HELP! Early Birth!!!

[themrslove]

My girl Maybell just gave birth to two teeny tiny little babies. They are so small. Not able to stand, eyes aren't even open. But they are alive! And kicking! And appear to be breathing! Is there anything that I can do for them? I am fully prepared that they will die, but if there is anything at all that I can do, I would like to! (This is my first birth!)

ETA: They are at LEAST a couple weeks early.

 

[damummis]

I don't have an answer but

 

[themrslove]

My previous optimism is gone.
Both little ones, a doeling and a buckling are not going to make it. Their little hearts are still beating, but we are getting no muscle reaction and they have no muscle tone at all.

I have a photo of them, and if someone can handle seeing it, I would love some feedback as to how early they are. (She was running with the buck for 5 weeks, so we don't know a definite date.)

 

[damummis]

So sorry.

 

[themrslove]

Its okay. It happens. I just really wish I knew what caused her to loose them. No sickness in our herd. Up to date on all vaccines etc. She has given birth once before to term to a huge buckling. (This is her second freshening as a 3 year old)
Sad that this happened with our first birth and sad that my poor doe lost her babies.

Second question though...she had two little ones and then passed one placenta. She still has junk hanging out of her vulva...how do I get her to pass the rest?? We have a 24 hour vet about 10 minutes away in case we need something to get her to pass everything or if we need to take her in.

Thanks!

 

[20kidsonhill]

Its okay. It happens. I just really wish I knew what caused her to loose them. No sickness in our herd. Up to date on all vaccines etc. She has given birth once before to term to a huge buckling. (This is her second freshening as a 3 year old)
Sad that this happened with our first birth and sad that my poor doe lost her babies.

Second question though...she had two little ones and then passed one placenta. She still has junk hanging out of her vulva...how do I get her to pass the rest?? We have a 24 hour vet about 10 minutes away in case we need something to get her to pass everything or if we need to take her in.

Thanks!

Passing the afterbirth may take a couple hours to a day or so, that is normal. Aborting however can be a problem and I would put her on Oxytetracyclene injections for the next 5 days at the dosage of 1cc per 40lbs of body weight.

I would isolate her from the other does,incase she is contagious, I would completly clean up all afterbirth and straw, bedding where she kidded.

Just incase, and I would consider treating remaining does with oxytetracyclene that were bred by the same buck during or after she was bred.

Do you have cats?

How many days from kidding did she abort? I see, 2 weeks or maybe 3?



With all that said, she could have been banged hard by another goat, or sometimes things just happen.

 

[mistee]

I AM SO SORRY THAT IS HARD..

 

[themrslove]

Thank you for the response! I am not for sure for sure when her due date should have been. She ran with our buck for 5 weeks starting November 7th, 2010. But yes, a couple of weeks away still.

We have one more doe due that was bred by the same buck who should be due the same time Maybell would have been. We will get her started on oxy. We have cats, but they are all inside. We do have a more aggressive doe that could have knocked her around...so that is a possible that a trauma caused her to abort.

We will keep her separated and separate our other bred doe, as well just in case.

Maybell is separated right now, muching on hay and grass but obviously upset about her babes. The doeling would have been beautiful...a dark red buckskin with splashes of white and big moonspots on her hind quarters. However, this buck always throws gorgeous kids.

 

[themrslove]

I AM SO SORRY THAT IS HARD..

Thank you.

 

[julieq]

So sorry you had to go through that. Sometimes it happens and we just can't figure out why. It's never easy.