Oh no.

We are having a little run-in with a bout of coccidiosis. Basically, it's an infestation of parasites in the body. It's pretty common in kids, but as they grow up, they build an immunity to it. For the doelings, it can kill them if not treated. At the first sign of diarrhea, I emailed Melissa of Left Foot Farm and asked her what to do. She gave me the dosage and name of the "antidote"--Sulmet 12.5%. I also did a goat drench, which is a mass dose of vitamins and nutrients. After dosing them, about two hours later I noticed the girls were very energetic and playful. I guess the stuff works fast! And they even ate a little bit more than breakfast! I am hopeful that I will have nipped this in the bud. The girls will have four more days of dosage and if they still have diarrhea after the total of five days, then we will have our first vet visit. :( I hope not!

When I dosed the girls, Arabella took it with almost no problems. Of course she tried to not take it, but when I got it into her mouth, she swallowed like a good girl. Star, on the other hand was a hoot! Whenever I got the stuff in her mouth, she would make the most interesting faces by turning her bottom jaw side ways and showing me her tongue. It seemed like she was holding the medication in her mouth and not swallow! And then she would let out this over-dramatic, exasperated exhale. Being a newbie to dosing goats, I thought she was gonna roll over and die on me! I was so stressed. When I was done, I came in and emailed Melissa again, asking if it was normal for Star to be making all those "faces". She emailed back and "lol"ed me, saying it was perfectly normal. Now that I know, I am ready for Star's face-making today! LOL

I am super-thankful that Melissa was there to help; I never would have figured out that I needed the Sulmet 12.5%. I would have ended up taking them to the vet and spending a couple hundred dollars. She has been so kind to me and I am so grateful!