Lactose intolerant bottle baby

[Lizjax]

My 3 week old Nigerian Dwarf bottle baby is not digesting the lactose in the milk replacer ( whole milk, buttermilk, and evaporated milk) we have two right now and the other is doing great. We are trying to find raw goats milk for her but in our area (South Tennessee/ North Alabama) it's hard to find without doing a lot of traveling. Does anyone have any suggestions about formula?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

How long has the kid been on this mixture? Was it a gradual change?

I’d stop The buttermilk and evaporated milk. Just do whole milk with a pinch of goats prefer brand probiotics (from TSC)

I don’t like formula at all. I raise 20-40 bottle kids a year (had 42 this year). If you can’t get (clean!) goats milk, whole cows milk seems to be best. If your kid is having a hard time with this, formula will (most likely) be worse.

 

[Lizjax]

We were at the get this morning getting their check up. The vet suggested no cows milk at all. I guess I should have been more specific. Would using a lactose free milk be safe for her? We will not use bagged milk replacer at all.

 

[Donna R. Raybon]

Lactose intolerant? What makes vet think this is what is wrong? I have raised a world of kids on replacer with no problems. Use quality product formulated for goats. And, best if lambar, cold, all they want 24/7 until weaned at 10 to 12 weeks.
Years ago had a friend whose husband delivered dairy products to stores. The out of date milk, buttermilk, cottage cheese and yogurt they raised kids on as they were on CAE prevention.

 

[Donna R. Raybon]

Just remembered... some kids can have hemolytic allergic reaction to cow colostrum. Don't know if any problem with milk? This was researched and reported upon decades ago when CAE prevention protocols became widespread.

 

[Lizjax]

We had them both on bagged milk replacer and it made both of them sick. We started using the cows milk replacer formula and one is doing great the other not so much. Her poop today was all foam he ran a fecal and didn't find any issues as far as parasites and bacteria. He said some goats can be lactose intolerant. We starting her on powdered goat milk today by I'd just prefer raw.

 

[OneFineAcre]

I've never heard of a goat being lactose intolerant
All milk replacer is not created equal
I can't imagine why a vet would say that whole cows milk should not be used

 

[Southern by choice]

We have never found any replacers to be very good. Seems like lambs do ok but not goats. When we send off bottle kids that are not going to homes with goats milk we transition them for a bout 10 days to straight whole cows milk from the grocery store. Never had a goat get ill, diarrhea, or any other issue. The down side like they have found in replacers as well is even with pasteurization of whole milk MAP disease may not be killed. Any changes should be made slowly.

How much are you feeding at a time? What is the weight of the goat?

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Just raised two bottle goats from Southern and GW on whole milk and they’ve thrived!

I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again if I don’t have access to goat milk from my own herd that has been tested.

 

[Southern by choice]

Just raised two bottle goats from Southern and GW on whole milk and they’ve thrived!

I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again if I don’t have access to goat milk from my own herd that has been tested.

I need pic updates. Just sayin'
I think Poppy and the Raina twins have grown in the last week like crazy. I cannot believe they are babies!