Kid snatched from death, but wont suck after days of tube feeding.

[chicken fruit]

I have a goatling that nearly died. Her buddy did succumb. I had to resort to tube feeding both, three times a day since last thursday. The one that is still with us is on the upswing. Stopped the scours, starting to get pellets! YAY! still weak and roach backed with stomach pain. She's about 10 days old TOPS is my guess. The problem is she will not suck and don't want to keep tube feeding her. I'm afraid its going to damage her esophagus or stomach or the sphincters between. She WILL NOT suck. I can't tell if its because she's too weak (I dont think she is, she's got enough energy to walk around and isn't stumbling anymore. She's slow, but she's moving and curious about things around her) or because she forgot. FYI: she was eagerly and quite professionally nursing from a bottle before all this started.

Any help would be awesome....

 

[20kidsonhill]

add some baking soda to the next couple tube feedings, 1/4 teaspoon and get her some B-complex for appetite.
She may have to get really hungry to be willing to suck again. With her being so weak still that will be tricky.

if she even sucks one or two ounces call it good enough and wait 4 or 5 hours before trying again. Force feeding them and squirting milk in their mouth can over whelm them.

A suck reflux can also be stimulate by giving Vit E and Selenium.

 

[chicken fruit]

Yeah she's had the baking soda all along. I bet its b-vitamins and selenium. And the E. I think i actually have all of those! I was wondering about waiting for her to get hungry enough, but just like you said... it seems too tricky. She goes from 9pm at night to 9am without feeding, and she's still not interested. I'm afraid to let her go any longer than that. I'll try the supplements! I never thought of that! Thanks!

 

[chicken fruit]

I went ahead and wormed her and got some goat drench. She put up quite the fight tonight over the tube. I think we're going to break out of this issue tomorrow. Or at least get closer!!

 

[Squirrelgirl88]

OMG I'm having flashbacks. Our bottle baby had to be tube fed for 10 days before I finally got her to take a bottle. I finally decided one day she was taking it or else. I sat with her for hours dripping milk into her mouth from the nipple. Finally she gave in and took the bottle. She had multiple doses of Vitamin B gel and a BoSe shot trying to keep her going.

She's almost five months old now and a little spitfire!

Just be more determined than the goat is and you'll win!