Goat Bottle Baby Not Eating, Help?

[ChickenPox]

I have two, 1 month old orphaned bottle baby goats, both boys. We banded them a week ago and they seemed to be doing fine. Now one of the babies has gone off his bottle. He chews cud (and I know its cud because he shook his head and flung some out.) But he wont touch the bottle since this morning. He was slow at his night time feeding last night and refused it completely this morning and again at lunch. He is constantly "chewing the cud." I don't ever see his jaw stopping. His brother is fine. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm scared I'm gonna lose him. Advice??

 

[cassie]

It sounds like he is in pain. Or he may need thiamine. Or both. What is his temperature? Was he vaccinated for tetanus before he was banded? Are his ears and tail very upright? If so, he may have tetanus. If not, he may have an infection of some sort.

 

[ChickenPox]

Don't know his temp, I had to come in to work today, my son is at home. I am brand new to goats, my fiancé got them after I told him I wasn't prepared. (I'm the animal person, he isn't.) I do have a friend who is giving me some dewormer and coccistat for him after work. Ears and tail are normal, he waggles the tail like normal, and he is a mini Nubian, so his ears hang down. He acts decently normal other than the chewing and not eating. No vaccine before banding, I didn't know he was supposed to get one. His brother is doing perfectly fine. I will be getting his temp when I get home, but it will be pretty late......my friend is an hour and a half from my job and my house. And I have to go buy a thermometer. :'(

 

[cassie]

If a goat isn't eating, there is something wrong. If nothing else, the kids needed to be treated with some tetanus antitoxin now. Tetanus is not uncommon after banding, but it sounds like your kid does not have tetanus at this time. If he did his tail would be up. It sounds like he has and infection of some sort and needs some antibiotics. While the wormer and coccidiostat won't hurt, I don't think that is what ails him.

 

[ChickenPox]

Thanks for your help! By the time I got home that evening, he was completely back to normal, no temp, and hungry again. I did get his CDT vaccine in him this weekend too. I'm pretty sure he ate something in the yard he shouldn't have. New baby learning how to browse and all. Just for a lil update, thanks again!

 

[cassie]

Thank you for the update. So often we never know the outcome. Glad he is OK.