How to Tell If a Baby Goat Has Diarrhea

Diarrhea in baby goats, called scouring, is a serious problem that requires immediate attention. Scouring is caused by a number of things, including improper feeding, worms, bacterial or viral infections, and simply overfeeding. If you keep goats, it is essential that you know the signs of scouring so you can take action as soon as possible. In goats under one month of age, dehydration, hypoglycemia, and acidosis can result from scouring.

Instructions

    • 1

      Check your goats' paddock, bedding, and any areas they frequent for slimy-looking, yellowish goo. This is what baby goat diarrhea looks like, and if you see it anywhere on the ground, then you know one or more of your baby goats is scouring.

    • 2

      Check each baby goat's anal region. Normal poop is yellow and emerges from goats in strings of pellets. The mother goat usually cleans it off the baby goats' bottoms. If the mother isn't cleaning it, there may be a string of pellets attached to a baby goat's bottom. This is a precursor to scouring. Clean the poop off the goat with warm water and monitor that goat for the yellow goo.

    • 3

      Look for baby goats that have smeared yellow goo on their bottoms. You must separate the scouring goats from the healthy ones as soon as possible to treat the diarrhea and to prevent the transmission of an infection between the two groups.