Failure to thrive, plus bo-se banamine ?

[lasergrl]

I had triplet nigerian dwarves born one week ago today. Two males and a female. The female was fine right off the bat, male number one was standing and dry, and male two was weak from the begining. I had to bring male 2 in the house and warm him up. He never ate from mom. He was touch and go but is thriving now. Female was with mom 3 days untill mom abandoned her. Girl is doing GREAT. My problem is male one.
He was fine until the next day I found him flat out. I brought him in the house, warm bath untill his temp registered. Once he was warmer he started having a seizure (low blood sugar?) He perked up the next day and took some from a bottle. He couldnt maintain his temp and had trouble standing. Of course stopped eating. Tube feeding since 2 days of age. I also am giving some b vits and sub q fluids. Last couple days seems to have upset stomach so probably why not eating. Temp is staying good just a poor doer. Today his stomach looked bloated so I tubed him trying to get air out. He had no air, it was all clear fluid. He hadnt been tubed his cows milk for 4 hours so should have been through (he is only getting 1 1/2 oz at a time). Descided to start on electrolytes instead of milk to clear his system. This seems to be helping with what looks like a belly ache. He actually mouthed the bottle and has a mild suck reflex by tonight. He had baking soda and probios with no difference many times this week. He had scours the first couple days but that is pretty well resolved. I gave him some metoclopramide today grasping at straws. may have helped a little. He got oral selenium gel twice.
Tomorrow I am getting the BO-SE finally and banamine. I have read banamine can help his gut feel better.
My question is, what more could I be doing?
The Bo-se, can I give him the injectable even though he had oral? He has had weak legs since birth.
How much banamine and bo-se should a 2 1/2 pound kid get?

Thanks in advance.

[CaliannG]

Ummm, yikes! Maybe someone else can help on the selenium. I don't know if I would give Bo-Se after I have given Sel./Vit. E gel.....

Now, on the bloat/tummy ache....vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon, tube it down him. Massage his little tummy hard...not hard enough to crack ribs, but pretty hard until he fully burps.

Keep him warm the entire time....have him sleep on a heating pad if necessary.

[Laverne]

All I know from all the reading I've done is nothing but milk, no electrolytes, oil, nothing but milk for a baby like that. I'd do a search at DairyGoatInfo. Make sure he can move off the heating pad as he could overheat. If he is too weak to move off the heating pad, really watch him. Take temperature often. Keep it at 102- 103.

[lasergrl]

He is keeping his temp up so no need for heating pad anymore. The electrolytes is a last ditch thing, it is the treatment for floppy kid syndrome on many goat producers websites. It does seem to be helping some.

[LomahAcres]

Banamine can be dosed at .1 - .2 ML for newborns. If he is having trouble keeping his temp up, this may bring it down, but it will calm inflammation in the gut.

- Electrolytes is not the treatment for FKS, it just stabilizes the kid until things can get back to normal. Also, some have recommenced pedialyte (like for human kids) over electrolytes for FKS, and pepto to help calm/coat the stomach. A pinch of baking soda in the milk when he's back on it, shouldn't need to be off milk more then a day, it is the best thing for him but sometimes they can't take it.

You might find something useful here:

http://www.goatworld.com/articles/fks/fksrw.shtml

http://dairygoatinfo.com/index.php?P...v3&topic=615.0

[lasergrl]

Thanks.

The elecrolytes are unflavored pedialyte. I will try him back on the milk later today. He has had 3 feedings of the pedialyte. He seems more comfortable. Hopefully the banamine will give him more pep.
He salivates a ton when I try and force the bottle in his mouth. He acts like when you newly pull a kid from their dam and offer them a bottle, like the bottle is crazy. He did take it before so I know he isnt a complete lost cause.

Any ideas why his stomach is doughy and filled with fluid? His empty stomach feels like the other kids after they eat a bottle. At first I thought it was ascites but its in the actual stomach not just the peritoneal space.

[Cannon_Farms]

its best with kids to give subq fluids from an IV bag, you can get them from Hoeggers or a vet that is nice.
Its in my experience that if they have this much trouble in the start of life its going to always be a constant fight. Ill go so far trying to save one then Ill let nature takes its course.
When all else fails might try to contact Vicky off dairy goat info, shes got more experience than all of us put together for the most part.

[LomahAcres]

Originally Posted by lasergrl

Any ideas why his stomach is doughy and filled with fluid? His empty stomach feels like the other kids after they eat a bottle. At first I thought it was ascites but its in the actual stomach not just the peritoneal space.

In some cases of FKS kids bellys are sloshy, they are not digesting the milk, it's just sitting there. That's why entro is a worry. I had a kid with this a few weeks ago. I gave her a bo-se shot and vit B right off the bat. Banamine for 2 days, with pepto or milk of magnesium every other feeding, and penicillin for a week. She was on electrolytes for a day, then milk and baking soda, with probios every other feeding. She ran a fever though, wasn't cold.