1 week old kid goat HELP!!

[pogmobum]

Hi I have a 1 week old goat (mother died) so the twins she had now have to be bottle babies the biggest is doing fine but the youngest has bad scour for two days now and isn't taking to the bottle at all. I gave an electrolyte solution and he just seem to start peeing it out straight after taking it?!?! Also is it 10% of their body weight that I should be feeding each day? They weigh 70 ounces so then 7ounces a day? That seems like not a lot to me the healthy kid would drink much more thanks for any help

 

[RiverOtter]

Go to the farm supply store ASAP and get Resorb.

For right this very second, get an 8oz bottle and put in a tablespoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of yogurt and fill with warm water for an electrolyte solution. Get as much of that in him as you can and then, seriously, go get the Resorb TODAY. Follow the instructions on the packet, except your little guy should be eating every 4 hours.

And for full size goats, I do 4oz every 4 hours for the first 2 weeks. Then I start increasing milk overall by 2 oz a day, while increasing some bottles and decreasing others, so that by a month I am skipping the overnight feeding and am feeding 4x a day. I drop a feeding a month and by the end my babies are getting close to a gallon a day, which is then phased out in favor of grain

 

[pogmobum]

Sadly I live on a small island off the coast of Ireland, no farm store no vet, so relying on home remedies since we actually can't even leave the island right now and go to the city because of covid travel restrictions

 

[RiverOtter]

If you can get any actual electrolyte solution - Pedialyte, even Gatorade - get that down him.

For a more complete electrolyte solution, add a spoonful of salt and a splash of apple cider vinegar to the above, and cut the yogurt, although that doesn't seem to taste as good and they're a bit less likely to take it if they're already refusing a bottle.

The most important thing right now is to get him hydrated and stopping the scours, so you need to get and keep him drinking and keep his blood sugar up, but let his poor upset tummy settle, so no milk for a day.

So after 24 to 36 hours of straight electrolyte (until the stinky yellow scour poop has changed) then add some yogurt to it for a feeding, then do half electrolyte+yogurt and half milk for 2 - 3 feedings, then go back to milk, small feedings, frequently.

And go online and order the Resorb
https://www.amazon.com/Pfizer-BC040956-Resorb-Packets-Calves/dp/B000TZ8SSC?th=1&psc=1

It has saved more than on rescue baby for me, when homemade stuff was not cutting it.

 

[pogmobum]

If you can get any actual electrolyte solution - Pedialyte, even Gatorade - get that down him.

For a more complete electrolyte solution, add a spoonful of salt and a splash of apple cider vinegar to the above, and cut the yogurt, although that doesn't seem to taste as good and they're a bit less likely to take it if they're already refusing a bottle.

The most important thing right now is to get him hydrated and stopping the scours, so you need to get and keep him drinking and keep his blood sugar up, but let his poor upset tummy settle, so no milk for a day.

So after 24 to 36 hours of straight electrolyte (until the stinky yellow scour poop has changed) then add some yogurt to it for a feeding, then do half electrolyte+yogurt and half milk for 2 - 3 feedings, then go back to milk, small feedings, frequently.

And go online and order the Resorb
https://www.amazon.com/Pfizer-BC040956-Resorb-Packets-Calves/dp/B000TZ8SSC?th=1&psc=1

It has saved more than on rescue baby for me, when homemade stuff was not cutting it.

Thank you soo much!

 

[cassie]

First of all, what are you feeding them? You should be feeding milk because a lot of kids cannot tolerate replacers. Kaopectate may help with the scours. See if you can get some live acidopholis (sp) culture. It is a beneficial gut bacteria and it helps in the digestion of milk. In the US you can get it at the health food store. It comes in both liquid and freeze dried forms. Also, my vet told me not to feed milk and electrolytes at the same time but to alternate feedings. I don't remember now why he said to do that.

 

[Birdsong 82]

I had a hard time with replacers. I ended up switching to goat milk from local friend or cow milk from the store if I couldn't get the local. Try that. As far as her not taking the bottle... try different nipples. Sounds weird but I caught heck trying to get anything in one of mine. I went through so many different ones... even the special no fail ones even the vet recommends. Then tried a puppy nipple ( cheap one from Walmart) took right to it. It will at least help get something in her easier while you figure out the rest

 

[pogmobum]

Thanks everybody I finally got through to a vet on one of the islands nearby and she is going to send me an electrolyte solution and antibiotic on the first plane tomorrow morning, the homemade electrolyte I made up really parked him up and he seem to have his appetite back and is more looking for a feed rather then just lasting down still has scour though

 

[pogmobum]

Asleep now

 

[Birdsong 82]

I so glad you found some sort of vet. It is hard to come by depending on ones location. Especially with everything going on right now!