Newborn goat struggling

[cassie]

Hi all, there is plenty of milk from this kid's dam and another goat. She was doing really well for a couple of days, drinking 3-4 bottles a day, then yesterday stopped taking the bottle, and last night we had a cold spell, and today she is floppy and lethargic again. I've given her 1.5cc penicillin subq, probiotics, selenium+E gel orally, and 1cc vitamins ADE orally. Today she's taken a few sips of milk here and there but is now shivering and floppy, even though she's bundled up. I noticed when giving her the penicillin injection it was hard to tent her skin, like she's really dehydrated. She is much larger than her sister, who is active and nursing.
Also, her front hooves we're bent or curled under her first day or two, then resolved apparently with vitamin e, and today one hoof is curled under again. View attachment 3756353Her dam won't let her nurse. Is it possible to save her?

Does her abdomen feel squishy? Does it gurgle if you gently shake her? If so, she may have floppy kid. It has been so many years since I have had to treat it, I have forgotten a lot. Look it up on line. If the kid has floppy kid, milk is the worst thing for her. Discontinue milk for at least 24 hours and give electrolytes such as pediolyte instead. She should probably be tube fed but that takes some skill. You could probably find a video on youtube. You also need a weak kid (or lamb) syringe. You can buy them or you can make your own. You need a urinary catheter and a 50cc syringe with a catheter tip. You can get those from your vet but since today is a Saturday that may be an issue.

 

[User635240]

Does her abdomen feel squishy? Does it gurgle if you gently shake her? If so, she may have floppy kid. It has been so many years since I have had to treat it, I have forgotten a lot. Look it up on line. If the kid has floppy kid, milk is the worst thing for her. Discontinue milk for at least 24 hours and give electrolytes such as pediolyte instead. She should probably be tube fed but that takes some skill. You could probably find a video on youtube. You also need a weak kid (or lamb) syringe. You can buy them or you can make your own. You need a urinary catheter and a 50cc syringe with a catheter tip. You can get those from your vet but since today is a Saturday that may be an issue.

Bless you @cassie ! I think that did the trick. She eagerly took a bottle of Pedialyte. She's standing now, zombie like but standing.

 

[cassie]

Bless you @cassie ! I think that did the trick. She eagerly took a bottle of Pedialyte. She's standing now, zombie like but standing.

Glad to hear that. Keep pushing the fluids. Dehydration kills babies faster than anything.

 

[User635240]

Glad to hear that. Keep pushing the fluids. Dehydration kills babies faster than anything.

Hi, she's really declined again. I gave her Pedialyte for 24 hrs then switched to milk with a little baking soda. She had diarrhea and seemed overheated. She's crying and panting now. Any ideas?

 

[Stravager]

Hi, she's really declined again. I gave her Pedialyte for 24 hrs then switched to milk with a little baking soda. She had diarrhea and seemed overheated. She's crying and panting now. Any ideas? View attachment 3757569

Try switching back to electrolytes and see if that helps. It is possible that she has something else happening internally with her organs....

 

[User635240]

Thanks. She passed shortly after posting that picture. I wonder if the baking soda poisoned her.

Try switching back to electrolytes and see if that helps. It is possible that she has something else happening internally with her organs....

.

 

[cassie]

Hi, she's really declined again. I gave her Pedialyte for 24 hrs then switched to milk with a little baking soda. She had diarrhea and seemed overheated. She's crying and panting now. Any ideas? View attachment 3757569

I should have told you to hold off on the milk until she was a LOT better. And then to start back very slowly. About all you can do at this point is to try to keep her hydrated and warm. A little baking soda wouldn't hurt. I have been known to add an egg to the fluids for nutrition if I had to withhold milk for more than 24 hours. As I told you, it has been a long time and I have forgotten a little. Raising goats is a learning experience and you never learn it all. I don't know what else to tell you.

 

[cassie]

I didn't read the post where she died until now. I am sorry. The baking soda didn't poison her, but the milk very well could have. You might want to take notes for next time, and there will be a next time. I do have a couple suggestions for future reference. One, get a weak kid (lamb) syringe and have it on hand. It can be a lifesaver. I think you can get them at caprinesupply.com or any of the online livestock supply houses that carry things for sheep. Two, when you are nursing preemies or sick babies in the house, disposable baby diapers are wonderful. Get the smallest size you can find. You can wrap the kid in a baby quilt or blanket to keep it warm and the diaper will keep everything nice and dry. Dry is very important and it is hard to keep them dry because they pee a lot. Again, I am very sorry. One of the few things I do not miss about having livestock is the inevitable heartache.

 

[Stravager]

Thanks. She passed shortly after posting that picture. I wonder if the baking soda poisoned her.

.

I'm sorry for your loss. Agree with cassie that baking soda definitely would not have been the problem.
When goats go down, they go down super quickly. You did what you could.

 

[lomine]

I'm very sorry. While you probably won't know what happened, based on everything you've said I think this may have been an internal issue. The biggest thing to me is that the dam didn't want anything to do with the kid. They can sense when something isn't right. Try not to blame yourself too much on this. Sometimes kids just aren't going to make it no matter what you do. It's an unfortunate lesson all of us goat breeders/keepers must eventually learn. If nothing else, this little one has taught you things that may help you save another life in the future.