LA200 IM/SQ? & doe won't nurse new adoption

TerriA · #1 04/20/06, 03:53 PM

I am sorry this is 2 topics in one..but that is my situation! LOL!

I have a second freshner who gave birth to a doeling a week ago. Yesterday she started having a bloody/mucus discharge and didn't eat as much hay as she usually does. She is acting ok otherwise. I called the vet (new to goats here!) and he had me pick up the meds.

I was told to give her the 2 shots of LA200 IM in the neck area. I went out to give them while she was eating a bit of oats. She is used to being clipped to the hay feeder/grain holder while I am milking so having her get settled wasn't the problem.. I was!! I tried to find the right site to give her the shot. I hit a bone and pulled out fast.. she just about went nuts of course and after that I didn't have the heart to try again. I was told the shots would be very painful so I do want to do it right.. and reading Fia's goat site am confused now anyway. The site claims I can give the shot SQ. Anyone with experience in giving LA200??? Also that site claimed that the whole bloody mucus stuff starting a week after freshning is NORMAL... ???

The other part of my question is about a 3 week old doeling (smaller than my 1 week old) that was dropped off here yesterday by my friend. My doe is refusing to nurse her -really beats her up regardless of how persistent the doeling is. I had milked out some milk the last couple of days so I have some to give her by bottle but the doeling is on the wild side and when I was able to catch her, just chewed on the nipple. I am using one of those black nipples that are just a bit smaller than my doe's nipples since apparently her dam had smaller nipples.

My original plan was to let my doeling nurse a couple of weeks full time then put her in the adjoining pen (covered with chicken wire/wood inside a barn) at night to milk the doe in the morning. Let the doeling back in with the doe all day and repeat. I'd hoped to just be able to do the same with the additional doeling but since the doe won't nurse her???? What should I do?

Thank you!!

Terri (first time goat granny)

Teacupliz · #2 04/20/06, 04:00 PM

I would bottle feed the baby-- the big goat could kill her.

As for the dicharge that is NORMAL.
LA200 stings like a bugger.. I am not sure why you are giving it?? I give all shots in the back hip area. SQ. I give nothing int he neck.
Liz

homebirtha · #3 04/20/06, 04:01 PM

Yes, the discharge is comletely normal. It can go on for severals weeks. If her temp is normal and there is no foul smell to the discharge, I would certainly not be jumping into antibiotics, and I would think about finding a new vet too. Just about every shot can be given to goat SQ. I have never given antibiotics to a goat IM, always SQ, always. Again, not a smart vet who doesn't know that.

On the doeling, I'm not surprised that the doe wouldn't take her. She kidded a week ago, she's not going to buy a magically appearing doeling as her own. lol. I would suggest catching the baby and putting her in a pen for a few days. Give her a bottle three times a day. Once she's hungry enough, she'll take it, and in a few days, you'll be her mama and she won't be so wild.

TerriA · #4 04/20/06, 04:10 PM

The vet actually RAISES saanens.. that is why I trusted his judgement.. though he raises them for pack goats and not dairy...

I guess I will not give the doe any shots at this time (except the CDT- SQ!) and just watch out for any other problems she may have other than the one day off feed a bit. I would have thought she'd have been stressed by the new doeling but she stopped eating her hay before I even brought the new one to her....

As far as the new doeling goes.. how much should I feed her? My friend told me to give her a full pop bottle 4x a day.. she is SO small.. really!! She is used to running around a herd of 3 does and 3 other babies and was one that tried to nurse off of all of them... bet this is the first time she was butted down and nipped in her tail section for trying! I haven't weighed her but I can easily pick her up with one hand (and I am the weakling... <G>). I can't imagine her being ABLE to drink a full bottle... should I just let her drink as much as she can out of a bottle 4x a day then? Will she bond ok to the other 2 goats after being penned up away from them? The doe and this doeling both do a lot of bawling when she is in the adjoining pen... which I found really strange since the doe doesn't seem to want her around anyway.

THANK YOU!
Terri

Teacupliz · #5 04/20/06, 06:15 PM

Terri-
I meant to tell you too to give the off doe 3cc SQ of B-complex to help her want to eat agian. Youc an give this at least twice a day. I would give baking soda and probios too.

How old is the doe kid- I feed about 2- 20oz bottle a day at about 3 wks. but you need to build that up slowly so she will nto get the runs.

TerriA · #6 04/20/06, 07:11 PM

I separated the new doeling into the adjacent pen. She managed to get 3 oz of milk down her before she got too restless to continue. Both she and Ellie (the doe) were bawling their heads off when I came up from doing chores.. the pen is lined with grass hay and I put a medium dog carrier in there so she can get into a "cave" of sorts so she can stay warm..

Am considering putting the one week old in with the new doeling at night sooner than expected, too... would keep each other warm and I can just let her back in with mom after milking her... then bottle feed the 3 wk old.

I have a "frozen shoulder" from a fall in January so almost any movement on my left side is painful... am gimping around but really didn't expect this much trouble <G>

The doe was eating her hay just fine this afternoon.. must have just been an "off day" for her yesterday.. maybe due to the discharge beginning? I'll get some probios and vit B12 next time I am in town. Good to have on hand in any case... thanks for the tip!!!

Terri

homebirtha · #7 04/20/06, 09:50 PM

Our kids get a 20-oz. bottle, 3 times a day at the age, but 4 times would be ok too. BUT (big but), ours are bottlefed from Day 1. If she was dam-raised before you got her, you definitely want to work up to that amount slowly, as she is used to eating small amounts all day long, rather than 20 oz. in one feeding. Honestly, I'm not sure what to tell you about how to get her used to that. I guess I would just slowly.