# 2-3 week old bottle Pygmy kid isn't playing or jumping around



## savanna (Feb 13, 2016)

yesterday I bought a 2-3week old Pygmy kid. He was taken from his mom a week ago and was started on whole milk bottle feeding. He is so adorable and loves cuddling soooo much. But that seems to be all he's doing. He just sits with me or sleeps on me since I got him. If I get up he'll yell for me and eventually he'll get up to find me. The woman I got him from said he's almost 3 weeks old and she said he nibbles and eats a small amount of hay and has had some interest in pellets. She also said she was feeding him the bottle only 2 times a day. He is worrying me because he hasn't been spunky or playful. He has a slight runny nose he gets eye crusties. He grinds his teeth a lot. I also noticed if you touch him just right on his lower back he'll sqwat almost like it hurts. He walks good and isn't wobbly but he is clumsy sometimes. He pees good but he has only pooped once since 5pm yesterday. He also gets these hiccup burp episodes. He's only done it twice but it lasts like a minute and it's about 5 hiccups/burps in that minute. I just have a feeling something isn't right because he literally spends most of his time on me sleeping or just sitting. He isn't raising hell like I though he would be. Am I just over thinking this? Should I just wait to see if he's just tuckered out or sad from missing his family and just being new to all these places. Ugh. I feel like an over protective mother. Help!


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## Hens and Roos (Feb 13, 2016)

can you check his temperature to see what it is?  This would give you information if something is going on.

@Southern by choice, @ Goat Whisperer, @OneFineAcre,

Welcome , glad you joined us!


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## animalmom (Feb 13, 2016)

Grinding teeth is a sign of pain.  If he was my baby I'd be at the vet.  

Good luck with your boy.  He is adorable.


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## savanna (Feb 13, 2016)

I haven't but I will now. I've never had to do it before.


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## Goat Whisperer (Feb 13, 2016)

Something is definitely is wrong.

Have you taken his temp? When he has these episodes, does it sound like he aspirated on some of the milk and he is trying to get it out? Does he have water available at all times? 

Like @animalmom said, the teeth grinding means he is in pain. Is he hunched up when he is standing?

I personally wouldn't wait around. I would get that baby to the vet asap. Make sure it is a vet that knows goats.

Keep us updated on the little guy! I hope you find the issue.

Welcome to BYH


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## savanna (Feb 13, 2016)

We just took his temp and it's 101.9. I don't think he aspirated on the milk. It's doesn't even really sound like a burp. It looked like he has hiccups. And he hasn't done it since early this morning. We have water for the dogs down but he hasn't gone near it. He looks like he walks around normal. I think he wasn't fed as much as he should have been with the lady that had him. She only fed him milk trice a day. And isn't he supposed to be fed around 4 times a day?


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## savanna (Feb 13, 2016)

Some photos.


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## savanna (Feb 13, 2016)

He just pooped and it is normal. I gave him more of his bottle and put some pedialyte in it. He's walking around and trying to headbutt the dogs now. He's looking happier.


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## Latestarter (Feb 13, 2016)

Greetings @savanna from the front range in Colorado  Your little guy is a cutie! Like the others have said, it might be a good idea to have him looked at by a vet (that KNOWS goats!). Since you just got him (yesterday), he may have some system stress. The trouble is baby goats can go down hill so fast... I hope everything is OK with him. Will he have a goat partner to be a companion? Hope you'll let us know how things go! Welcome!


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## goats&moregoats (Feb 14, 2016)

*
This is the bottle feeding schedule I have followed. Check his weight. between 5lbs & &lbs she should be drinking 4-5 oz. For each feeding. good luck. 





