Enterotoxemia, also known as overeating or pulpy kidney disease, is a condition caused by Clostridium perfringens type D. Under specific conditions, these bacteria can rapidly reproduce in the animal’s intestine, producing large quantities of toxins. The epsilon toxin produced by C. perfringens Type D is the most significant toxin in producing the disease. Young animals are most susceptible. Sudden and high mortality rates may occasionally occur in lambs and kids. Although adult animals are also susceptible to enterotoxemia, they develop immunity due to frequent exposure to low doses of these toxins.-per college of veterinary medicine, Georgia
Common causes
The peracute form is most frequent in young animals. It is characterized by sudden death that occurs approximately 12 hours after the first signs of the disease appear. Some kids or lambs may show signs of central nervous disease, such as excitement or convulsions. Sudden death may occur in only minutes in kids or lambs showing neurological disease. Typical clinical signs include:
Sluggish rumen leads to Enterotoxemia. Goat may have slight rumen sound, but has runny stool, off feed, laying off to herself..maybe grinding her teeth. You need to jump into action to restore flora...
Stop grain/milk, keep hay, alfalfa, natural browse food in from of the goat. Babies on bottle or mom should stop milk and replace milk with electrolytes in bottle. Adults need to stay hydrated...offer electrolytes to encourage more fluid in take
cd antitoxin based on dose mentioned above^
Milk of magnesia
To help restore function of the rumen
give probiotics AND
room temp Beer at room temp and/or
Quality Peppermint Ess. oil and or Digestive blend
in severe cases you can give a rumen bolus, *steal a cud from a healthy goat
* to steal a cud. Easier said then done, but it has been done!! Please be aware, the goats back teeth are razor sharp. You will need a wooden spoon or something to place between the jaw to prevent the goat from chomping down.
Find a goat who just settled down. stay close and be ready. Have a helper have a jar ready..have a wooden spoon or other safe item to block jaw from closing all the way. Wait until you see that cud come up the throat and into the goats mouth, now fast like lightening and swift as a Ninja, jump into action...grab the goats head, open her mouth, place your safety item between jaw and grab that cud....it will smell to high heaven..it will feel warm and gross...but don’t let go...get what you can and get out...that goat will now give you the stink eye. Put the cud in the jar. NOW, go wash your hands :) and count all your fingers!
Mix some water in with the cud and stir..draw 30 cc or so up in a drenching syringe and drench the sick goat...
here is a good video that will show a safe for your fingers method..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZJ...
Common causes
- Excessive consumption of milk or feed with high concentrations of grain
- When natural immunity is compromised such as when ill, recovering from an illness or stressed
- When animals are heavily parasitized with gastrointestinal parasites, including nematodes, cestodes (tapeworms) and coccidia
- When the ration is rich in carbohydrates (grains) and low in roughage
- When motility of the gastrointestinal tract is reduced ( sluggish rumen)
The peracute form is most frequent in young animals. It is characterized by sudden death that occurs approximately 12 hours after the first signs of the disease appear. Some kids or lambs may show signs of central nervous disease, such as excitement or convulsions. Sudden death may occur in only minutes in kids or lambs showing neurological disease. Typical clinical signs include:
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal discomfort
- Profuse and/or watery diarrhea that may be bloody
- C D antitoxin
- kids under 6lbs give them 3ccs injected SQ every 12hours kids 6-15lbs give them 5ccs injected SQ every 12 hours. kids 15-20lbs: give them 10ccs injected SQ every 12 hours. For adults- 80lb goat will get 20ccs injected SQ every 12 hours
- Antibiotics, especially penicillin
- 1 cc per 20 # sub Q
- Milk of magnesia
- 15 cc per 60 pounds ( 1/4 cc per pound)
- Anti-bloating medication
- Banamine
- 1 cc per 100# sub Q
- thiamine (vitamin B1) to prevent or treat the encephalomalacia
- Supportive therapy such as intravenous or subcutaneous fluids
- Probiotics after antibiotic therapy to encourage repopulation of the microflora in the GI tract
- Bottle babies should have feeding amounts adjusted, please see bottle feedng file.
Sluggish rumen leads to Enterotoxemia. Goat may have slight rumen sound, but has runny stool, off feed, laying off to herself..maybe grinding her teeth. You need to jump into action to restore flora...
Stop grain/milk, keep hay, alfalfa, natural browse food in from of the goat. Babies on bottle or mom should stop milk and replace milk with electrolytes in bottle. Adults need to stay hydrated...offer electrolytes to encourage more fluid in take
cd antitoxin based on dose mentioned above^
Milk of magnesia
To help restore function of the rumen
give probiotics AND
room temp Beer at room temp and/or
Quality Peppermint Ess. oil and or Digestive blend
in severe cases you can give a rumen bolus, *steal a cud from a healthy goat
* to steal a cud. Easier said then done, but it has been done!! Please be aware, the goats back teeth are razor sharp. You will need a wooden spoon or something to place between the jaw to prevent the goat from chomping down.
Find a goat who just settled down. stay close and be ready. Have a helper have a jar ready..have a wooden spoon or other safe item to block jaw from closing all the way. Wait until you see that cud come up the throat and into the goats mouth, now fast like lightening and swift as a Ninja, jump into action...grab the goats head, open her mouth, place your safety item between jaw and grab that cud....it will smell to high heaven..it will feel warm and gross...but don’t let go...get what you can and get out...that goat will now give you the stink eye. Put the cud in the jar. NOW, go wash your hands :) and count all your fingers!
Mix some water in with the cud and stir..draw 30 cc or so up in a drenching syringe and drench the sick goat...
here is a good video that will show a safe for your fingers method..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZJ...