Desparately trying to save a 1 day old kid; Question

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Just Wingin It

Just Wingin It

Chirping
6 Years
May 2, 2013
111
5
88
centerville texas
How much nutria drench can I give a 1 day old goat kid? Would a dab of raw pure honey be a better choice?
She is weak, standing, but not walking, she gives up nursing momma too easily, even though momma is trying to be patient with her. I force fed her 3 times yesterday, and gave her 1 squirt of nutria drench twice yesterday. she could use another one for some energy, but I don't want to overdo it. I pulled her from momma and milked her, I think she is going to be a house baby until she gets eating better and mom accepts her back, or old enough to rejoin the herd. She is a 1.5lb Nigerian and going to be the 6th bottle baby I've had.
Thanks for your help.
 
I would not give her honey. Neonates have a low tolerance for botulism and honey tends to contain small amount of the bacteria and toxin. Adults have antibodies that can handle the toxin load in honey but neonates do not.

Your best bet would be to call in a vet. There are a few reasons for kids that don't thrive and one of them is White muscle disease, in which the kid will need selenium supplementation, but it is impossible for someone to tell you the cause of weakness without seeing the animal for themselves. A vet will be able to direct you for appropriate treatments based on what they think is causing the disease. (Just a quick note - some goat owners treat these things on their own but they generally have experienced the issue before or they have consulted with a vet. I always recommend a vet for two reasons. One is that online advice is not always the best option for medical issues and two is that it gives the best chance for a positive outcome. I know some get frustrated that I constantly recommend a vet)

Best of luck! Let us know how she does and what the vet says should you decide to call yours.
 
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After fighting her all morning for 1/2 ounce of mom's colostrum in a bottle, I put her back in with momma. She finally figured out how to suck and has a fat belly by 2pm. Her mother was very patient, and she knew the baby wasn't doing it right, she even let me milk her. She is a crazy goat that doesn't let me touch her normally. I have some hope now. Thats very good to know about honey, I didn't know that. She is standing more and walking a little better. There's a vet I can consult, but she doesn't really have much knowledge of goat stuff. thank you for your response and advice. It will be utilized.
 
Chickerdoodle13 said:
I would not give her honey. Neonates have a low tolerance for botulism and honey tends to contain small amount of the bacteria and toxin. Adults have antibodies that can handle the toxin load in honey but neonates do not.

Your best bet would be to call in a vet. There are a few reasons for kids that don't thrive and one of them is White muscle disease, in which the kid will need selenium supplementation, but it is impossible for someone to tell you the cause of weakness without seeing the animal for themselves. A vet will be able to direct you for appropriate treatments based on what they think is causing the disease. (Just a quick note - some goat owners treat these things on their own but they generally have experienced the issue before or they have consulted with a vet. I always recommend a vet for two reasons. One is that online advice is not always the best option for medical issues and two is that it gives the best chance for a positive outcome. I know some get frustrated that I constantly recommend a vet)

Best of luck! Let us know how she does and what the vet says should you decide to call yours.
Click to expand...


Very much this! There is a reason all bottles of honey have a reason to never feed it to infants under the age of one year. It is a real danger of honey, which seems like it should be safe for babies (human and goat) but is not.

I hope she continues to eat and do well. Keep checking on her to make sure she is getting enough. You say you have to force feed her with a bottle. Sometimes it is easier for you and the weak kid to learn how to tube. 1-2oz can be put directly into the stomach without much struggle, and can mean life or death when a kid is physically too weak to suck or swallow. It usually only takes a few times until the kid gets strong enough to suck. But this little girl had the strength to do it on her own from her dam, which is best.
 
Just Wingin It said:
After fighting her all morning for 1/2 ounce of mom's colostrum in a bottle, I put her back in with momma.   She finally figured out how to suck and has a fat belly by 2pm.  Her mother was very patient, and she knew the baby wasn't doing it right, she even let me milk her.  She is a crazy goat that doesn't let me touch her normally.  I have some hope now.  Thats very good to know about honey, I didn't know that.  She is standing more and walking a little better. There's a vet I can consult, but she doesn't really have much knowledge of goat stuff. thank you for your response and advice.  It will be utilized.
Click to expand...


That's great that it sounds like she is doing a lot better and I'm glad you were able to get some colostrum in her! The rule of thumb is one ounce of colostrum per pound of goat or lamb three times Per day. After that, they are not able to absorb the large antibodies through the stomach. Any colostrum is better than none.

I do agree that tube feeding is a good skill to have, especially when dealing with kids and lambs.

That's unfortunate that the vet does not have a lot of goat experience. If there is not an accessible goat vet in your area, another option is to become friendly with someone who has a lot of experience with goats. They can't replace a vet (there are lots of times you may need a vet for drugs and diagnostics) but they can teach you a lot of procedures you can do on your own.

Best of luck!
 
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