Newborn found in the cold, won't nurse, lethargic!!

[Chickenfever]

I wasn't there for the birth and found her outside where mom had dropped her, she was partially dry but cold and listless. She will cry occasionally but then her head will droop and she makes no attempt to try and get up. Her two sisters are well and nursing on mom . We have warmed her up and I gave her one ounce of colostrum with a save a kid syringe and some nutridrench, as much as I could get into her mouth. I'm not sure how much colostrum to force into her at a time? AND what to do with her through the night. I currently have her in the house (at the moment in my lap inside my coat to keep her warm). Any suggestions please!!

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

I'm sorry no one is answering you. Your probably going to have to keep her inside or under a heatlamp or something. You can use hot water bottles tucked into blankets but as they cool it will bring her temp down as well so just make sure she has constant heat. Im sure you know not to feed her if she is cold. I dont know how much to feed per feeding but I would get up every few hours and feed her a small amount. enough until you can feel a little pressure in her belly? Just dont stuff the poor thing you want to make sure her body can digest what she ate on the previous meal before adding more on top of it. I have no expirience with weak kids, but I have nursed MANY infant kittens. So I guess a little help is better then none right?

Are you syringing her, is she swallowing okay? Or did I misunderstand and you are tubing her? Does she want to eat for you?

Good Luck, Mom doesn't want anything to do with her?

 

[Chickenfever]

Thanks, I really thought she wasn't going to make it, she was completely listless and head tucked to her left side. After about two hours of warming her in the house she perked up . I tube fed her 1&1/2 oz of colostrum and kept her inside for about another hour until she was standing and really doing better. She's with mom now and I'll check on her in an hour or so. This is my fourth time having kids and I haven't had any problems before this so I was kind of panicked.

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

SO glad things sound better for you! Hopefully mama was just busy with the other 2 and didnt realize and she will take her with no problems! Just make sure she's nursing from mom and that she has a full belly and stays warm.

 

[Chickenfever]

This is how we found her

A much improved little girl

 

[Chickenfever]

Yeah, I was worried about rejection too but when I took her out to mom Cupcake was so happy to see her that she began vigorously licking her all over. Cupcake is an excellent mom, she had quads last year and nursed them all without any problems.

I could not however get the baby to nurse before I left her out there so I will check on her soon and keep a close eye on things. May have to tube feed her again tonight.

 

[poorboys]

maybe give her a shot of bo-se and vit b and make sure her body temp is staying where it should be, I used strong coffee and molasas on my weak kid and now she's back on the bottle. But I tend to bottle feed anyway. Hoping she keeps get stronger!!!

 

[Chickenfever]

She's doing much better this morning. One of her back legs is bowing, weak ligaments I think, and making it difficult for her to stand and walk so I did syringe some more colostrum into her this morning. She seems like she wants to nurse but will only half heartedly search for the teat and then give up even though it's right in front of her face. I'm not used to having to feed a baby but I think I may have to bottle feed her for a while.

I realized this morning that she was the runt of the triplets.

 

[peteyfoozer]

I think I would give her more than a couple ounces. YOu might try using one of those Pritchard lamb nipples. They are a lot easier to nurse from than the black rubber ones and you can cut the tip to allow as much flow as you want...be careful not to make it TOO easy or she might aspirate it. They fit perfectly on the LITTLE tonic water bottles. They fit a lot of soda bottles, but those things collapse too easy and you can't wash em good.

Oh! And I don't know if it will help with yours, but I had one with a really weak hind leg that was bending wrong. I took an aluminum sweat scraper (for horses) cut it, bent it to the right shape and used vet wrap to splint and wrap it to the babies leg. It was fine in 2 days and I was able to remove it. NO more problems Just a thought. Some selenium/E gel might not be a bad idea either

Good luck with your little one!

 

[currycomb]

if she is not aggressively looking for and finding the teat, and you want her to survive, bring her into the house. you will need to bottle feed until she is 100 %. mother nature is cruel. mom will not go hunting her to feed her, and the other 2 will push her away. i have a little house goat myself. she is in a tote in the spare bathroom with an oil heater with thermostat to maintain temperature. after she eats, she pees and then poops(usually). then she is free to run around the house. she was born the 13th, so still pretty tiny. (her mom died during birthing). i am hoping things will warm up enough i can move her to the barn, but with no one to snuggle with, she will stay indoors for now. i have seen pics of goats in diapers, but didn't have any luck fitting one to my little house goat, so i just watch her really close, and stuff a paper towel under her when she squats. (yes, the house is carpeted, she hates the linolium in the kitchen, she slips and falls)