2 week old doelings wont eat - NEED IMMEDIATE HELP PLEASE!!

[Kaysee]

i bought 3 doelings last night, 1 dwarf nigerian, 1 la moncha, and 1 boer. they're all supposed to be around 2 weeks old. i was going supposed to buy the nigerian but felt bad for the other 2. since i got them home, none of them will really eat. ive tried several different bottles but they just fight it and have only had like maybe 2oz each since last night. i think the women must have not been truthful when she said they had all been bottle tested and would take one. im really worried. the nigerian and la moncha are very small and the nigerian is also not putting much weight on one of her hind legs. all 3 have watery eyes with discharge, and the 2 have been coughing/sneezing and have nasal discharge. i got some terramycin ophthalmic ointment with polymyxin b sulfate to treat their eyes (hope thats right). the nigerian had diarrhea once so far as well. please give me some advise regarding feeding and all the other issues mentioned above. im leaning to just taking them to the emergency vet at this point.

 

[cassie]

i bought 3 doelings last night, 1 dwarf nigerian, 1 la moncha, and 1 boer. they're all supposed to be around 2 weeks old. i was going supposed to buy the nigerian but felt bad for the other 2. since i got them home, none of them will really eat. ive tried several different bottles but they just fight it and have only had like maybe 2oz each since last night. i think the women must have not been truthful when she said they had all been bottle tested and would take one. im really worried. the nigerian and la moncha are very small and the nigerian is also not putting much weight on one of her hind legs. all 3 have watery eyes with discharge, and the 2 have been coughing/sneezing and have nasal discharge. i got some terramycin ophthalmic ointment with polymyxin b sulfate to treat their eyes (hope thats right). the nigerian had diarrhea once so far as well. please give me some advise regarding feeding and all the other issues mentioned above. im leaning to just taking them to the emergency vet at this point.

If they have never been on a bottle you may have a problem getting them to take one. I have had dam raised kids starve themselves to death. One thing to bear in mind is if they go long enough without eating, they will not be hungry and the longer they go without eating the less hungry they will be. A little karo syrup on the tongue will break that cycle. You can tube feed them for a few days if need be. Get a 60cc syringe with a catheter tip from the vet. Get a catheter too. Put the catheter on the syringe and remove the plunger from the syringe. Put the catheter alongside the mouth and hold it alongside the kid to measure the distance from the mouth to the first rib. Mark the catheter at that point. That is how far you want to insert the catheter. You can insert the catheter into the kid's mouth and down the throat to the prescribed distance and pour milk into the syringe and feed them that way. You might check with the vet to double check the distance, but I think the first rib is correct.

It sounds like the kids have some sort of an infection going on. On the kid that is not putting weight on the hind leg, how does the hock joint feel? The not bearing weight sounds like she might have navel ill. If the joint feels hot and/or swollen she does. Navel ill is a generalized infection caused by bacteria entering through the naval cord shortly after birth. The usual symptom is swollen joints. To prevent naval ill breeders should dip the navels of newborns in strong iodine.as soon after birth as possible.

 

[cassie]

You didn't say what you were feeding them. I forgot to tell you to feed milk and not replacer. If you think I can help you, PM me.

 

[Zoomie]

OK Kaysee, I think you should take these kids to the vet. It sounds like there is a lot going on here. Cassie has given you excellent advice; learning how to tube feed is one of the most essential things a goat/sheep breeder can learn in order to save kids/lambs. But to me.... I think you have multiple issues here.

The breeder who sold you these kids is either ignorant, or not very ethical I'm very sorry to say... it might just be ignorance. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. In any event, please, always ask to see the kid feed on the bottle, before you ever take one home. Please, don't bring home sick animals **especially** if you have healthy ones at home; who knows what you could be bringing in. If you do feel the need to rescue, please, always quarantine. This will help to protect the animals you already have from possible illness.

Kaysee, I hope by now you've had a chance to get those kids to the vet. I'm hoping these kids do OK for you, but just remember, if any of them do not pull through, it is NOT your fault. You are doing the best you can. Keeping my fingers crossed for you, I hope you'll let us know how they do.

 

[Kaysee]

we're at the vet - i dont want to lose one but if i do i want to know that i did everything i could for them. poor things. praying everything will be ok. ill keep ya'll posted

 

[Zoomie]

Kaysee - here is hoping for the best. Poor little things! Thanks for the update.

 

[Stacykins]

I am very glad they are at the vet before things got worse. If they became too weak, tube feeding would be necessary. It can be scary the first time you tube feed a goat, so having an expert there to show you how is best.

It sounds like a very unethical seller. I am sorry you had to deal with such a stressful mess in what should be such a fun thing, bringing new kids home! There are some people who will claim anything in order to make a sale happen, and will sell unhealthy animals to unsuspecting buyers. It is terribly unfortunate that it happens.