Goats are tough and hardy animals, and it’s often easy to forget they are just as prone to health complications as any other animal.
Often, one of the most common signs that something is wrong with your goat is that it has stopped drinking water as it should.
Many possible things can cause this, and none of them are good.
When caring for goats, it’s really important that you notice these sorts of problems as soon as they arise.
A goat not drinking water could quickly be fatal, so it’s really vital that you’re able to notice and identify the root cause of the problem quickly.
There are a few main reasons why your goat isn’t drinking water, and a few essential things you can do to help.
Let’s look into it.
Your goat may not be drinking water because it’s too dirty
The most common reason that goats aren’t drinking is the cleanliness of the water.
A mistake many new goat owners make is not properly appreciating how important it is to provide clean, fresh water every single day.
They’re just goats, people think—how high can their standards be?
Well, just like any other animal, goats know that drinking dirty water can have serious negative effects on their health.
They won’t drink dirty water, because they don’t want to make themselves sick.
So, if your goats aren’t drinking, think about your practices when it comes to water.
Are you providing clean, fresh water every day?
Are you making sure that water isn’t overly treated?
If your goats aren’t drinking, it’s a good chance the sole reason is because their water isn’t clean enough.
Also, be sure you’ve got the quantities right.
Goats drink a lot of water in the day, so make sure you’re refilling as needed.
Your goat could have an illness
Once you’ve established the water is definitely clean and adequate to drink, you can then start considering other possibilities.
There are many basic symptoms you can look out for to determine if your goat is ill.
They might be generally sluggish in movements, even limping or struggling to walk.
They might have clear signs of physical injury.
Illnesses can lead to depression in goats, and depression can lead to a lack of impulse to drink water.
There are many possible illnesses that could cause this, with wide ranging symptoms.
If you aren’t familiar with a wide range of goat illnesses, or even if you are, it’s best to speak to a vet.
Illnesses which cause your goat to stop drinking water could very easily be fatal.
It’s vitally important, then that you treat them with the right gravity.
A vet is always your safest bet, as they can diagnose and treat the problem.
| Related Posts |
|---|
Your goat could be in heat
One other possibility is that the goat is in heat, and this is affecting its behavior.
Often, being in heat does lead to erratic patterns.
Goats that are in heat will very often stop eating, and will too stop drinking.
In general, this usually won’t last more than a day.
You should keep a close eye on them nonetheless, and make sure they are fine.
Be sure to look out for the signs of being in heat—she will be much more vocal, she will wag her tail, and her personality will change.
If the not drinking persists for more than a day, even when in heat, you should call a vet.
How to help
So, what can I do in these cases?
Well, as you’ve seen, my best and safest advice is always to call the vet.
They can give you an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, without any concern you’ve gotten it wrong.
Beyond that, though, it’s mostly about water quality.
Using a hose is a great option, as you can constantly top up the goats’ water with clean, fresh, cool water.
Natural water sources are always going to be a bit cooler than water out of a tap that has been sitting out for many days.
Goats prefer cool water, since it is more hydrating and cools the body down in high heat.
You should make sure there are several buckets or troughs of water, so the goat can choose a few.
If you only have a limited amount, your goats may be fighting over the space.
You can also sweeten the water in a number of ways to increase the goat’s interest in it.
Sweet molasses is a good option, and might make the water more appealing to the goat.
You can also use apple cider vinegar to create a more interesting and flavorful drink.
If sweetening and freshening the water doesn’t help, though, then you’ve likely got a bigger problem on your hands.
As much as we might want to avoid vet bills where we can, you can’t put a price on your goat’s health.
Your goat not drinking water is, understandably, a potentially very big problem.
If the conditions persist for more than a day or two, then your goat is going to end up doing itself permanent damage.
As a goat owner, it is always your responsibility to look out for these kinds of early warning signs.
If you notice too late that your goat is not drinking, there might not be much you can do.
If you’re in any doubt, my best advice is always to speak to a vet.
They will be able to tell you what is wrong, why it’s wrong, and how to stop it from happening again in the future.
Your goats will thank you for the vet’s time!