10/24/2026
Bloat is a complicated thing for goats with multiple types and multiple causes. It’s not as simple as just a big belly, and it is an emergency condition when it does happen.
But what is it, and do we leave baking soda out as a preventative?
We don't leave baking soda out free choice for our goats as a bloat preventative. Many cases of bloat are associated with specific dietary triggers, like excessive grain consumption, sudden feed changes, or certain types of lush pasture.
Instead of relying on baking soda, we focus on reducing those risks through proper feeding management, keeping grain secured, providing adequate forage, and introducing dietary changes gradually.
Baking soda acts as a rumen buffer, but bloat isn't always caused by excess acidity. Baking soda isn't an antifoaming agent, ***and it doesn't prevent every type of bloat***.
That doesn't mean our goats could never develop bloat. It just means we don't consider free choice baking soda a necessary part of our routine prevention strategy, especially when we consider the fact that it increases the risk of urinary calculi in bucks and wethers.
Goats naturally produce bicarbonate through their saliva, especially when chewing and ruminating. Long stemmed forage supports this natural buffering process, which is why constant access to hay or other forage is so important!
**There are TWO different types of bloat in goats!**
FROTHY BLOAT (Primary Bloat)
Gas becomes trapped in a thick foam inside the rumen, preventing the goat from burping it out.
FREE GAS BLOAT (Secondary Bloat)
Gas builds up in the rumen because the goat cannot release it normally through burping.
Not all bloat is caused by something a goat ate, and the two types can require very different treatments.
And yes, I do have a chart with all of this information on it for you 😂
