ENTEROTOXEMIA
Clostridial (enterotoxemia)
organisms are always present in the goat's gut, right along with
everything else. They usually cause no trouble because they just keep
passing on out of the system in the feces. The gut activity needs to be
stopped by something else for a long enough time to give those little
bugs a chance to build up sufficient numbers to cause Enterotoxemia.
Some of the gut-stoppers that are common precursors to Entero are grass
bloat, too much carbohydrate, as in heavy feedings of milk replacers or
milk/replacer + grain (slow to digest), Floppy Kid Syndrome, etc...
Enterotoxemia is a disease caused by the
overproduction of toxins by the Clostridium prefringens organisms that
are found naturally in the rumen of the goat. As they multiply in the
rumen, which they will do if it is slowed or shut down for any reason,
the toxins quickly reach the level where they start to destroy the
intestinal walls, eventually passing through them and into the
peritoneal cavity where they systematically begin shutting the organs
down, killing the host. It is a very painful way to die. - Sue Reith /
www. Goatworld.com
TREATMENT
For a kid, treat with
5cc CD&T Vaccine SQ, 5cc oral Penicillin (the long acting) 5cc SQ
Penicillin, 15cc Pepto Bismol orally. If the kid is in acute pain, you
can give .15cc of Banamine (NOT Dexmethasone, as it will shut
down the immune system) and this will also prevent damage to the kidneys
and Liver by toxins. Clostridial bacteria growing in the gut are killed
topically by the penicillin, which is the drug of choice for the
species, Pepto is antacid, anti gas, and reduces pain. Give 500mg of
thiamin orally also. You must treat the kid for two days, and allow it
to nurse if it wants to. On day three, give only the penicillin, and CD
antitoxin, and Penicillin SQ, and Calf Pac the kid.
For an adult goat, treat
with 10cc CD&T Vaccine SQ, 10cc oral Penicillin (the long acting)
10cc SQ Penicillin, 15cc Pepto Bismol orally. If the kid is in acute
pain, you can give 1 cc per 100 lbs of Banamine (NOT Dethmexasone, as it
will shut down the immune system)
2-4 ounces of
Revive
twice a day.
