baby goat ~ need help plz
 

PLEASE help: I have a tiny lamancha doe that is not eating. (8am)
She is 1 week old today. She was half the size of the buck twin. Mama had her dried off and baby was normal and bouncing around. We brought her inside after a few hours because she was very chilled. We have had her in the house since.
We started with 4 ounces every 4 hours and now feed her 6 ounces every 4 to 6 hours. She is usually great, bumping for more. Yesterday after her afternoon feeding she will not eat. Last night and this am she is grinding her teeth. I have not taken her temp and I will update when I can get it. We are feeding her the dams milk, we warm it in hot water like always. (so not a replacer problem.) I just tried a bit of sugar water and she refused that too. (to try to get her to suck and swallow, tastes good ya.)
I will try some nutra drench and some yogurt or probios, but if someone has some ideas and can refresh my ideas of what to do I would realy appreciate it.
Thnaks,
Jean.

edit to add: (9am)
She pees normal. Her poo has always been on the firm side. She puts a little effort into pooping. She pooped this am just fine. She stands by herself and plays a bit, but not like yesterday (she was jumping all over and driving us nuts). I have not found thermometer yet. She does not feel really warm or cold, so it is not extreme. She does not seem bloated.

edit to add: (11am)
Her temp is 103. I gave her nutra-drench and a shot of B complex. DH got her to swallow a biny bit of sugar water. She peed and it is yellow, not the clear of a bottle baby. She is dehydrated at this point. She still gets up and totters around, but does not play. She does not have snotty nose.

Update: gave the Biomyacin @ 3pm 1/2cc. and a bit more nutradrench.

Edit to add: (5pm)
It has been 28 hours since she ate at all. She is one week old and very small.

UPDATE: Edit to add: (8pm)
Friend came over and showed me how to tube. She pooped before he got here, and was soft, wonder if that was because of the nutra-drench. We gave her almost 4 ounces of milk from the dam (she would usually take 4 to 6) and she has already perked up. Hope she will take the bottle so I don't have to tube her later!

I'll start!

Does she have a fever, is she acting lethargic? Teeth grinding is an indicator of pain/discomfort, does she appear bloated? Diarrhea? Is she standing by herself, is she pushing her head into the walls/corners? Coccidiosis is the first thing that comes to mind, entero is the second. Do you have a wormer?

Is she peeing and pooing normal?

She pees normal. Her poo has always been on the firm side. She puts a little effort into pooping. She pooped this am just fine. She stands by herself and plays a bit, but not like yesterday (she was jumping all over and driving us nuts). I have not found thermometer yet. She does not feel really warm or cold, so it is not extreme. She does not seem bloated.

I do hope some one can come on and give you more help.

You will have to look up doseages on such an itty bitty one, I would be worming her with sulfamethoxazole and checking into giving her a shot of the CDT antitoxin, if her behavior is this altered, she is grinding her teeth, and not eating. I don't want to alarm you, but I lost one of mine within 24 hours of her starting to act "different," and she had no diarrhea. I am not an expert, just hanging out with you til the experts come on!

I would tend to think of pnuemonia (sp) or some sort of repiratory infection since she got a good chill. I would lean away from worm issues since you said you have had her in the house. When you bottle feed her is her head tilted way back, like it would be if she were sucking from her dam? If is not tilted way back, the milk may go into the wrong stomach or the lungs. If it went into the lungs that might be enough to aggrivate a pnuemonia. I am not certain of what symptoms she would be having if milk went into the wrong stomach.

Try this forum - I hope the link works.

http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php

There are a lot of very experienced goat owners there with WAAAY more knowledge than me. The forum even has phone #'s for you to call when you are experiencing a goat emergency.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

Anne
CGR

Little Moon Dairy Goats

I updated the origional post.
Temp is 103.
Gave some B complex and nutradrench.
She is dehydrated, pee is yellow not clear like normal.
Still gets up, but does not play, would rather just curl up in a ball.

bump to top

If she is dehydrated and you can't get her to drink, you can tube her or as a last resort give glucose injections under the skin. It is not uncommon for bottle babies to get pneumonia, it is called mechanical due to a foreign substance (milk) getting into the lungs. Nuflor is excellent for this. Also, if you lose your thermometer, you can always feel the roof of the mouth to see if the core temperature is low (hypothermia). Start feeling the mouths of normal goats, so if outside and think there is a problem, you can feel the roof of the mouth and determine pretty quick if the problem is hypothermia. I hope she feels better soon.

I do not have Nuflor, and I am not sure if my local feed store does, I do not recognize teh name.
I will try the boimyacin. she can still stand, but still refuses to eat at all. I have never tubed an animal and I hope I don't have to on something so tiny!
thx,
Jean

Gave 1/2 cc biomyacin IM. 3pm

It has been 28 hours since she ate at all. She is one week and very small.

