I noticed on September 1st that both goats were passing odd poops - tiny and pointy - not their usual. Was something going on with their gut? (Hmm, corn husks was just added to their diet. Uh oh.) Boots seemed to look unusually wide and keeping her distance from Jack. I gave them Goat Probiotics paste.
On September 3rd Boots was still distended but her poops were getting larger and she was burping.
On September 5th I thought Boots had died. It was time for bed and she didn't follow Jack and me to the Pen. I looked under the deck and saw her lying on her side. I locked Jack up in the Goat House and went back to check on her.
I crawled under the deck and though she was breathing she did not get up. Her rumen was greatly distended. She let me pat and massage her which produced some burps. She still would not get up.
I spent about an hour with her until she started moving around and walking away from me. I placed a water bucket for her. I knew she wasn't budging from under the deck. Then I turned on all the lights and turned a radio on (Classic Rock station) to deter any mountain lions from getting too close to the house.
In the morning she was moving around, scratching the rocks away to lay down. She was still bloated and uncomfortable (shivering). I spent an hour patting, rubbing, and massaging coaxing many burps and the shivering eased.
Two days later she was back to foraging and laying in the sun but at their bedtime when Jack and I headed to the Goat House she went back under the deck. Still keeping her distance and not chewing cud.
September 8th, Back in the Pen, sleeping in the Goat House with Jack.
September 11th, Giant clumpy poops, aka scours, aka goat diarrhea.
September 12th, Chewing cud but squatting and no pee other than a dribble. Dehydrated?
September 13th, Peeing. Phew
September 15, Today: Peeing, pooping, burping, chewing cud, eating, drinking, and socializing. All good.