FREQUENCY OF BOTTLE FEEDING BABY GOATS*

*AGE*

*NUMBER of FEEDINGS*

*GRAIN/HAY*

> 1 week

Feed every 2-4 hours as needed

——–

1-2 weeks

Feed every 4 hours
(can go 6 hours without feeding during the night)

Hay &/or grass should be available at all times from here on

2-3 weeks

Feed every 5 hours
(can go 8 hours without feeding during the night)

Start offering grain twice a day from here on along with hay or grass

4-5 weeks

Feed 4 times a day
(breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime)

same as above

5-6 weeks

Feed 3 times a day
(breakfast, lunch & dinner)

same as above

7-9 weeks

Feed 2 times a day

same as above

10 weeks until weaned

Feed 1 bottle a day, gradually cutting back the amount of milk given each day. Should only take 1 week to be completely weaned. Note: Kids will still _*want*_ a bottle, but they don’t _*need*_ a bottle.

Should be eating plenty of grass and hay by now. Continue offering grain each day.


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## Pearce Pastures (Feb 14, 2016)

x3 on a vet.  Have them check for pneumonia and coccidia.  I would not wait on this.


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## savanna (Feb 14, 2016)

What are good abiotics I should get for him. I think he could have shipping fever. The lady I got him from got him from other people so he's moved 2 times in a week. I am going to tractor supply tonight so I want to know what I should buy him.


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## Pearce Pastures (Feb 14, 2016)

It really depends on what he has going on.  If it is a parasite issue, the medications are dependent on the type of parasite.  For cocci, we use dimethox which is not at TSC and is currently unavailable nationally--CoRid is not a great option for cocci so a vet would be needed for a sulfa drug.  Other parasites, like barberpole, need a dewormer.  

If it is bacterial, you have TSC injectable options like penicillin, Tylan, and a few others or oral ones that you mix with water.  But what to give him, I would say still give a vet a call.


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## savanna (Feb 14, 2016)

Ok. I looked for vets near me and there aren't any. It's an hour drive to the nearest one. I feel like driving him another 2 hours wouldn't help. But I'll try giving them a call.


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## Pearce Pastures (Feb 14, 2016)

I have a link somewhere around here to a vet search...let me go look.  Sometimes dog /cat vets will help too.


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## savanna (Feb 14, 2016)

I know he's been dewormed. Would those antibiotics be ok for him even if he didn't have something going on?


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## Latestarter (Feb 14, 2016)

It's never a good idea to give antibiotics "just because". That's the main reason we now have bugs that we don't have antibiotics to cure. They morph and adjust over time to where the antibiotics we have no longer work against them. This has already happened with wormers for livestock. Many no longer work because of over/misuse.


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## Pearce Pastures (Feb 14, 2016)

In addition, antibiotics kill off the good with the bad and may worsen digestive issues when the gut flora are destroyed.  A few antibiotics are not recommended for growing kids because they can stunt bone growth (edited to add specifically LA200).

Not all dewormers kill all worms so he could still have a parasite issue. 

http://www.aasrp.org/search/custom.asp?id=2504


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## savanna (Feb 14, 2016)

I bought probiotic plus paste by goats prefer. Is that stuff good for him?


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## Goat Whisperer (Feb 14, 2016)

x2 on @Latestarter & @Pearce Pastures posts.

You may want to look at this link-
http://www.cybergoat.com/goat_vet.htm

The Probiotics are fine for him.... But you really don't want to just throw the medicine cabinet at him, it can do wore harm then good.

If you can get an appointment with the goat vet you mentioned, I think it would be well worth the trip. 

Both animalmom, Pearce Pastures, & I have all been in goats for years. Latestarter, although he doesn't have goats yet, has been researching them for a long while now. Now don't take this as being harsh PLEASE, I don't mean it like it may come across.... But you have been given advice from several great goat owners/soon to be owner, I think this is something you should really heed. 

We have dealt (all of us combined) with many things, we aren't new to the game. You are a brand new goat momma. The fact that this person just purchased this and then resold it right away send big flags to me. I good goat breeder wouldn't have sold a bottle baby that they haven't even had for more then a week, let alone sell it to someone who hasn't had much experience with goats before (not bashing you -or anyone- it seems like you are doing your best/keeping a close eye on him!) I really think you need to get this baby to a vet. I understand not wanting him to go thru another stress of being moved, but by the way you described him in your first post, I'm not sure how long he has left. I am bottle feeding 9 kids that are his age right now, they are either bouncing off the walls (literally) or sleeping after hours of play. 
If any of them acted like your guy, I know something would be vey wrong.