You can rehydrate her by getting lactated ringers from a vet. Most will give it to you when you tell them what you need. Inject 50CC's under her skin. If shes really tiny you may have to do 2 injections. I saved a day old baby doeling this way. Also give her 1 400IU vitamin E capsule squirted into her mouth. This will help with white muscle disease. If you have to find a vet to tube her as she needs food NOW.

I say tube her also. It's not as bad as it seems. Just stay on the left and you will see the tube move down her neck if it's going the right way. I usually put the end of the tube in a cup of water to see if bubbles come out so I know it's definitely not in the lungs.
You will be amazed at how fast they bounce back after a tubing.
Also, if she seems like she is straining to poo, I used to cut a baby glycerin suppository (sorry if that is spelled wrong) in quarters and slip it in their bum. Works great.

she pooped more, it is a bit hard, clay like. Why, how can I soften it. Is that her problem to begin with, or because she is dehydrated? geeze, goats are frustrating. I will call a friend to consult about tubing. I just hate this. She was so fine and bouncy yesterday am.

Her poop will be very hard if shes dehydrated since there's no moisture to loosen it. Can you get her to take milk if you syringe it in her mouth? Our baby got so cold and dehydrated she lost her sucking reflex. Between the lactated ringers and the vit E she got it back. We also had to warm her and the ringers before the injections. Babies go down hill very quickly especially if they are not eating. Good luck with your baby.

I'm wondering if she doesn't need an enema?????? It wouldn't hurt and I would sure try it.

Make sure she's plenty warm too.

Friend came over and showed me how to tube. She pooped before he got here, and was soft, wonder if that was because of the nutra-drench. We gave her almost 4 ounces of milk from the dam (she would usually take 4 to 6) and she has already perked up. :) Hope she will take the bottle so I don't have to tube her later!
THANK YOU all that responded!!!!
Jean.

I am glad to hear she is doing better. Tubing is not hard, although it is scary each time I do it. This is something everyone needs to learn. Ususally when a baby need it done its too late to learn. You need to now beforehand.

I tubed her again at midnight and then at 4am, very frustrating. I wish I could do more to make her better sooner. I will keep up with the biomyacin. :(

How long might I have to keep tubing her?

Until she takes her milk from either a bottle or a bowl. When she gets stronger you might delay a tubing so she gets hungry, this might encourage her to take it on her own.

She is still so pitiful. I thought better last night, but now I don't think so... :(


She is really grinding her teeth now. I am afraid she is worse. :(

is she still peeing and pooping regularly? She may still be dehydrated. You can tube pedilyte into her to give electrolytes. Don't give milk for 2 hours after giving the electrolytes as it won't curdle in the stomach. It need to curdle to be absorbed.

not an expert at all like alot on here, so just sending ((((HUGS))) and reading along to learn. I hope she does well for you soon

I might also stop the biomycin. It will kill the bacteria in her stomach. Give probios or yogurt to replenish the bacteria. It does not sound like she has cocci as she would be presenting with a lot of diarrhea. 103 is a normal goat temp.

Soe still pees and it is more pale now like it should be. Her poo is softer, I think ok.
I thiught normal goat temp was 100/101? Feel like such a dork not being able to fix her. I hate that vets are just not affordable. I hate that she is grinding her teeth now. I am sure she is hurting, and I wish I could make it better, but don't know how. I only gave her the one shot of Boimyacin yesterday. (Isn't it once a day for 3 to 5 days?)
So sad.

Normal goat temp is 102.5-104. 100 would be a little too low.

she is giving up, i am not going to torture her anymore. we are just waiting now. dd holding her.

I'm sorry. I know you did all you could. Hugs to you and your daughter in this time of need.

im sorry, i hope the next one works out allright

HUGS to you Jean & your DD. I wish she could pull through but sometimes the best thing we can do is to know when they've had enough I guess.
Does she seem at all better? Thinking maybe when you thought she might not make it that she'd surprise everyone.

Sorry JBlaze.
Did she get mom's colostrums?
Paul

I am so very sorry. We had a lamb like that one year, he was the runt out of triplets. He also died around 1 wk old. {{Hugs}}

I'm so sorry!

I am so sorry.

UPDATE: 5am I had not expected her to live through the night, but seh seems better this am. But still won't take the bottle. I have to go to work. How completely frustrating. Please pray that DH can get her to eat or tube her later. She still is grinding her teeth. I don't know what to do!!!

!!!Felicidades!!!!

Sending prayers her way. I had one little doe who was acting similarly the first year I was in goats. I quickly took a picture, because I was very worried she wouldn't make it. Today, she is almost 8 years old, weighing in at over 250 pounds - very tall, long and chubby. I spoon fed her plain yogurt with active cultures, gave her a little baking soda and persisted with the bottle. I also noticed she would drink water and nibble grass at just a few days old. Good luck with your little one.

I hope she pulls through for you, I had one kid that ground his teeth and wouldn't eat much. His poops were quite firm, I gave him a warm water enema and he stopped the grinding.
Probably not the same problem as you, Just thought I would throw it out there.
Sending hope that she pulls through.