# Sick goat kid, low temp, thin, and sleepy



## s.z.ichigo (Apr 20, 2014)

Hi guys, hopefully you can help me with this.
I've got a 2.5 week old girl. She was one of quads and always the smallest. Was doing fine until now. Found her in the barn crying like they do when they want their moms to come back inside to them, but mom was already there. Quieted right down when I picked her up.
Brought her inside. The inside of her mouth felt really cold so I took her temp. It was only 95. I layed her on a heating pad, where she's been for the last hour. I gave her some of the coffee/karo that I read about, and her temp has gone up to 99.79.
She is just laying there, though. She looks asleep, but her eyes stay open.
When her temp gets up over 100 I'm going to take her to mom and make sure she eats. She's always been tiny, but she feels thinner now, and I can feel the bones in her back easily.
Is there anything else I should be doing? I don't have a lot of medicines on hand, and being Easter nothing is open except Walmart. I have Probios and normal human stuff.
Thanks!
Edit: at noon, 1:30 after coming inside, her temp is 102.49. Taking her outside to eat now.
Edit: she perked right up at the promise of food. Mom was NOT into it though. Had to hold her. She drank for a really long time. Would have had more if I let her, but I didn't want her to over-fill. I think this doe likes to wean her kids early, and between that and being a quad I don't think she's been getting enough to eat. All the others are fat, healthy, and over twice her size. Maybe I should start milking mom or one of the other does (all have kids between 1 and 3 weeks) and supplementing for her? She's back inside now, wrapped in a shirt and sleeping in the sun next to the cat.Thanks.


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## alsea1 (Apr 20, 2014)

Sounds like she got hypothermia.  Being she is the smallest my guess is that she is not getting fed.
You will have to bottle feed this one. I would keep an eye on the other smaller ones as well.
As for the doe make sure she is getting the feed nec. to produce enough milk.
If it was me, given that this baby has been stressed I would consider giving probiotics, some sulmet or other anti coccidea treatment.


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## OneFineAcre (Apr 20, 2014)

alsea1 said:


> Sounds like she got hypothermia.  Being she is the smallest my guess is that she is not getting fed.
> You will have to bottle feed this one. I would keep an eye on the other smaller ones as well.
> As for the doe make sure she is getting the feed nec. to produce enough milk.
> If it was me, given that this baby has been stressed I would consider giving probiotics, some sulmet or other anti coccidea treatment.



x2


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## s.z.ichigo (Apr 20, 2014)

Thanks, guys. They are all about due for their cocci prevention, so she will be getting that soon. I will also put some probios in her, or maybe some yogurt.
She and I just had a long nap on the couch, and she's up and walking around the house so she has a bit of energy back, which is good. She is a lot thinner than I thought. Her little hip bones are poking out. I really should have been keeping a closer eye on her.
One more thing...should I put her back out with the others or keep her in? We're in NH and it gets cold at night, but there are 4 other babies in her stall. I could put a little sweater back on her. If I keep her in til she puts a little weight on will that affect her mother accepting her back? all the does are quite pushy with kids that aren't theirs.Thanks again


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## elevan (Apr 20, 2014)

I would keep her with her litter mates so that she doesn't become alienated, but continue to either bottle feed her or put her mom on the stand and allow her to nurse so that she gets plenty to eat.

Keep the probios up for a few days.  Definitely do a cocci preventative on her and any other kids that you have.  Keep watch on her temperature to make sure she doesn't drop again for a few days.


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## s.z.ichigo (Apr 20, 2014)

Thanks again 
Is it possible to just hold mom (haven't built a milk stand yet) and let her nurse a few times a day rather than trying to get her to take a bottle, or is it important to control how much she is getting? How many times a day would I do this?


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## elevan (Apr 20, 2014)

@s.z.ichigo , yes you can just hold mom and let the kid nurse.  Three to four times a day until she gets her fill as long as she doesn't lose any ground.  Kids tend to nurse often and eat smaller amounts when they nurse their dams, so if she starts to lose ground you may have to up the amount of times that you allow her to nurse.


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## s.z.ichigo (Apr 20, 2014)

Okay, thank you so much! I let her nurse from mom, and them from another doe who only has one kid herself to feed. She seems SO happy to be eating. I let her go until she turned the teat away.


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## ragdollcatlady (Apr 26, 2014)

If your other doe is fairly tolerant, You can just let her nurse off that one. I wouldn't worry about her needing her own dams milk as much as the number of kids her mom is feeding. If she is already feeding 3, let the mom with just one feed a second baby. (Even if you are holding her so this one can nurse.) It will be healthier for the mom of the quads to have one less to feed and the little tyke can drink more from the other mom. 

I let Georgia take over feeding one of Reeses kids (that she just wanted) since she just had the one baby to feed this time. Then Reese had 2 to feed and Georgia had 2 to feed....Now the one little girl Georgia took is much bigger and fatter than the kids Reese fed. Not that they are skinny by any stretch of the imagination  kinda the opposite..... but Georgia had sooo much milk...and it was easier to make sure that everyone was fed that way. 

Bottle feeding isn't really all that difficult and you will know how much she is eating...peace of mind that way. I just poured the milk straight into the bottle after milking and offered it. When they are hungry enough, they will take the bottle.


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