Belle Grinding Teeth???

[SherrieT]

A goat owner for approx 24 hours and I'm already going crazy.

Belle, the largest doe we got yesterday. I'm having a hard time getting her to suck on the bottle. Have only been able to get about 7 oz milk down her today. She has been drinking water from a bowl and I noticed that she seems to occasionally grind her teeth. I did a search and it said this was a sign of pain.

She had a good energy level, not making a lot of noise and is peeing and her pooh is nice brown berries.

She doesn't appear to be in any discomfort. Is there any other reason they might grind teeth, other than pain

Sherrie

[CountryHaven]

Hum, I hope others will chime in here. I've always heard that grinding teeth is a symptom of pain. 7 oz isn't much milk even if she is drinking water, she's very young and needs milk. I know you said in your other post she was active, alert, and very playful so I didn't think too much of it and just figured time and patience with a bottle would conquer all... but perhaps being a little more invasive and syringing (no needle) some milk into her would help. I know with my very, very young bottle babies this year I had to syringe feed them several feedings worth until they finally got the hang of the bottle. I'd try at each feeding to give them a bottle then in an effort to at least make sure they got the milk they needed, gave it to them by syringe. Finally they got to sucking.

For your girl, maybe don't wait anymore... get the milk in her.

[CountryHaven]

She could too be very nervous and anxious. It would seem she was not previously bottle fed--I really don't get that. If people are going to sell young kids at sales, or otherwise, before they're weaning age, why not blttle feed? It's so unfair to take them off mom and expect them to adapt in a new home easily. She may be grinding her teeth out of anxiety of missing mom, and being in a strange place... I'd still be a little more proactive with the milk in her case.

[white eagle]

Well only time I have goat grinding their teeth either in pain or ticked off at you for something.

If you have been trying to force feed the goat with a bottle it may not be likeing that. If it will drink water from a pan well maybe try putting some milk in the pan instead of trying to bottle feed but make sure none else can get the milk.

I ask in the other thread how old but you never answered. I believe it was you that I asked.

[thaiblue12]

My bottle baby is doing the same and when I asked the vet they said it was her chewing her cud. She does sound like she brings something up from her stomach and then does the teeth grinding for a bit and then stops.
Is my vet incorrect or it is from pain/stress?
It is a squeaky tooth grinding noise that makes me cringe.
I feel for you Sherrie. I too am going nuts. I got my girls full grown and have not had to deal with all this baby stress. She is adorable though and I do nto regret getting her I just wish I could be sure that I am doing everything right for her.
Good Luck with your 3 ( glad I only have one! )

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Try not to micromanage too much. I like to tell new folks and customers...do you think I would have noticed (whatever it is you are noticing) in a large group of 25 kids? If the answer is yes, than take it seriously, if I likely wouldn't have noticed than just watch.

Likely you have dam raised kids on your hands, just be patient, offer them noting but their bottles 3 or 4 times a day, at least 4 hours apart, make sure it is warm, their temp of 102 is higher than what you would offer a child, so take a temp of the milk at 102 at least once so you know just how warm it would be coming out of mom. No water, no hay, no nothing but their milk until they are readily taking it, then add hay and a water pail, that if they jumped into would fall over easily, you don't want them to drown.

Get a sulfa, it is hugly stressful to be sold as a kid, and you need to be treating for cocci and bacterial scoures/pnemonia like a sulfa will do for you. You need to worm them...not just because you don't know ages, but because of where these goats were. Vicki

[deetu]

I always add a little probiotic powder to the bottles before giving it (maybe 1/8 teaspoon) to help with the good bacteria.

Something someone once suggested was to put honey on your finger and allow them to suck it. Then put the honey on the nipple and they will take it easier. Don't know why but it always worked for me.

Also, check to make sure that the opening of the nipple isn't too small. I did that once also. The baby kept sucking and sucking until she exhusted herself. I felt sooo bad when I found that out. Once I made a larger hole, she did so much better.

And like Vicki said, worm them. Valbazen orally for babies. 1cc per 10 pounds. Before I bought it for myself, I called a cow barn and they sold me the small amount I needed for 30 cents a cc. My vet had only Corid for coccidia so I use that instead of sulfa but I believe you could get that from a cow farmer also. Know any cow farmers?

[SherrieT]

Thank you for all the answers. I believe Belle is more anxious than in pain.

She just sucked on the bottle !!!! 16 oz. I think she was trying to make up for lost time. Now just to get the middle girl to suck.

I'm not sure on the ages, just that I think Belle is a bit older due to the condition of her cord. Almost gone, just a little bit dried and hanging. Also because of her size.



Here is a pic of them when they were playing outside today. They are from R to L Baby, Bonnie and Belle

Bonnie is the one that is yet to suck on the bottle but after Belle getting the hang of it, I'm really optimistic.

Thank you all so much for holding my hand in the beginning of this journey!!!

Sherrie

Edited: As soon as they are all three taking the bottle (hopefully by tomorrow) we are going to do the cocci, worming and vacs.

[CountryHaven]

They are simply adorable. You're a good mommy.

[Janis Sauncy]

Seeing that picture, it looks as if the middle one's ears flop a little, which could indicate Nubian in there. I still say they are (including the little LaMancha) half Togg. Even if one has floppy ears like a Nubian and one has upright ears like a Togg doesn't mean they aren't full siblings. The last time my Nubian doe got bred to my Saanen buck (accidentally), she had twin bucklings, one with upright ears like daddy and one with floppy ears like mama, both boys white.

They do look happy and healthy, though. You must be doing good. (It's tough being a first time mama!)

Janis

[deetu]

Originally Posted by Janis Sauncy

Seeing that picture, it looks as if the middle one's ears flop a little, which could indicate Nubian in there. I still say they are (including the little LaMancha) half Togg. Even if one has floppy ears like a Nubian and one has upright ears like a Togg doesn't mean they aren't full siblings. The last time my Nubian doe got bred to my Saanen buck (accidentally), she had twin bucklings, one with upright ears like daddy and one with floppy ears like mama, both boys white.
Janis

Naa, I think the middle one's ears couldn't decide if it wanted to be Togg or LaMancha so it's a little of both.

Did you try the honey? I'm telling you, it works.

[SherrieT]

The only reason I don't think Belle is their litter mate is that she seems to be developmentally ahead of them. Not just size but her little horn buds are a bigger and she just seems more mature than the other two. Plus her cord is barely there and the other two still have long dry cord hanging down. Is it like that when one is so much bigger than the others????

I just don't know enough to tell, I just figured she was older.

The middle one, Bonnie (Richard calls her BonBon ) still doesn't have the sucking down but I'm expecting it anytime.