# Wobbly, floppy kids



## dhansen (Feb 23, 2011)

I am so very sad.  My 2 day old kids (Nigerian Dwarf) are super floppy today.  They walk to the edge of the stall and rest their heads on the fencing.  They walk with their heads down and sometimes can't walk at all.  I have milked their mom and fed it back to them...kind of.  One sucks a little while the other just has it dribbled in her mouth.  Yes, I gave the mom Selelnium/Vit E before kidding.  I do not have access to Bose and I don't know what else to do.  Any  ideas?


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Feb 23, 2011)

I don't have any personal experience with it, but you might google FKS (floppy kid syndrome).  Baking soda is the treatment and it needs to be FAST.  I hope others with more experience can help!


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## ksalvagno (Feb 23, 2011)

How were they when they were born?

There may be a chance that you need to get Selenium in them. It is too bad you don't have access to BoSe. That would be the fastest way to get it into them.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 23, 2011)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 
Corn syrup thinned with a little regular coffee(not decaf.) 15 to 20cc or as much as you can get in them.

check in 1 hour to see if notice an improvement, and if they will try to nurse on mom, if not, repeat.  



Do you have access to nutri-drench or something like that?


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## poorboys (Feb 23, 2011)

Sorry to hear this, I had two born monday night, the little girl is doing real good but the boy is a preemie I would say, and he got weak, I brought him in and gave him another dose of bose, gave eletrolites, but he is nursing, just having trouble with his temp. I guess you need to keep an eye on their temps, keep them warm as possible and I also do the coffee drench, and baking soda. My little boy is starting to come around. His sister Is out in the kid pen playing.!! I keep putting towels in the dryer and wrapping him up, milking out his mom and making sure he's getting her milk. wish you had bo-se, do you have any vit b complex??


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## helmstead (Feb 23, 2011)

It's white muscle disease, I almost promise.  They need BoSe, one way or another...and the oral application is not likely going to be fast enough (oral selenium/e is not worth the trouble with goats).

Good luck.


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## Our7Wonders (Feb 23, 2011)

I think any vet could write a script for you for BoSe.  Even if it wasn't on their shelf with the presciption it could be overnighted from any of the farm supply companies online.  I would try calling around to all the local vets and see if ANYONE has it stocked - if not find out if anyone of them (even a small animal vet) would be willing to write you the Rx.

Hope they pull through for you.


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## dhansen (Feb 23, 2011)

I looked up Floppy Kid Syndrome and it sounded like exactly what was happening.  Both goats got a their first dose  of  pennicilin, probios,  and electrolytes about 2 hours ago.  They are both up and trying to nurse.  I will be keeping a close eye on them and will keep you all informed.  I am going to call a vet in the morning and see about getting a prescription for Bose...hoping they don't make me bring a goat in to get one....  thank you all!


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## Livinwright Farm (Feb 23, 2011)

dhansen said:
			
		

> I looked up Floppy Kid Syndrome and it sounded like exactly what was happening.  Both goats got a their first dose  of  pennicilin, probios,  and electrolytes about 2 hours ago.  They are both up and trying to nurse.  I will be keeping a close eye on them and will keep you all informed.  I am going to call a vet in the morning and see about getting a prescription for Bose...hoping they don't make me bring a goat in to get one....  thank you all!


From Raising Goats for Dummies:
_ "Floppy kid syndrome (FKS) is a disease in kids from 3 to 10 days old that causes sudden weakness and inability to move the legs. It was first documented in 1987, but its cause is still unknown.
FKS is more common later in a kidding season and can spread rapidly
through the kids. The kids seem normal at birth and then suddenly dontwant to nurse and have very weak muscles; they stumble like theyre slightly drunk and eventually become limp as a wet dishrag. If you pick up one of these kids and gently shake her, you can hear liquid sloshing in her belly.
Treat any kid that you think might have this problem by giving a half-teaspoon of baking soda in 4 ounces of water. You can give this by bottle, but if kids refuse or are very weak, give it by tube-feeding. If the kid gets better within two hours, you can conclude that it had FKS.
*Some kids get better and then relapse. Even if a kid responds to the baking soda, remove her from her mother, make sure she is warm, and keep her hydrated by giving electrolytes in a bottle for a day or two before resuming milk feeding.
Some kids develop secondary enterotoxemia, which must be treated with
CDT antitoxin, or pneumonia, which requires antibiotics.*" _


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## helmstead (Feb 23, 2011)

If it is FKS...you HAVE to give baking soda.  FKS is basically kid acidosis.  And you really should remove them from their dam - no milk should go in until all symptoms are gone.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Feb 24, 2011)

If it were me I'd treat both for FKS and white muscle disease.  Kate's probably on to something.  I don't think there'd be any major risks involved in doing either considering the risks if you didn't.  Good to hear they were up and around, I hope they recover quickly for you!


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## helmstead (Feb 24, 2011)

I only say WMD because, before we started a regular schedule of BoSe in our herd, we had a BUNCH of weak kids like that.  Sure, you can give them a bunch of stuff that makes them feel a little better, and they 'seem' to be OK...but then you just have congenitally deficient kids that don't mature very well.

FWIW, I've NEVER seen FKS in kids that young.  I've seen it in week old bottle babies that suddenly 'get' the bottle and overeat...and I've seen it in 3 week old dam raised kids who gorge themselves...but not in kids THAT young on their dams.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 24, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> If it is FKS...you HAVE to give baking soda.  FKS is basically kid acidosis.  And you really should remove them from their dam - no milk should go in until all symptoms are gone.


I agree, and Penn. isn't going to help the acidosis, just through their stomach off worse in the long run.  

Bo-Se will help a lot, and I always do some baking soda just incase, never hurts.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Feb 24, 2011)

helmstead said:
			
		

> I only say WMD because, before we started a regular schedule of BoSe in our herd, we had a BUNCH of weak kids like that.  Sure, you can give them a bunch of stuff that makes them feel a little better, and they 'seem' to be OK...but then you just have congenitally deficient kids that don't mature very well.
> 
> FWIW, I've NEVER seen FKS in kids that young.  I've seen it in week old bottle babies that suddenly 'get' the bottle and overeat...and I've seen it in 3 week old dam raised kids who gorge themselves...but not in kids THAT young on their dams.


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## poorboys (Feb 24, 2011)

My boy is bouncing back, his was mostly temp, but I gave him that extra dose of bose, and did the coffee-baking soda, Today I have given him electrolites. his temp is normal. so yes to baking soda! and keeping them warm


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## lilhill (Feb 24, 2011)

Keep up the good work!  Glad to hear he's better.


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## poorboys (Feb 24, 2011)

Yeah mine got to sleep with me last night!!! Husband works nights so no-one was jealous


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Feb 24, 2011)

That's great!


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