third of triplets..possibly blind

Tamar · #1 07/20/06, 10:24 PM

Hi all,

We welcomed Abby today, she is a most beautiful little goat. She was born third in a set of triplets..I am told she came backwards as well.

Abby is very weak, can stand only a short time, but seems hungry. She has urinated four times since 3 this afternoon, but no bowel movements. We were told she "had" been constipated. Is it okay to feed her on demand?

She seems to grind her jaw, her chin is always wet. I am not sure what to do for her fleas...she is coated with them. She loves to snuggle, both eyes are clouded over, so we are not sure if she can see or not. She is only 5 days old and very tiny, very wobbly. We want the best for her, when does she need worming? Should she get any antibiotics? She did get colestrum. What vitamins?

I fed her at 6 and she took three ounces...its 10:25 and she is trying to find somewhere on my face to nurse, she also grabs hungrily on my fingers. How many ounces do they need per day?

I will post pictures of her soon.

Thanks for any advice,
blessings,
Tamar

Idahoe · #2 07/20/06, 11:40 PM

Whoa your hand are full! First the clouded eyes might be pinkeye, which has a specific treatment that works, so she may not be blind. Probably hard to tell with her lack of mobility. A picture or two would really help.

I am very new to goats, but am an RN and can confidently say if a goat or a person, no matter how banged up or weak they are, acts hungry and seeks food, that is a good sign. Hopefully, she had a rough start is all and she'll respond to medical attention and your care.

I hope you get the advice you need soon!

rranch · #3 07/20/06, 11:54 PM

fleas? are you sure? I would be more apt to say lice, but if it is fleas be careful of anemia. check the gums for white or pink. Either way wash them off. what type of goat? this determines feed amounts.

AllWolf · #4 07/21/06, 02:20 AM

Goats can get fleas, lice and few other things. You need to get permectrin or Synergized Delice. Anything for lice will kill fleas to. Only a small amount of the dust not much of it. You can get that from PBS Animal Health

For the babies eyes you could see if you could get gentamicin ointment from the vet.

If the baby goat is constipated constipation in babies that age is sometimes from coccidios or it could be due to all kinds of things or to it may just not be eating enough to need to go. If its actually constipated though you will need to do an enema. What to use to get the baby unconstipated is the type they sale in stores for human kids or mineral oil works fine to.

Good Luck on your baby goat.. Hope it gets doing better soon.

Tamar · #5 07/21/06, 07:23 PM

Hi there..

Okay, the vet said because she is the third of triplets, entering the world breech, that there is a possibility that her insides are not quite normal. He said the only thing he suggests is some vegetable oil (enema)

Four hour later...whohooooooooo one inch of solid packed stool. We are going to give her some more oil...she is eating 6 ounces every 6 hours right now. On Monday if all goes well we are going to take her to a vet in another town and have him check her eyes. If you would imagine trying to see golden eyes through blue and white thick clouds...thats what her eyes are doing now. She still is very weak can only stand about five to ten minutes at at a time. She urinates regularly. We are praying she pulls through.

She has confirmed fleas..and is getting treated for them too. Poor little gal is so beautiful, and she tries nurse on my nose and ears when I snuggle her. She loves being snuggled and makes small little faint bleating sounds.

Thanks for your help...I will keep posting her progress

Blessings,
Tamar

oberhaslikid · #6 07/21/06, 08:11 PM

I had a friend that bought a goat fromthe sale that had tripletts. One of the kids hade the catarac looking eye and it grew out of it,By 4 weeks the eye cleared up .Was born with it that way.

trob1 · #7 07/21/06, 08:29 PM

Tamar, It sounds like that is one lucky goat to have found you. I think she is in great hands. I look forward to hearing how she does under your loving care.

TexCountryWoman · #8 07/21/06, 10:42 PM

Hi Tamar, sounds like you are doing a great jpb!

We had a little Lamancha doeling that was third in a set of triplets and weighed only 3 lbs....the other two wieghed about 7 and 8 lbs each.

The little one was very weak and sicly at first. I fed her every 2 hours in the beginning just to keep her alive. Go by your gut instincts on your baby....keep her hydrated. If she is frequently urinating, that is a terrific sign. Now that she is poopin, wonderful. Goats love snuggling and you are mom. They thrive on love and it actually helps them grow and heal. They may have 'failure to thrive" with not enough attention. However, if there are small children in the household, the little goat does need it's rest.

