How to Cure Bottle Jaw (worms & anemia) in Goats
Like 2 Dislike 0 Published on 30 Mar 2010
Sarah is a Boer fullblood over 5 years old with several generations of twins produced for us over the years -- about 4 kids per year from her. This year, due to an expanded herd, our pasture conditions are more taxed. We've had to expand to supplemental hay, engage in more limit grazing, and are upgrading irrigation systems for summer.
With more goats on 5 acres, the grass is grazed lower leading to poorer pasture growth and also increased parasite tendency in goats. It takes more pasture management or hay cost to upkeep animal health but is still far better for the animals than penned conditions and grain.
This year, the harsh winter and parasites claimed a couple of our older and more frail goats. Interesting is that, to date, and other than the normal percentage of newborn losses, we have not lost a single goat that was raised here under strictly grass feeding, no vaccine, no drugs, no dewormers.
Every adult goat lost to date has come from other ranches where vaccine, drugging, and deworming along with greater grain feeding was the norm. These are always the first animals to show a vulnerability to parasites among the stress of winter, maternity, and older age. It is so striking a contrast that we are holding over all of our new generation of does and not buying anymore outside does without greater scrutiny.
With parasites or any illness, the issue of bacteria, worms, and virii are not the cause of disease. It is when the vitality and resistance of the patient are compromised that such normal environmental exposures are allowed to entrench and begin disease pathology. If the animal is healthy overall and strong but just helped a little more in feeding and given some rest or energy boost, it will often cure itself of that problem even in the most severe of cases. In the case of goats, you see ranchers engaging in insane vaccination and deworming to the point of creating sickly animals that are more prone to infection and worms, and so they drug, vaccinate, and deworm all the more. Such animals, however, are always the first to drop dead out here by winter.
Sane reality is that all goats have worms. Goats got along just fine in the world for millions of years before man penned and drugged them. They prefer to eat from taller grass never in contact with their fecal matter, and so you must work to keep the hay elevated and the fields in the best condition. The water clean. The barn clean. That minimizes parasites while keeping the animals strong and vital. It is the best defense.
At the moment, we have only 3 nannies that have presented BottleJaw symptoms of anemia and lost 2 this winter before identifying the issue. None of the strong bucks have shown signs. It is always the nannies taxed by pregnancy and nursing strain. Worms and degree of worm load are difficult to measure, but all we are certain on is the condition of severe anemia and dehydration, and so we simply move to cure that. When doing so, the animal's resistance returns to normal and any issue of total worm load in the stomachs is also normal. We don't care of the worm issue, but only correction of the severe alarm, pathology, and exhaustion stages which emerge. When the animal is healthy and strong, weight gain and production is outstanding.
In Sarah's case, I administered 3 pellets of homeopathic Arsenicum Album 30C diluted in a 1 mL syringe with that 1 mL sprayed into the mouth and nose. This was to tickle her into improved resistance against the anemia, worms in general, any possible diarrhea, tendency to emaciation, and end stage pathology in general. Concurrently, she was also given a homebrew shepherd's mix called "Magic" twice daily at 3- to 50 CC's per feeding -- 1 part Molasses, 1 part corn oil, 2 parts Karo syrup -- which has a great deal of glucose, offsets hypoglycemia, helps boost energy level in offset of illness taxation, is vitamin & nutrient enriched, and is noted for "magic" / miraculous reversal of anemia.
Other animals given strictly Arsencum Album and little or no Magic mix are also improving, though at a slower pace. It should also be noted that the black goat, "Gracie", making her appearance at the end of this video also developed Bottle Jaw symptoms a couple weeks ago, but cleared that out on her own within about a week of kidding and relocation to more nutritious pasture. She was given Ars. Alb and some Magic mix at the same time as Sarah. Gracie needs to gain some weight and was amply drugged & dewormed at her prior ranch, but appears to be out of the danger. She usually provides 3 to 4 kids per year.
As can be seen in the video, Sarah is improving considerably in just 72 hours, but is not yet out of the woods. Still working on it. I'll add a supplemental video later when she's more normal. Motion to cleaner and taller pasture along with supplemental hay and energy boost in the feed to offset the cold weather and rain greatly helps boost resistance, too.