Baby-several days old..fading fast! need advice..

[goatgirl]

Ok we have a little boy(boer mix) he was born Wednesday, so 4 days ago. Apparently his mom backed up against a fence as he was emerging as I found him on the other side of the goat turnout...only because he was screaming when I got out to my barn. His sister was born in the sack so did not make it. This all took place unexpectantly at about 5 in the morning-I HATE it when that happens! The mother allowed him to nurse but is not the best momma, she could take or leave him. I suspected she is not making much milk so I did put them in a stall together but I kept him inside lastnight since it was cold and I don't know if he ate much of anything from his momma. He spent pretty much most of the day napping under the heat lamp. He seemed a bit too sleepy last night (but did take his bottle) and is much worse today. He will not stand and does not want his bottle today. Although I don't think he pooped much yesterday, if at all. He did poop pretty good this morning, and peed. He is basically sleeping alot, not standing, no fever. We changed him to electrolytes this morning as I am thinking maybe he is dehydrated. I would probably tube feed him....my daughter is totally against it and wants to just try to get him to bottle feed him. Tough descision as I really do not know what the right thing to do is.:/

Any suggestions

 

[pridegoethb4thefall]

Nutri dench? Sounds like he needs some energy and fast! Do a search on here for this kind of problem.

Good luck, I hope he gets better soon!

 

[20kidsonhill]

When you say he took a bottle, how much did he eat?

I would suspect he is sick, maybe pnuemonia and put him on Penn G,

There is also floppy kid syndrom, where they are born okay, but get weaker, http://www.goatworld.com/articles/fks/ Give him 1/2 teaspoon baking soda a couple times today, 4 or 5 hours apart, mix with a little corn syrup and thin with a little water, just enough to make it wet to go down, and drench him with this mixture.

Have any bo-se injectable???

If no bo-se, do you have any vit E gel caps, break one open and mix into baking soda drench.

 

[20kidsonhill]

penn G injectable, I would do 1/2cc every 8 hours.

 

[goatgirl]

Ok...gave him the soda mix with vit E....and a helping on penicillin... If he does not perk up in a bit I will tube him some electrolytes.

It does kinds sound like floppy kid.

Thanks!

 

[20kidsonhill]

Ok...gave him the soda mix with vit E....and a helping on penicillin... If he does not perk up in a bit I will tube him some electrolytes.

It does kinds sound like floppy kid.

Thanks!

Good luck, I hope he perks up for you.

I would add a teaspoon or two of corn syrup to the electrolytes for sugar energy. Or just syringe feed him 15-20cc of corn syrup thinned with warm water or black regular coffee and see if that helps at all, but eventually you will need to get him hydrated. For sure in this evening, if the only time he ate all day was this morning.

I wouldn't give him milk, until he can hold him self up or can stand a little, the milk will make him bloat.

The corn syrup may make him a little runny with the poop, but that wont be a big deal, if it can give him some sugar energy to start thinking a little better.

 

[fortheloveofgoats]

Hope it all turns for you. Sorry to hear that you are having to go trough all this. Please keep us updated!

 

[Roll farms]

When I have a really weak kid, I will tube feed it a good amount, so that they get what they need...then wait at least 8 hours before attempting to bottle feed again. Usually they won't 'get it' unless they are good and hungry, but you can't let an already weak kid get weaker waiting for them to get that way.

Good luck w/ him.

 

[goatgirl]

I think I know what I'm dealing with now and its not pretty!!

My daughter has been helping me care for this baby and while I was out earlier running a few errands...she let me know his poop turned bloody. I believe this is e coli. He has gone downhill extremely fast and I have decided to not do anything else to him except try to make him comfortable as possible. With each animal you have to decide if treating them is worth the discomfort it will cause and I think it will not help him at this point. His breathing is no longer normal. I wish I had a shot to give him to make him just go off to sleep.

It is normal practice to have due dates on all my Does but bought his mom pregnant with no date. The fact he was born outside early in the morning means I don't know how long he went without colostrum. I was afraid I did not get it to him in time and now I think I'm pretty sure I didn't. I keep things very clean in my barn but with this baby having a compromised immune system he was just overcome with this. I have actually never had a baby goat with bloody diarrhea before, now that I think of it none of my goats have had bloody diarrhea.

When something bad like this happens I just try to get some experience from it.

Thanks everyone for your help....I will let you know what happens.

 

[Roll farms]

I'm really sorry. Goats do love to throw us curve balls.

For what it's worth for the future, along with baking soda, I give 'off' acting kids a couple squirts of "Scour Halt" (to treat possible e coli). Just in case you get another one w/ insufficient immunoglobin transfer.