Put your hand to the little goats chest a few times a day and feel for sounds of chest congestion or rattling. Bottle bay goats are prone to pneumonia because they often inhale milk into their lungs..be on the lookout. Use of a "Prichard Nipple" helps....it is the red and yellow nipple sold in most feedstores.

We kept our little weak goat in the house for a month before we moved her outsdie...she was practically potty trained.....we took her out to play several times a day..and she really was a hoot! She is now 4 months old, went from 3 lbs to 45 lbs and lives with the big goats. It still truly amazes us that she survived at all.

Tamar · #9 07/22/06, 11:54 PM

Hi all,

Thanks for the encouragement and support, means alot! Abby is making full usage of her bodily functions lol. She is very regular and has no trouble with either function. She was hungrier today, taking 8 ounces at two of her feedings. You are right about love. She loves to snuggle and because as yet she is not seeing, she depends more on me. Today she took a few steps towards me several times, and is spending more time standing. She is going to get some vitamin mix..it has b and more plus minerals. And I am waiting for the vet to open up Monday AM to get those eyes taken care of. She seems to have larger lower teeth that are crooked and she grinds her jaws alot...always has a wet chin with drool. When is she supposed to nibble at grass? We are so thankful she is gaining strength and though I promised myself not to get attached as she was so weak and frail...I failed and am hopelessly in love with her now

I have a question.... I called the kind folks who gave her to us, they said she is cross nubian and dorper. I told her about Abby coming here with fleas...she said to wash her using pinesol...a capful in a sink of water. That sounds strange to me...I won't do that to her..but wondered if ya'll heard anything of the likes. Time for a feeding...
will keep you updated,

blessings,
Tamar

Faithful Heart · #10 07/23/06, 06:07 AM

I learned from an animal shelter I worked at that DAWN dishsoap works best on fleas. It's gotta be Dawn though, not something else. We used it on all the littlest ones that were too weak to withstand a flea killing chemical.

trob1 · #11 07/23/06, 09:22 AM

((I have a question.... I called the kind folks who gave her to us, they said she is cross nubian and dorper. I told her about Abby coming here with fleas...she said to wash her using pinesol...a capful in a sink of water. That sounds strange to me...I won't do that to her..but wondered if ya'll heard anything of the likes. Time for a feeding...
will keep you updated,))

Wow a Dorper is a sheep and a Nubian is a goat! Am I right, if so that is her problem. Goat crossed with Sheep is not a good thing (I am not saying she isnt good) from everything I have read very few crosses like that survive. It goes against nature. Yes they will breed if in close quarters but they are not meant to. I wish you the best for this little girl but if I were you I would be reading up all I can on this kind of cross so you can do what is best for her.

Tamar · #12 07/23/06, 10:42 AM

Oy vey!

I really shouldn't post while over tired! Dorper?????

Trying it again...she is cross Nubian and Alpine! no dorper blood in her!

I forgot to mention, I am using that lil read and yellow nipple, she seems to like it

I am concerned as her strength is not increasing along with her appetite. She is taking 6-8 ounces every feed...(4 times a day) but she only stands long enough to eat, to do her "business" and then not to gracefully she lands on the grass. A few times after much struggle she can stand up, but again, she doesn't stand long.

The area we live in, is low in selenium. Would she maybe need a shot of bose?
How long a shelf life does bose and vitamin b complex last? I have some of each from December in little sealed jars.

I have more vitamin b coming tonight..but wondered more about the bose.

She still has a few fleas left...they are the larger almost red ones and wow they move fast when you try to grab them! Heading out to "wally" world (walmart) to get some dawn.

Sorry for any confusion regarding her "mix" btw

Blessings to all,
Tamar

trob1 · #13 07/23/06, 12:04 PM

Whew, Glad to hear not crossed with Dorper! I would get the BOSe in her as soon as you can. I dont know about how long it last maybe someone else will. You need to make sure you give her vit E when you do the BOSE.

TexCountryWoman · #14 07/23/06, 10:26 PM

Glad it's not a sheep cross either, that would have explained alot though, LOL!

