1 Month Old completely limp, help

[MidnightChickenLover]

We've been raising goats for about 9 years now, our best mother gave birth to twins back at the end of November. The kids have been healthy and smart, have all their vaccines and heads burnt. The mother has been acting strange towards them, won't let them nurse much, but still cries for them when they do.

Today, when I went out to feed, I found one of the two boys limp crying on the ground. He can't stand and his head laid backwards, his neck bending towards his back. Nothing else seems wrong, he's warm, no runny nose, nothing odd from his rectum.

We've had something similar before with a much older goat, but her neck couldn't be budged and she was stiff (the vet diagnosed it as listeriosis), but this one is floppy and hasn't lost control of his bladder.

It's Christmas so everywhere is closed, please help me.

We've put electrolytes in him and he's now inside on a heating pad, his brother is okay-we bottle fed him so and he took it well. What should we do?

 

[Southern by choice]

Is it possibly goat polio? It looks like listeria but is different...
below is a good article to help you determine the difference.
Polio affects kids more often than older goats.
It is a metabolic issue often related to thiamine.

http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/listeriosis.html

 

[MidnightChickenLover]

Thank you, he seems to be doing much better with electrolytes in him. We switched him to formula, he's regained control over his neck and most of his front legs, if the condition plateaus its nice to know B1 is on hand!

 

[Southern by choice]

Thiamine injectable is always good to have on hand. You can get it from your vet and is very inexpensive. Higher dosage than electrolytes etc. But VERY GLAD to hear he is doing better!
Try some probiotics in him also, stay away from the grain and try to feed just the bottle like you are and hay as well as leaves if you have any, considering it is winter they are scarce.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Do you have only B1 or do you have/can you get B complex? If you do, give him a dose anyway and be sure. It is water soluble and is hard to overdose and is not going to hurt anything. If he is low, it would be best to nip it now and not wait for symptoms. Plus, it will boost his appetite and energy level.