# Bottle baby not wanting to eat



## Slightly Cracked (Feb 13, 2010)

We have 2 bottle babies born on Jan. 22nd.
 We bought them when they was 5 days old.
 They have always been hearty eaters, sometimes the little girl finishes first sometimes the little boy.

 This morning when hubby went out to feed he said the little girl would not eat. The boy eat his and part of hers.
 He tired to feed her again at 1 and she still didn't want to eat. 

 What could make her not want to eat(nurse). I read in another post that if they are use to warm milk they may not drink cold. 
 I know babies can go down fast, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
SC


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## ksalvagno (Feb 13, 2010)

Have you taken her temp yet? Is she acting normal otherwise? Was the milk cold when you tried to feed her?


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## helmstead (Feb 13, 2010)

Probably constipated.  I would give 3cc milk of magnesia and an enema...


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## Slightly Cracked (Feb 13, 2010)

I am at work so all of this could be premature.

My husband called me in a panic. He says she is acting fine, she just won't eat. 

He does not warm the bottles up as much as I do. 
I figured that would be the first thing I do when I get home is to warm a bottle up and she if would eat for me.


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## Slightly Cracked (Feb 13, 2010)

helmstead said:
			
		

> Probably constipated.  I would give 3cc milk of magnesia and an enema...


Just like a fleet enema?


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## ksalvagno (Feb 13, 2010)

You can do a fleet enema or a soapy water enema. For alpacas I use 5cc of dish soap with 55cc of water in a 60cc syringe and gently push the plunger. I give them about 20cc of it and see what happens and then give them 20 more if they need it. This is for crias to get them to expel their merconium.


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## Slightly Cracked (Feb 13, 2010)

Ok, I got home from work and went out to check on her. 
She is definitely off.
She would nurse for a few sucks and then quit, wait just a bit and nurse for a few sucks and quit.
She is alert, up, walking, around, and getting on top of stuff, but still just off.

Her abdomen looks like she has ate( it looks round/full), and I hear gut sounds when I put my ear to her side.

I am going back out to take her temp


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## Slightly Cracked (Feb 13, 2010)

She is constipated. 

I gave her an enema and some milk of magnesia.
How soon should she poop?
How much?

She pooped probably 2-3 tablespoons and then no more.

She is grinding her teeth, I know her belly has to hurt.

Thanks,
SC


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## helmstead (Feb 13, 2010)

Yup.

At this stage I also give C&D antitoxin, bloat release and baking soda to hit all the bases.

My Nigi kids don't have a lot of poo...that would have been a huge BM for one of mine.  Keep the MOM and enemas going until she's eating again.  Constipation will do more harm than scours, so you'll need to stay on top of it.

Good luck!


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## Roll farms (Feb 13, 2010)

You might give her a tsp or 2 of plain yogurt (shake it up in her milk) or some Probios paste once she's not bloated any more, and is poopin' more regular.

Good luck!


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## lilhill (Feb 14, 2010)

helmstead said:
			
		

> Yup.
> 
> At this stage I also give C&D antitoxin, bloat release and baking soda to hit all the bases.
> 
> ...


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## mossyStone (Feb 14, 2010)

Hows the little one doing this morning?


Mossy Stone Farm Pygora's and Nubains


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## Slightly Cracked (Feb 15, 2010)

Well the little girl got better and the little boy got plugged up.

So I treated him and he is much better today!

What causes them to get constipated?
 They are on whole milk(store bought) with buttermilk and evaporated milked added to it. 

For one feeding we had run out of buttermilk so they go straight whole milk.
Could that have done it?

I also gave them their CD&T shots

Thanks everyone for the advice. I was stressed and you helped a BUNCH!


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## helmstead (Feb 15, 2010)

:/ I don't _GET_ people that mix things into the store bought whole milk.  Mother's milk isn't cultured (buttermilk??!!) and isn't concentrated (evap??!!).  

Yes, the change in diet suddenly might have done it, but really bottle babies are just more prone to constipation because of their large meals as opposed to nursing many many times a day.

Glad all is well!  Good job!


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## Slightly Cracked (Feb 15, 2010)

helmstead said:
			
		

> :/ I don't _GET_ people that mix things into the store bought whole milk.  Mother's milk isn't cultured (buttermilk??!!) and isn't concentrated (evap??!!).
> 
> Yes, the change in diet suddenly might have done it, but really bottle babies are just more prone to constipation because of their large meals as opposed to nursing many many times a day.
> 
> Glad all is well!  Good job!


I was just doing what I was told by a Boer goat breeder. 

They are fed 4 times a day, they are not getting HUGE feedings 2 times a day.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Feb 15, 2010)

What is the baking soda for Kate?