She soonds like she needs the BOSE, but I don't know the shelf life. Perhaps her strength will improve with the BOSE and exercise....have the vet look at her mouth. Her good appetite is a plus. Keep us posted.

goatkid · #15 07/24/06, 01:29 AM

If you just got the BoSe in December, it should still be good. We keep our bottles for a few years.

livestockmom · #16 07/24/06, 01:56 AM

Your doing a terrifc job! What a lucky little one...

Yep, I would do all the things mentioned already...Pritchard teats are great, arent they?

Be sure to leave the Dawn soap on for a few minutes all sudsy, it suffocates the lice or fleas then blow dry her so she doesnt drop her temp.
BOSE will help her to her feet if you are in a defficient area, we give at birth to all.
Ask vet about adding 10 days of Sulmet for Cocci Prevention or maybe run a fecal when she is out of the woods?
You can feel inside her mouth for coldness or take a rectal and make sure she keeps her temp up...this is always my concern because it is hard to get a temp back up when they go down.
Is she still grinding her teeth? Is her chin still wet?
Really pulling for you...special prayers tonight

PS She isn't stiff in her joints, is she? Did she have her cord dipped in iodine when born?

Tamar · #17 07/25/06, 12:40 AM

Hello all,

To update on Abby, she is still eating wonderfully, she is also regular in her bowel and bladder, which is very comforting. Today I was able to obtain the gentamyicin eye ointment..the vet said he believed it would clear her eyes so she could see again. I sure pray so! I do notice that at night, it looks like she is trying real hard to look at me, while in the day the brightness makes her squint and her eyes water alot. She turns her head and gets up when I come near her...but she still cannot stand for very long. Today, she actually walked a little, but it was backwards!

The dawn soap did wonders! I couldn't find a flea on her this afternoon! Whohooo!

She is like a newborn baby in that she loves being cuddled, and will snuggle her lil face into mine and nuzzle on the tip of my nose. She is so precious! Yes she still grinds her jaw, and still drools too. Not sure how to stop that. Today I took some grass and ripped it small and let her nibble on it, she seemed to enjoy that. I am not sure what age they begin nibbling at food. I have to go to a vet in another town as the local one ran out of bose, I only had enough for two days. She is taking a vitamin b complex twice daily, they told me to give her 1/2 CC two times a day. When she is out of the woods...I will test a fecal, right now I really really want to see her get strength in those legs and walk some! I am massaging her legs as we did for a lamb that had white muscle to help strength the legs too.

Thanks to each of you for your support and advice, I am so thankful for this forum!

I am trying to post pics of her with my four yr old daughter Rachael.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...uly2006005.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3...uly2006001.jpg

Blessings to all, will keep posting her progress as I have faith she will pull through this!

Tamar

trob1 · #18 07/25/06, 06:40 AM

Oh she is beautiful! Actually they both are! Her eyes do look like pinkeye. I wonder if her mother had clamidia and passed it to her eyes at birth. I sure hope the meds work on the eyes. Her jaw looks good and straight not croked. I am not sure why she drools. You are doing such a great job with her she is going to be one rotten goat. Not that she will know she is a goat. LOL

Tamar · #19 07/25/06, 12:55 PM

Hi, back again

Okay the vet gave me a new bottle of BoSe..but I am confused. When we went to him for a lamb, he told us 1/3 cc per day for a week, then wait a week and repeat if necessary.
Today he told me 1/3 cc for the goat once a week! I asked him why only once a week for the goat when it was daily for the lamb, he said no, goats and lambs once a week. What dosages have you used? Abby took another 4 steps backwards today, and she is actually calling out now when she hears me call her. Still waiting for her to stay up on all fours and walk some! What should she be doing at 9 days of age? I thought at this age they were skipping and running already. I can picture her in my mind, just longing to see it in the natural!

Blessings to all,
Tamar

AllWolf · #20 07/25/06, 04:29 PM

Congrats on your baby goat doing better. Your doing a great job and working with her that is the way to do it.. I seen the photo of her she is a pretty gal.. I believe deep down her eyes will clear up soon and she will be walking toward you maybe by the end of the week. Just hang in there and keep working with her because if she is walking backwards now she should start walking forwards soon..

I keep praying for you and her.. Don't give up she will stand up on all fours soon and stay that way..

:-)