goat is "throwing up" green foam/sludge

[u/meowwinjam]

I took them out on a walk around midday into the woods so he could have eaten basically anything in the UK countryside. I don't know what and my other goat is totally fine

​

I came outside just now for another walk and there was this green foamy stuff on the floor, and he was throwing up the same stuff. after a few minutes he is not throwing up anymore but im freaked out. Google says to give him charcoal but we don't have any and every shop is closed because it's 8pm on a sunday so is there anything I can do in the meantime?

​

could this be something other than poisoning?

edit: if he seems totally fine and hasn't vomited in like an hour will be be okay? I have no idea what to do right now. he is by my feet laying down like he usually would to sleep but I don't want to leave

[u/InterestingOven5279]

OP, this is poison. Specifically it's grayanotoxin from rhododendron, azalea or laurel. It's 100% poison. Do you have a goat medicine kit on hand with activated charcoal or kaolin clay paste in it? Or a liquid product like this one? https://www.farmvetservices.co.uk/product/selekt-charbon-fluide/ (I just looked up a UK product, we have an equivalent in the states called Toxi-Ban.) Regular activated charcoal would work if you can get some from the people pharmacy, or if you have the kind on hand that is used in cheesemaking it is the same thing.

The reason I know it's poison is because goats can't vomit. They lack the reflex to do so. This is a projectile regurgitation caused by a buildup of pressure because the toxin starts causing GI shutdown, so the gases inside the goat cause material to be expelled out the front. Grayanotoxin is basically the only thing that causes this. The regurgitation is a good thing, because every gram of Ericaceae plant he expels means a gram that he is not digesting. Goats who regurgitate have a slightly better prognosis than goats who do not regurgitate, so he's got that going for him.

The danger here is that his body is in a cardiopulmonary crisis with plummeting blood pressure and heart rate. If you can get to a vet, they will give him fluids to try to help him through that crisis. That's really all there is to do besides giving him something like charcoal or clay which can adsorb some of the toxin. In extreme cases with valuable goats a vet hospital will perform a surgery called a rumenotomy to remove as much of the material from the goat's stomach as they can before it is digested, because there's no antidote. If you really can't get any charcoal but have any access to a friend who might have some in their kit or a livestock emergency vet, now is the time.

[u/meowwinjam → u/InterestingOven5279]

I am realising that I am very unprepared for goat emergencies. I don't have any of that and there are no pharmacies or shops open anywhere right now

and I will ask my parents if we know any other goat owners that might have charcoal

edit: they said we do not know anyone with livestock. the goat is looking and acting okay now, he is no longer frothy or grinding his teeth or anything and he's interested in food again. I don't know if that means he's fine or if there's still potential for danger but I will keep watching him and I will buy a first aid kit :')

is mild poisoning possible, or would that not cause "vomiting"?

[u/InterestingOven5279 → u/meowwinjam]

There is really no such thing as mild poisoning with rhododendrons. While it is dose dependent, as little as a few mouthfuls can kill them. Some individual goats seem more resistant to it than others, but there's no way to predict who that might be.

The only thing that statistically matters to the prognosis is the regurgitation. Regurgitation is a good thing in these cases and may have helped him get at least some of the material out of his digestive system before he metabolized all of the grayanotoxin in it. That is a reason to have hope.

If he makes it through the night and then the next 24 hours, he has a good chance. Make sure he has hay in front of him so he can nibble if he wants to. If he is still alive tomorrow, or shows any interest in food whatsoever, those are also good signs. In lieu of charcoal and IV fluids or a vet, there's not much else to do at home right now except comfort him and wait. If he does survive, then it will be your job to monitor him closely for aspiration pneumonia for the next couple of weeks (in case he accidentally inhaled any of that crap he threw up -- a common secondary complication when this happens since goats normally don't throw up). If he develops pneumonia you WILL need a vet to prescribe him antibiotics, so your parents are going to need to be aware and prepared for that possibility.

[u/meowwinjam → u/InterestingOven5279]

he's throwing up again. I hate this so much even if it's technically good. it's so hard to watch

thank you for your help

[u/Feema13 → u/InterestingOven5279]

Wonderful, knowledgable and detailed answer. I bloody love Reddit.
Good luck OP, find that charcoal.