The teeth grinding is very worrisome.

Again, please don't take this like I'm blaming you or bashing you- I really don't mean it that way. The tone often gets lost when you are texting/email/forum etc.


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## savanna (Feb 14, 2016)

He is doing a lot better since my first post. That's what makes me iffy on taking him to a vet. He's going to the bathroom like he should. He's eats a little bit of hay. Tiny bit of grain. He's moving around a lot more. He's jumping up and down off the couch now. He's only eating about 8-9 oz of milk though.


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## Pearce Pastures (Feb 14, 2016)

x2 on the above--I don't mean to sound harsh and hope it doesn't read that way.  Just would hate for you to have this take a bad turn.

I am wondering if he is actually older than 2-3 weeks.  My bottle kids don't really eat hay or grain until much older.  My dam raised kids will start to nibble a tiny bite here and there because they see mom do it.  

At 2-3 weeks old, I would say that he should be getting between 12 minimum oz of milk per day, probably more like 18-24 oz.  My bottle feeding schedule is a bit different from what was offered before.  Here is a excerpt from notes I give out with all new purchases:
_For the first few weeks, we give them a 4-8 ounce bottle 3 times per day, spacing out the feedings as best as we can (usually before leaving for work at 6, when we get home at 3, and then before bed at 8).  We gradually increase the amount to match what the kid will drink, but never offer more than 12 ounces per feeding *(too much milk can cause diarrhea as can making any diet changes too quickly).* **Miniature breeds drink less than standard sizes**

We begin to offer hay and goat feed at one week, encouraging them to try it.  By three weeks we like to see them start nibbling at it on their own.  Bottle raised kids usually take longer to eat solids than dam raised kids so offer it in small quantities but don't fret if they don't do much with it right away.

At week 7, we assess the kid's weight, size, and how well they seem to be eating hay/feed and drinking water.  If they eat and drink well and have tripled their birth weight, we begin weaning by cutting back to 2 feedings a day and increasing their hay and feed a little to compensate.  

At week 8, if cutting back to 2 bottles went well and the kids are eating the increased amount of hay and feed, we cut back to one bottle per day for the week and then quit bottles at the end of the week.  They may cry and put up a fuss and yell for you to bring them a bottle, but if you are sure they are ready for weaning, do not give in._


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## savanna (Feb 14, 2016)

Turns out he has biting lice. Would diatomeseus earth work for that? And can dogs and people get the biting lice? Ive read people saying yes and no. What do you guys think?


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## babsbag (Feb 14, 2016)

I don't think the DE would work and I would be worried about using a poultry dust on a kid so young. We treated an adult buck for lice with an injection of Ivermectin but it is used off label, not labeled for use in goats. I am not sure how I would treat it, I would have to ask a vet. Hopefully someone else on here can help. 

Lice are usually species specific. The lice may get on the other animals but won't stay.

Are you getting your little guy a friend? Goats are herd animals and they really need a buddy.


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## savanna (Feb 14, 2016)

He is getting a buddy in a couple months. We're getting one from someone when her goat has them. So far he's being great. He's eaten about 11oz as of now. So he's getting back on track. He seems to be normal right now other then just wanting to sit and sleep on me. He's taking his bottle on his own now. When I put him down he'll stand in front of our heater for a little while then run over to me and jump into my lap. He pees on his papers. He has a few accidents but otherwise he's progressing good. The only thing that hasn't changed is that he just wants to cuddle. He doesn't want to go crazy and play. Could he just be an odd boy that prefers cuddles over crazy time? He does love to head butt our dogs though.


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## babsbag (Feb 14, 2016)

If he has lice he may be anemic which would make him tired. Check the inside of his lower eyelid and see if they are nice and pink. I haven't met a goat yet that is  quiet all of the time, but then mine all have other goats to play with, maybe that makes a difference.


