# Bottle Kids with increased respirations....what could be the problem?



## raykour (Apr 17, 2012)

2 male boer goats born Friday night. 
One weighs approx 7 lbs. the other weighs 5 lbs.  

Their mother didn't want to mother them.  She cleaned the first one (smaller one) but not the second and would not allow them to nurse.

According to the owners of the mother, they held her and allowed them to nurse about 4 hours after they were born and again early Saturday morning.  I brought them home (owners headed out of town and couldn't care for them) Saturday morning and started feeding them powdered colostrum supplement.  I fed that to them until Sunday morning when they started on goats milk (direct from my nannies) 

I noticed on Sunday night that the smaller goat has increased respirations....nearly 80 per minute! So I took his temperature and found it to be slightly elevated (104.2)  I gave him 1/2 cc of NUFLOR subcutaneously.  Since then I have monitored his temperature twice per day, and he has not had any more fever (he hovers right around 103) He eats well, pees and poops, has a good attitude and is playful.  Attempts to run around and play, nibbles at everything etc.

Why are his respirations so high? This is his resting breaths per minute, when he is lying down.  They have remained nearly exactly the same.  It just seems like an awful lot of work for that little fella to breathe that much.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 17, 2012)

May I ask why you only gave him one treatment of antibiotics?  I believe it is suppose to be used for several days in a row. Respiratory infections are not all that uncommon in bottle kids or kids that had a rough start.  I would continue the anitibiotic course for the full treatment.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 17, 2012)

2nd option could just be change in weather, goats will pant when they are hot, and just like us it does take time to adjust to increased temps.


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## raykour (Apr 17, 2012)

My veterinarian advised me that 1/2 cc was actually a little much for him, and since I gave him subq (I could not find any muscle!) the dose did not need to be repeated. 

Do you use nuflor for several days in a row?  In cattle, it is given once SubQ or twice 48 hours apart IM.  

My vet does do goats, but I don't take everything she says as the last word so I am open to any advice on using this particular drug.  


It is not the weather.  I check him often even if he is at rest indoors in a comfy 70 degree room he has the same respirations.


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## redtailgal (Apr 17, 2012)

We've been known to do the same thing with Nuflor.  a single SUBQ shot absorbs at a rate that allows this sort of treatment, in some instances.

edited to add: we have used this with calves, not goats.  Goats metabolize differently, so I'm not saying this is correct with goats.


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## ksalvagno (Apr 17, 2012)

Isn't Nuflor a 5 day long acting antibiotic? At least that is what I thought it was. I know it is good for longer than 1 day.

Are you sure that the little guy has a normal heartrate? Could he have a heart murmur, even a slight one?


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## redtailgal (Apr 17, 2012)

Good call, Ksalvagno.

A heart problem could lead to increase respirations and lethargy and fever.


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## raykour (Apr 17, 2012)

I would say his heart rate mimics his breathing, but his behavior indicted nothing was wrong.  If I wasn't a livestock person who paid close attention, a person might not even notice this problem.  The vet did not actually see him, I just consulted with her on the phone about the antibiotic dosage. I will take a listen here in a bit and see if I can decipher anything in his lungs.  Heart murmur would be beyond my abilities!


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 17, 2012)

raykour said:
			
		

> My veterinarian advised me that 1/2 cc was actually a little much for him, and since I gave him subq (I could not find any muscle!) the dose did not need to be repeated.
> 
> Do you use nuflor for several days in a row?  In cattle, it is given once SubQ or twice 48 hours apart IM.
> 
> ...


NO I don't use Nuflor. So that was my bad, if it is only a one time thing.


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## raykour (Apr 23, 2012)

This kid is now 10 days old.  

Same story....he eats, plays, and acts like a normal happy goat.  The breathes 80 times per minute.  
His heart sounds normal, with no discernible murmur.  I wish I knew what caused him to do this!


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