Six weeks premature...and not doing well today

[Tango]

Not an expert, just a newbie with some experience with scouring and weak calves. On mother's milk I suppose she got colostrum? Is the scours watery? Barring the premature part which I have no experience with, I suggest using kaopectate (or Kaolin Pectin at feed store) to stop the scours. If it doesn't stop with kaopectate, it will stop with immodium liquid (don't use immodium if you think the scours is anything but a digestive upset, immodium will kill a calf with other types of scours). If she gets too weak to suck you will have to tube her. Don't wait to tube like I did. I was afraid to learn but there is a tube will a bulb on the end that makes it impossible to tube into her lungs. Dehydration is the number one cause of death in very young calves. Get electrolytes (probably more important than milk right now)in her and stop the scours. Good luck with Missy. I don;t know what her chances are but at least she has someone giving her individual attention.

[tyusclan]

Stop giving her milk, and try to get some gatorade in her to keep her hydrated. If you can find a feed store open today, get some scour tablets and get her started on them. It usually will stop it pretty quickly. If you can't do that try to get some Pepto-bismal or Kaopectate into her. Once you get the scours under control you can start back with milk, but be careful not to overfeed. You don't mention breed or size, and that's going to determine how much milk she will need and can tolerate once you start back.

[cowgirlracer]

Somebody on this board posted a "recipe" for what their vet called "jet fuel". It is something that you can make from ingredients you may already have on hand, and feed to this little gal, and she should perk up. I will look, but hopefully they will see this thread and post - gotta be faster than me searching. lol

[Tango]

That's my vet's recipe. I didn't post it thinking the electrolytes and scours needed immediate attention. For when the scours in under control here is the recipe
Jet Fuel: one can evaporated milk and one can water, one whole raw egg, one tablespoon honey. Its called Jet Fuel for a reason that will be obvious
Also add probiotics to all her feedings.
The kaopectate is 2-3 oz each time. The Immodium is according to weight. It comes with a dosing cup.

[canadianmandy]

Ty you all for all your help. She was given to us to late. We gave her gatorade. and some pepto. It looked like she was getting better. she was mooing and looking less like skin and bones. But she passed about an hour ago. I didnt see it coming I thought she was getting better. She was 6 weeks early. and 10 days old. The person we got her from said she got scours three days ago. I just got her this morning. She had bloody poop so their wasnt all that much hope. TY so much for the advice. Im sure it would have worked had we got her earlier.

~`*Mandie*`~

[canadianmandy]

one question Tango.. We also have a sick goat. she does not have scours. She was the last triplet born breech and blind. Well her eyes are improving. would that jet fuel work for her?? The goat was also given to us on deaths door. some how it always happens like that. Thanks again
mandie

[Tango]

So sorry she didn't make it I was given a weak calf a few months ago and it broke my heart that I couldn't save her. I wish they wouldn't have waited so long to offer her to me when they knew she wasn't getting better The evaporated cow milk might be hard on a goat, I've never given it to them. You can find canned goat milk as easily as evaporated cow milk and add honey and it should be fine. I give goats Red Cell with honey when they are weak.

[canadianmandy]

ok so we could mix the egg and such in the goat milk she is drinking??
We have her on goats milk from the lady who gave her to us (she runs a goat dairy)

She would have made it if she was treated sooner. Its just a sad part of life. that could be prevented.

Mandie

[cowgirlracer]

I am so sorry about your calf. It is such a shame. Please post how the "jet fuel" for goats works. I have wondered about that myself. BTW, if you run out of goats milk you can use whole cows milk that you buy at the grocery store.

Tango - thanks for posting the recipe again, I'm gonna write it down this time

Anne
Cowgirlracer

[Tango]

Originally Posted by canadianmandy

ok so we could mix the egg and such in the goat milk she is drinking??
We have her on goats milk from the lady who gave her to us (she runs a goat dairy)
Mandie

I dunno about the egg Mandie. I'm sorry. Jet Fuel is specifically for weak calves. I'd hate to say yay and have her get worse. Perhaps the goat forum can give you a specifically goat energy drink?

[Tamar]

Thank you all for your help, your love and advice

We really thought that Missy was improving, she started lifting her head on her own, bawling even...her heart beat was good and strong, but she was not breathing right. She would have times where she stopped breathing and we would encourage her, stroke and pat her sides...and she would start up again. She had no strength to draw in another breath and her lil heart stopped. Its a hard thing to watch tears streaming down your daughters face, knowing that if love could heal a sick animal, hers would all be in perfect health. Her dream since childhood is to rehabilate animals..part of this is knowing that many come extremely sick, brought too late...and some just don't make it at all.

Again, thanks for "being there". One day we hope to get a healthy calf and raise it, but for now we need to nurse a sick goat to health.

Blessings to all,
Tamar

[dcross]

<<She had bloody poop >>

I could be wrong, but I think that's a sign of e-coli infection, she would have needed antibiotics.

[canadianmandy]

We just got her that morning. <<<<We were going to give antibiotics but we didnt get a chance the vet was closed on sunday>>>>> We were focused on getting her rehydrated.