Looking for some help! smaller herd with scours

I'm in Northern Michigan and I have a small herd of 13 deer (now 12). I have 4 mature does, 8 (now seven) fawns and one breed buck. All animals are in the same 15 acre pen. We feed free choice pellet and have a clean water tank. The pen is a mix of pines, harwoods, open pasture ground, a low thicket area and about 50 different varieties of apple trees. Due to a bumper apple crop, we have literally several tons of apples on the ground and still in the trees.

I found a doe fawn dead on Saturday. She appeared very healthy looking with diarrhea pooled at her rear. Necrospsy showed no injuries, and healthy looking organs. Stomachs contained pelleted feed, corn, apples, autumn olive berries and grass (there was alot of very fine fibers as well that could have been partially digested grasses). The intestines were swollen with gases and the large intestine had a pumpkin colored liquid diarrhea with no solids.

A look around the pen revealed other deer probably are suffering from diarrhea as well. There are more piles of fresh normal pellet than pools of diarrhea, but it is clear that other deer are suffering from the same problem.

Due to our situation we cannot treat our deer the way many of you do. Capturing our deer would take tranquilization, and that would be difficult based on how skiddish they are. We can only treat through free choice feed and free choice water. We have emptied our feeder and are now feedeing our regular pellet with safeguard crumbles added. Our water tank was emptied and sanitized, we put out new water with Corrid, and water soluble antibiotic added as well.

There is no way to get all the apples off the ground if that is the source of the problem. These deer have been exposed to mass quantities of apples since mid to late august, and this problem seems to have started in the last 10 days.

Looking for some ideas or recommendations. Just starting out and really can't afford to loose any more animals if at all possible. Thanks!

Currently waiting. But I hate waiting and was looking for something to check for in the meantime.

Check out this site. http://www.whitetaildeerfarmer.com/FawnHealth.htm

We had a lot (8) fawns this year and we also lost one. Coccidiosis has been found in a few of our fawns. Determined by the vet and a fecal sample. You can treat their water supply with corrid. We have had the best luck using both albon and corrid. We start with one then switch to the other. Our vet recommended starting with a sulfa like albon then changing to corrid. You need to start on a stronger mix for 5 days then cut in half for 3 more weeks to prevent reinfection. An antibiotic like naxcel is also important. but if they are wild you may need dart them with it. Also if you use corrid be careful a vitamin b supplement may be necessary. Time is of the essence. You need to start them asap Coccidiosis will prevent the deer from absorbing protein and the deer can starve in a few days. The most important is of course is consult with your vet. but you can start a general treatment with something like albon or corrid while your waiting. Also read the above web page for fawn health it has a lot of good info.

Please do not start any treatment on my word alone. do your research and call your vet if you have questions.

Now that you have treated them with a few things give it time to work . Make sure you do not over treat this could be just as bad. I would wait til you get results back before doin anything else.

Do you think that the mass quantities of apples could have anything to do with their condition? Also do you think a salt block next to the feed would encourage them to drink more mater (thus medication), or do you think it would only contribute more to dehydration? Thanks!

I would get some shock effect conditioner, and mix in there feed daily. It is a great probiotic which they need for the rumen, also wait and see what the stool sample says, pumpkin colored feces could be ecoli, like virgil said dont over do it till you know whats wrong!! but probiotics, bread, and some good alfalfa hay is good for the rumen and can be given now. Good Luck!!!



Scott Neeb

Chanllow Farms

In the heart of Pa Dutch Country

1-570-386-2468

I would check for giardia as well. If it is, the safe-guard that you are using is a good choice. Fenbendazole has been proven effective in treating for giardia.

Good luck. Troy Haller

Balsam Run Whitetails

Be careful with whichever medication you use if you have pregnant does in your herd.

You might want to put some Sulmut in there water if you do not get any results from what you are using.But like Virgil said if you treat her with to many different thing you will not know what did the trick.

Apples themselves can be dangerous. Apple seeds produce a chemical that when broken down in the intestines is hydrogen cyanide. Which takes the red cells ability to carry oxygen in the blood. It takes quite a few seeds being chewed up to cause problems but some of the symptoms are dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarea and death. Not saying this is what it is but don't overlook it.