[thaiblue12]

I have a 6 week old buckling and his brother that I had to pull from their mom. She got a teat injury probably from the shared fence where my neighbor has barb wire. Anyway I taped it up and they got it off nursed from it and had horrible runs. I pulled them and have been bottle feeding ever since. They are done well.
This boy he sucks so hard he collapses the nipple and has to let go alot and gets milk all over. Last night I went to bottle feed them and he was doing it again but this time he started shaking his head and panting/breathing hard. He wants to eat but after a few sucks he does the head shaking, sounds like he is trying to clear his nose and has been panting non-stop.
Any ideas on what is going on and what I should do for him?
Thanks

 

[thaiblue12]

Oh forgot to add his temp is 103.7, he is in my mud room and not outside right now. He has drank milk but only 6 oz before he starts snorting and shaking his head. He is still panting.

 

[BackfourtyMI.]

Does he sound like he's congested? The way you described him it kinda sounded like it to me. I really don't know what it could be unless he just sucks so hard he tuckers himself right out? I hope someone else with this type experience will jump in here with advice for you. How is he doing today? Still acting the same?

 

[sadie6447]

Are you using human baby nipples or sheep nipples?

 

[thaiblue12]

He is not panting anymore but he is breathing twice as fast as normal. I do not want to say it is labored but it is not normal. I don't hear congestion but cannot say for a fact, when I listen to his chest all I hear is rapid breathing. Sounds a tiny bit snotty when I listen near his nose but nothing severe.

I am using human nipples with a large X cut into them. He is a Nigie and those big nipples just do not work. He did drink much better today.

 

[sadie6447]

I use the same nipples. I cut the top open more. Sometimes I notice the nipple collapses and it seems like it takes extra effort to get the milk. I tip the bottle over and there is a stream of milk comming out so I know milk comes out right. I think it is because it is not getting enough air return back into the bottle. So I throw those nipples away and try another one.

 

[cjb]

Maybe he's pregnant.

 

[hoofinitnorth]

Hmm, can you get him to a vet to listen to his chest or have an xray done? It almost sounds as if he has fluid in his lungs and may be having trouble getting enough air?? Has he been vaccinated or treated for pasteurella? Has he been treated for lungworm (lungworm usually presents with coughing, especially when stressed/exercising, though)?

 

[thaiblue12]

Hmm CJB my kidding total is 15 doelings and 9 bucklings this year, what was yours again? :lookout: You can't seem to get pregnancy off your mind, lol!

Hoofinit he has had no stress to cause pasteurella and he does not cough nor do we have any snails around for the lungworm. He is vaccinated for CD&T and right now I cannot take him into the vet. I have a $451 emergency c-section bill still to pay, would like to avoid adding to it if I can. She had to get a baby severely stuck on a Sunday, not a Monday or any day other day of the week.

He is breathing rapidly no matter what is going on. He is still running, crying for milk, playing with his brother but breathing twice as fast. After nursing he shakes his head and snorts/sneezes for a few mins.

 

[BackfourtyMI.]

Is he maybe drinking too fast or not fast enough & some of the milk getting in his lungs?
I don't know, I'm just trying to help you figure it out. He does sound like a normal kid the rest of the time though.

 

[thaiblue12]

If milk gets into the lungs can it lead to other illness? Like pnuemonia?
I do not mind ideas being thrown at me, I have no clue what this is and I appreciate any ideas.
Of course he has to get some weird thing that has no other symptoms so it harder to figure this out.

 

[BackfourtyMI.]

I always thought that if they got fluid in there lungs, ex:like if drenching a goat & the liquid got in the lung, that it could cause Pnuemonia but I don't really know. You said he seems to be acting normal. I guess I would just keep a real close eye on him. Maybe someone else will have a better idea of what's going on with him.

 

[fishhead]

Would he drink milk from a bowl?

 

[goatkid]

If this were my goat, I'd give Nuflor daily for 3 days. I dose at 3cc/100#. A baby gets 1/2 - 1 cc. Switch to feeding him with a pritchard nipple or a lamb/goat nipple on a pop bottle. You should be able to find one at a feed store.

 

[greenacres]

It sounds to me like he is aspirating.

 

[thaiblue12]

Well I tried a bowl and it was a disaster, more got on my pants leg and the floor than in his mouth. I had one baby who did not like a bottle and loved a bowl but she never bopped it to get it started. Nor did she smal her face into the bowl.
His mouth is too tiny for a pritchard. He can't really get his mouth around it and suck well.
I will pick up some Nuflor at the vet and give it to him, I am worrying that he will end up with pnuemonia.

 

[moonspinner]

A respiratory infection maybe? His elevated temp could indicate that. I had a kid a couple years back, one of trips who did that same thing from birth - rapid breathing/panting, even though otherwise she acted fine. I personally think she was just a bit underdeveloped and it took about a month for the symptom to abate.

 

[hoofinitnorth]

Yes, I was thinking aspiration pneumonia.

Have you checked for a cleft palate?