This Bird Didn't Get the Worm(s)

I've been a helicopter parent to these four goats, watching them like a hawk, marking up goat care books with highlighters and post-it flags, and diligently recording their every move. Just yesterday I was feeling at the top of my game. I was an amaaazing goat mom. And then today I suffered a major blow: the Big Boys have worms.

I was fooled because they were given de-worming medicine the day I brought them home, and they're not due for another routine dose until late June. They look and act healthy. They're energetic and lively. They're growing big and strong. They have good appetites. They have normal poop...or so I thought. It never occurred to me to ask our goat girl what normal goat poop looks like. I knew that goats leave pellets ("berries"). Mine leave tidy little clumps of pellets that are easy to sweep up. I didn't know until I happened to read something on a goat-related website today that clumps mean worms. OH NO!

I can't believe these poor little guys have had worms for at least five weeks and on my watch. As directed, I gave all four goats a pea-sized amount of ivermectin, but I'm worried sick. Of course everything I read on the internet assures me that the goats are probably at death's door. I frantically tried to check their eyeball membranes and gums for a healthy hue. Some articles say these should be red, while others say pink. White, apparently, means call 911 because the animal is dangerously anemic. Checking goat eyeball membranes and gums is much easier said than done. The goats really did not enjoy this extra attention. And I'm still not sure if the membranes and gums are white, pink, or red.

I hope the ivermectin dose was correct. Too much and you kill the goat. Too little and the worms develop resistance to the deworming medication. Something tells me that I'll be obsessing about goat poop for the next few days. If the clumps aren't replaced by loose pellets in a couple days, I guess we are off to the goat vet.

Update: I just read a few articles that say clumpy poop isn't harmful and doesn't mean worms, so long as it is a clump of berries and not clump that looks like dog poop. Clearly, I now am obsessed with goat poop. I am breathing a little easier, but I suspect I won't be completely at ease until I've taken my kids to the livestock vet.