problem can be solved by temporarily weaning the kid from food and giving the pet a 1% saline solution.
- A malfunction in the baby’s digestive system also occurs as a result of banal overeating of milk. The kid loses his appetite and is troubled by vomiting, weakness and diarrhea. The pet's tummy is swollen. Daily fasting and herbal decoction can help a little glutton. The infusion is prepared from 60 g of horse sorrel and chamomile. The raw material is poured with a liter of water and heated for 30 minutes.
- Foaming at the mouth of a young animal often indicates the presence of tapeworms in the body. Uninvited guests can cause liver cysticercosis. As a result of complications, not only the “natural filter” comes under attack, but also the cardiovascular system. Unfortunately, in some cases, sick kids have to be destroyed.
Associated symptoms
With thiamine deficiency, the disease overtakes the goat suddenly. Malaise is indicated by poor appetite and slight diarrhea.At first, the goat moves chaotically around the paddock, and then begins to walk in a circle. The animal often stumbles out of the blue and falls. Due to the loss of coordination of movements, the pet stands for a long time, staggering, with its legs spread wide apart. In some sick animals, vision and hearing rapidly deteriorate.
The situation is complicated by extensor spasms, with the pet’s head involuntarily thrown back towards the neck. The development of the disease takes from several hours to 3 weeks. When a goat gets tympany, it loses its appetite. The animal behaves restlessly, every now and then glancing at its stomach and constantly wagging its tail. The pet exhibits shallow breathing and the belly is swollen. The scar area is tense due to the accumulation of gases.
What to do if your goat starts foaming
Treatment for your pet depends on the type of disease and the degree of damage to the animal’s body. For thiamine deficiency, use a 6% solution of thiamine hydrochloride. The medicine will help compensate for the lack of vitamin B1.
Russian specialists prefer to fight the disease with large doses of the drug. The animal is injected with 200 to 500 mg of solution. The dosage depends on the body weight of the goat. Half of the single dose of the drug is administered to the pet intravenously, the other part – intramuscularly.
The procedure is repeated 2-3 times. If treatment is started within 2 days after the first signs of the disease appear, the prognosis is favorable. 15-20 hours after the first injection, the animal’s condition should improve. Foreign specialists prefer to administer the drug intravenously. 7-11 mg of thiamine is administered per 1 kg of animal weight.
Treatment of bloating in a pet is carried out using the natural remedy “Timpanol”. The drug is administered through the oral cavity using a special tube - a probe or a rubber bottle. The product is dissolved in water (1:10). The dose of the drug is calculated based on the weight of the animal. For every kilogram of goat weight there is 0.5-1 mg of Timpanol.
In the absence of a cure, you can help the problem using proven old-fashioned methods:
- A mixture of sunflower oil and any vodka. The healing agent is given to the goat at the rate of 1 ml of mixture per kg of weight.
- Activated carbon. For 1 dose, 8-10 tablets are enough. Coal is diluted in warm water.
- 2% solution of ammonia. Single dose – 50 ml.
In the initial stage of the disease, there is a chance to get by with “little blood.” Simple measures will help rid the rumen of harmful gases:
- Gentle massage of the left side of the animal's belly.
- Bringing your pet into an upright position. To do this, the goat is grabbed by the front legs and lifted, forcing the animal to stand on its hind legs.
- Rhythmic stretching of the pet's tongue by hand. In this way, belching is achieved.
- Forcing an animal to actively jog. Perhaps in this way it will be possible to achieve the release of gases.
In acute cases of the disease, it is necessary to resort to a puncture in the area of the hungry fossa. Otherwise, the pinched vessels will increasingly compress the internal organs of the goat, and the matter will end in the death of the animal. This procedure can only be entrusted to a veterinarian.
Possible danger
Foaming in the animal’s mouth is a clear signal of trouble in the pet’s health. If things are left to chance, the malaise threatens the horned beauty with death.
How to prevent the problem
A properly formulated diet will help to avoid bloating in a goat.First of all, it is necessary to conduct an inventory audit. You should not give your pet spoiled or moldy food. Poorly dried or frozen grass is not suitable for feeding a goat. The main components of the animal’s daily diet are roughage. Concentrated supplements and grains are strictly limited.