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## cmjust0 (Feb 16, 2010)

Slightly Cracked said:
			
		

> I was just doing what I was told by a Boer goat breeder.
> 
> They are fed 4 times a day, they are not getting HUGE feedings 2 times a day.


Sounds like the recipe I use, too..  

It's true that natural goats' milk is neither cultured nor concentrated, but it's also much higher in fat than regular cow's milk.  

And FWIW, Kate, you don't add much of either..  You pour 20oz off a gallon (128oz) of whole milk, add a can of evap, and then top it back up with buttermilk.

Adding a can of evap and some buttermilk gets it much closer in texture to real goats' milk, and each of those add some extra fat content.

Works great for us, when we don't have goats' milk handy.


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## ksalvagno (Feb 16, 2010)

Baking soda is used for bloat.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Feb 16, 2010)

In addition to the bloat release or as a substitute in a pinch?


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## Griffin's Ark (Feb 16, 2010)

Giving goats goat milk straight from Mom is great if you can do it, but even after it is refrigerated even goat milk can cause constipation.  I rememdy this by mixing goat milk with a good goat milk replacer.  My bottle kids are as big or bigger than their counterparts who are still on their moms.  Feeding 4 times a day is rough and we are on week 4. Our eyes are red and our brains are muddled, but we are hanging in there.  Another good way to avoid constipation is to put 1cc of corn oil in the bottle of milk.  All of our bottle babies stay in the house and use the kitchen floor as there bathroom.  I can then be sure what is going in is coming out and how it is coming out.  We are at 15 kids from 8 Moms (4 in the house) right now with 2 more to go.  Not to mention the sheep... or the mini donkey...  

Chris


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## mossyStone (Feb 16, 2010)

Thanks for all this information, i am faced with this problem as i have a new babie coming end of the week and no fresh milk yet..... So i want to give the best possable bottles to my new little doe.... The cows milk mixed with buttermilk and evap sounds like a good way to go.... Iam still researching....



Mossy Stone Farm Pygora's and Nubians


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## ksalvagno (Feb 16, 2010)

I keep baking soda out free choice and the goats eat it as needed. I don't go through much and usually end up emptying old and putting new stuff in but once in a while it is eaten and I know a bloat is averted. You can do baking soda balls if they are bloated as well. People with more experience could probably give a better explanation than I can. I just know the very basics.

As far as bottle feeding, I used to do all kinds of mixtures for alpaca crias. I have stopped doing that. Now I use a good milk replacer and that is it. As far as goat kids, I'm hoping that all the moms will have plenty of milk and I won't have to worry about it but in case I do have to bottle feed, I will probably just give them whole cow milk and if I really feel it is necessary, add some plain yogurt to the bottle. Everyone has their way of doing things but after the years of  doing alpacas and all the different things I have done for them, this is what I do now. Of course once I have milking goats, my first choice would be goat milk from the goat.


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## helmstead (Feb 16, 2010)

The baking soda is for acid reduction and can aid in breaking up gas in a _frothy_ bloat situation.

I don't believe it is good practice to leave baking soda out 24/7.  I believe this further messes with normal digestion.  I have knock on wood never had need of baking soda in an adult goat, altho I have advised several to give baking soda balls to an adult with 'general' digestive malaise along with other treatments to 'hit all the bases'.

_ETA:  IMO the only reason goats eat baking soda is that it's salty...and they crave salt.  I don't believe they can 'self medicate' for indigestion with bicarb.  JMO_

In kids, baking soda is also the treatment for FKS.  It will bring one out of a FKS crisis in a heartbeat.

As far as the mixing of different milk sources for bottle kids, it's my opinion that you are wasting your time.  I have raised plenty of kids on whole store bought cows milk.  They do fabulously...all I ever add is Poly Vi Sol after 4 weeks.  Some smaller kids also might get half and half instead of whole milk until they catch up.


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## SDGsoap&dairy (Feb 17, 2010)

In an emergency how is the baking soda administered?  Obviously it's given orally (I could see someone running with that if I left myself open...) just curious about how.


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## helmstead (Feb 17, 2010)

You can either mix it with water and drench or make balls out of it and try to force them to swallow those. (shove in mouth, hold mouth shut)


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## Lil Chickie Mama (Feb 17, 2010)

helmstead said:
			
		

> As far as the mixing of different milk sources for bottle kids, it's my opinion that you are wasting your time.  I have raised plenty of kids on whole store bought cows milk.  They do fabulously...all I ever add is Poly Vi Sol after 4 weeks.  Some smaller kids also might get half and half instead of whole milk until they catch up.


Which Poly Vi Sol do you add?  I know that for chickens you can use the one without iron, which one for goats is okay?


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