A goat does not eat or drink after lambing: possible reasons, what to do and how to treat

If a goat does not eat or drink anything after lambing, it means that she is sick. It is necessary to find out the cause of the disease and begin treatment. Usually, problems with appetite occur if the animals have a fever due to an infectious infection or they are given rough and poor-quality food. After lambing, the goat will need some time to recover. During this period, animals need to be fed with high-quality feed, and in case of infection, antibiotics can be injected.

Causes and treatments

After lambing, the goat becomes very weak, because during childbirth she loses a lot of strength.The presence of a person during this physiological process is desirable.As soon as the kids are born, even before the placenta comes out (it comes out 1-1.5 hours after the offspring appears), the goat needs to be milked. There is not a minute to lose, otherwise, due to the accumulated milk, the female may have problems with the udder.

Mastitis

Immediately after lambing, a goat may experience false mastitis. The udder of the animal swells, the nipples coarsen, the outflow of milk is difficult. The goat does not eat hay well, refuses favorite treats, does not want to drink. This is not a disease, but a typical swelling of the udder. The condition of the animal can be improved with the help of diuretics or herbs (chamomile, nettle, parsley, blackcurrant leaves), dill (from the seed) sweetened decoction and regular pumping of milk. In this case, it is impossible to massage the udder, otherwise the goat will develop real mastitis.

If the problem is ignored, the rapid development of the disease will begin. Mastitis is a disease of the udder, in which it becomes hard, and seals appear inside.The reason is that the ducts through which the milk moves are clogged. If the goat is kept on dirty bedding, then due to weakened immunity after childbirth, an infection can join mastitis. In this case, antibiotic treatment will be required ("Bicillin", "Streptomycin", "Mastiet Forte").

First of all, when mastitis is detected, you need to lubricate the udder with novocaine ointment, and after anesthesia, make a light massage. Ichthyol ointment gives a good anti-inflammatory effect. It is advisable not to feed a goat before giving birth with food that stimulates increased milk production.

True, a pregnant animal cannot be kept on a starvation diet, otherwise it will weaken. Milk during the treatment of mastitis with antibiotics is expressed and not given to goats.

Endometritis

After lambing with complications (injuries, retention of placenta), when bacteria enter the uterus, a goat may develop endometritis.This is an inflammatory process in which the animal's temperature slightly rises, a cloudy gray exudate with an admixture of blood and an unpleasant odor is released from the genitals. The disease develops 2-5 days after birth. The animal refuses to eat and drink, his milk disappears, he often gets into a position for urination, bends his back. A few days later, it becomes noticeable how the goat with endometritis has lost weight.

Dirt, high humidity in the barn can provoke the disease. Proper feeding of the animal, constant walks in the fresh air, and the obligatory plentiful drink help to reduce the likelihood of endometritis. The room where the birth will take place should be clean, dry and warm. Before lambing, the goat should be given carrots, spruce branches, pharmacy vitamins and minerals, immunostimulants.

An animal with endometritis needs to be treated. The uterus is washed with a warm solution of potassium permanganate or furacilin. For washing, you can use 3% "Ichitiol". Tricillin powder or Septimetrin capsules are injected intrauterine. In severe cases (with sepsis), antibiotic injections, camphor serum according to Kadykov, as well as sulfanilamide and nitrofuran preparations are prescribed. To improve uterine contraction, give Oxytocin or Pituitrin.

Atony of the proventriculus

After giving birth, a weakened female may experience digestive problems. The problem is aggravated by food poor in vitamins, but rich in fiber (straw, pilaf), as well as feeding with grain mixtures. In sick goats, appetite decreases, the movement of food through the stomach slows down. Animals may stop burping.

If goats are given plenty of water and legumes, bloating can occur due to difficulty passing flatus.

Hellebore tincture helps improve gastric motility. With hypotension, a 5% sodium chloride solution is prescribed. Motor function is improved by an infusion of wormwood or gentian root, cabbage pickle, a solution of pharmaceutical lactic acid. A weak solution of acetic acid (20 ml of 9% vinegar per 2 liters of water) with sugar (30 g) helps to improve the fermentation in the stomach. In case of bloating, you need to raise the goat's head and stick out your tongue with your hand until a burp appears, and then insert a rubber hose into the esophagus to expel gases.

Ketosis

After lambing in the winter, goats can get into ketosis. This disease is the result of improper feeding. Ketosis occurs when there is an excess of grain mixtures and legume hay (alfalfa) in the diet. The disease is diagnosed, first of all, by the acetone smell of urine.

You can prevent and even cure the disease if you give the female sweetened water, as well as sweet food (carrots, pumpkin, Jerusalem artichoke, sugar beets).

Coniferous and spruce branches, cereal hay, high-quality silage save from ketosis. For the treatment of this disease, "Katozal" is used. If nothing is done, the disease will go into a chronic stage and may lead to the death of the animal.

Peresis

After giving birth, a goat sometimes has a decrease in vital processes. The animal may be in a depressed or, conversely, excited state. In sick females, appetite disappears, trembling or twitching of the muscles of the body and limbs is noticeable. The body temperature drops, the amount of milk decreases, the stomach swells. A sick animal is given sugar-sweetened water to drink, a 10% glucose solution and a 10% calcium chloride solution are prescribed intravenously, as well as Cordiamin or Caffeine-sodium benzoate. Females that have given birth should receive vitamin D and calcium-rich foods (grass legumes).

Prevention measures

Goats after lambing get sick due to improper feeding or keeping in adverse conditions.Usually females are covered in autumn. Pregnancy (5 months) occurs in winter and early spring. During this period, the percentage of vitamins and nutrients in prepared feed (hay, vegetables) is sharply reduced.

During pregnancy, females should be given spruce branches, finely chopped carrots, Jerusalem artichoke, pumpkin, pharmacy vitamins, minerals, and premixes. Goats should not overeat or starve. Pregnant animals should be kept in a clean, dry and warm environment.

Starting from 3 months of pregnancy, the goat needs to be started, that is, stop milking. During this period, all useful substances should go to the development of the fetus, and not to milk. It is advisable to drink a pregnant goat with sweetened water (30 g per 2-3 liters of water). Grain mixtures are given to animals in a minimal amount. Instead of wheat, you can feed the females with wheat bran.

Recommendations

Failure to eat and lack of appetite is a symptom of some disease. True, immediately after lambing, a goat may eat poorly, since during this period she experiences pain after eating. After a few hours, the female's vital functions should return to normal.

A goat that has hatched should be given sweetened water to drink, and milk should be expressed. Improves appetite cabbage pickle or talker (20 g of vodka, 2 liters of water, 30 g of sugar, 10 g of yeast). To improve belching, boil hay with boiling water and give the goat a warm tincture. Feeding a small amount of oats helps to restore strength. Sometimes a goat refuses to eat because of worms. After giving birth, it is advisable to give the female antiparasitic drugs.

Recommended