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## savanna (Feb 15, 2016)

He isn't anemic. I checked his eyelids and his gums and both are pink. We have three dogs and they have tried to play with him and he just isn't interested. He will jump and try to head butt them.


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## goats&moregoats (Feb 15, 2016)

@Pearce Pastures, glad you offered another bottle feeding schedule. I like you have never seen a goat that only wanted to cuddle, but I also had at least two little ones at the same time. Hope all goes well with this little guy. Sorry he has to wait for a play mate, but sometimes that is the way it goes.


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## animalmom (Feb 15, 2016)

@savanna, I'm thrilled to hear your little guy is doing better.  Sounds like he's had a rough row to hoe so far in his little life.  It would be great to hear that he is bouncing off the walls, so I'll stay tuned and be patient.  I do hope he continues to improve.  I've not had a goatie that young with lice, so I can't offer any advise on that.  Maybe you could flea comb him, or would the lice be too small?


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## goats&moregoats (Feb 15, 2016)

@savanna , you can try kitten flea powder, dust him good with it, avoiding eyes and don't let him breath it in. would have to be done again in a week. I use it on my goats and it works great.


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## savanna (Feb 17, 2016)

I dusted him with diatomeseus earth an hour ago. So I'm going to try that and see how it goes. If it doesn't work I'll try the kitten powder. Right now he loves alfalfa. He's eating some grain but he's stopped eating off the bottle. He's more playful though. I've been giving him some kid paste. He loves me so much. It's adorable when he runs and yells for me. He'll jump up on the couch and squish his head in my arm. He sleeps in his kennel beside the bed. But of course he needs his quilted blanky I made. I'm very surprised because he's already picked up that he pees on the papers. He goes over to them and pees then walks back over to the heater. By the way his name is jack. Little Cracker Jack. He likes it when I chase him. He starts running. Oh boy does he love the head scratches. I just hope he will eat a little more. Oh and no more teeth grinding. I think that hiccup thing he does is him chewing his cud. I didn't know he does that. He's doing great drinking water and going to the bathroom is still normal. He just doesn't want his bottle. Other then that he's opening up way more.


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## babsbag (Feb 17, 2016)

Sounds like a great dog, umm, I mean goat.    I have never heard of anyone house training a goat, that is quite interesting. 

Hope he continues to improve and get more "goat" like.


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## savanna (Feb 17, 2016)

He's great at peeing where he should. The first day he peed outside but it went to below freezing so he had to stay inside. So he started peeing on the papers. He'll literally walk from anywhere in the house to his papers to pee. It's a little harder to control where he poops but he try's to keep it near the papers. We took him outside and he kept running to the door lol he's lightning jack now.


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## savanna (Feb 17, 2016)

What do you guys think about Python dust?


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## Pearce Pastures (Feb 17, 2016)

Careful on the alfalfa.  You might do some calculating to make sure his calcium and phosphorus intake are balanced to prevent urinary blockages and have on hand ammonium chloride in case (I get ours for super cheap at the local farm shop--not tsc).


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## savanna (Feb 17, 2016)

Should I stop giving him alfalfa and give him just plain hay?


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## TAH (Feb 17, 2016)

Alfalfa is to hot just by its self for goats. I would give him a little bit of alfalfa and plain hay. How old is he? If he wont eat plain hay you give Jack orchard grass or timothy grass hay.


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## savanna (Feb 17, 2016)

3 weeks


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## TAH (Feb 17, 2016)

Is he still drinking milk?


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## savanna (Feb 17, 2016)

Yes.


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## TAH (Feb 17, 2016)

As long as he is getting milk and hay he should be fine. He shouldn't have a bunch of grain.


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## babsbag (Feb 17, 2016)

You can ask 20 people what to feed goats and you get 20 different answers. My goats get straight alfalfa every day of the year. I feed it to does and bucks alike and the kids are raised on it too. Where I live alfalfa is readily available and cheaper than grass hay so everyone I know that raises goats feeds alfalfa as the main diet, and most of the time the only diet.

