How to Use Tide Laundry Detergent to Relieve Bloat in Goats

Bloat in goats occurs when excessive gas builds up in a goat's rumen (the part of its stomach where your goat stores food). The most dangerous type of bloat (frothy bloat) causes a goat's rumen to become distended with foam. That compresses the diaphragm and often results in death, according to Fitzroy Beckford, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent at the University of Florida. Tide laundry detergent relieves frothy bloat in goats by reducing the foam, which allows a goat to belch, thus lowering the level of gas in the rumen.

Things You'll Need

  • Powdered Tide laundry detergent (without bleach)
  • Water
  • Bowl
  • Spoon
  • Goat drenching gun
  • Bale of hay
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Verify the goat is suffering from frothy bloat. Goats typically develop this type of bloat in the springtime after grazing on lush, moist pastures containing a lot of rich grasses such as clover and alfalfa. Symptoms of frothy bloat include drooling, grunting and moaning. Often a goat will be lying down, grinding its teeth or appearing to be in pain. If you can get the goat to stand, you may notice a characteristic bulging on its left flank, which is where the rumen is situated.

    • 2

      Mix one tablespoon of powdered Tide laundry detergent (without bleach) together with 60 cc's of water in a small bowl, gently stirring the mixture with a spoon to ensure that the Tide detergent dissolves completely in the water. Put the medication in a goat drenching gun (a heavy duty syringe with a special stainless steel, elongated bulb tip for administering medication orally to goats).

    • 3

      Administer the Tide detergent bloat treatment. Restrain the goat by encircling its head with your arm, bringing your hand up to the right side of its mouth and pulling its lips aside to expose the teeth. Gently but firmly insert the bulb tip of the drenching syringe into the side of the goat's mouth, pushing it along its teeth toward the back of its mouth until you feel the syringe tip move inward. This inward movement indicates that the syringe tip has reached beyond your goat's back teeth. Depress the drencher plunger completely, emptying the medication into the goat's mouth and checking visually to ensure that the drencher is empty before you remove it from the goat's mouth.

    • 4

      Mix the Tide laundry detergent bloat treatment with your goat's rumen contents to promote the quick action of the medication and to encourage your goat to belch. Massage your goat's left flank firmly for several moments then encourage the goat to stand and walk around. If the goat refuses to get up or stops walking, try propping its front end up with part of a bale of hay, which helps encourage it to belch.

    • 5

      Watch for signs of improvement. The goat should belch or start chewing its cud and should show reduced signs of discomfort within about an hour. If the goat shows signs of worsening bloat, transport it to a veterinarian for emergency treatment.