Watching a male goat for urinary calculi is a wise thing to do but the only time I have had a problem was when I added wheat hay to their diet thinking that the alfalfa was dangerous. Little did I know that the wheat hay C: ph ratio is way out of balance and the alfalfa was a much better choice.


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## savanna (Feb 21, 2016)

I bought him Timothy hay also. So I'm giving him a mixture of that and alfalfa. But jack is doing great. He's opened up sooo much. He's still a crazy cuddler. He's still using the papers to pee. He's starting to climb things. He's drinking at least 10oz of milk. I leave his bottle on the edge of the table and when he's hungry he'll come over and stick his head to it. He loves jumping up and siting on the couch with me. We're cleaning out our shed and creating a pen for him now.


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## TAH (Feb 21, 2016)

Glad to hear he is doing good. He is super cute and sound so funny.


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## savanna (Feb 28, 2016)

New update. Jack is a little pain in the but now. He's getting into everything and jumping everywhere. He's 100% goat now. And....... He has a baby brother now. A Nigerian dwarf kid named dandy. Dandy is 4 days old and tiny. Jack isn't too happy with him just yet. But he'll get there.


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## Latestarter (Feb 28, 2016)

Congrats! The new little one is a cutie too!


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## savanna (Feb 28, 2016)

He loves his log pile.


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## savanna (Mar 2, 2016)

What do you all give your goats for treats? Jack loves banana and pea pods. Are banana chips and other veggies ok as long as I only feed them as treats?


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## TAH (Mar 2, 2016)

I give these things as treats 
Apples 
Banana 
Pea Pods
Pear 
Grapefruit Peal 
Raisins 
Almonds 
Peanuts 
Walnuts 
Carrots 
That is all I can think of right know


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## TAH (Mar 2, 2016)

Banana chips are fine.


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## savanna (Mar 2, 2016)

Great. Thank you.


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## savanna (Mar 13, 2016)

So I've been looking around on ways to get him to stop screaming. Every time he's alone he screams for ever. I can't have him screaming like that anymore. So I was looking around and people say that trying a bark collar might help. My dog has one so I thought maybe I'd try it. I wanted to see what you all thought first. It's a remote controlled one that has 7 levels of shock. I think maybe I should try at 1 and work up from there. My chihuahua is on 3 and she doesn't bat an eye at it. They say it's no different then if there was a hot wire fence. I just can't have him scream like that when people aren't around. So what do you all think?


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## savanna (Mar 13, 2016)

Oh and would it also help to get him to stop beating up the other animals? Dandy the other goat can't even be in the same pen with him.


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## TAH (Mar 13, 2016)

Have you tried keeping next to each other in a different cage? For the screaming, I would do training like you would for a goat. The way they normally train a goat for that is, give you goat a treat and go-away for a minute, but you want to be back before he starts screaming, when you get back if he does not scream give him a treat and tell him what you want from him. If he screams when he sees you leave try petting him and telling him it is okay and try again. Something that might also help is training him fun tricks. The method of training that i use is clicker training.


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## savanna (May 28, 2016)

Update on jack. He is such a fun goat. The only problem with him now is that he has some mean moments with poor little dandy. He hurts him with his horns. So I need to find a way to stop that. I read that you can band the horns and they'll fall off. Is that true? I don't know what to do.


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## TAH (May 29, 2016)

savanna said:


> Update on jack. He is such a fun goat. The only problem with him now is that he has some mean moments with poor little dandy. He hurts him with his horns. So I need to find a way to stop that. I read that you can band the horns and they'll fall off. Is that true? I don't know what to do.


@BlessedWithGoats has banded her goats horns. I her in so she can help.


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## TAH (May 29, 2016)

What a cutie is has turned out to be.


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## BlessedWithGoats (May 30, 2016)

It took a few months for the horns to fall off when I banded some of my goats' horns, but they've all lost theirs except Buttercup! I believe I did hers too young, and her horns grew more. :T Her horns will probably be re-banded in the future, Lord Willing. I will attach the link to my journal where I posted detailed pics, feel free to look through them if you like! 

http://www.backyardherds.com/thread...nal-dehorning-update.31042/page-7#post-417087


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