Very tiny 8 week old Pygmy doeling (new pix) worried about her health.

[dianneS]

I just got a very tiny pygmy doeling. She's eight weeks old and the same size as some newborn pygmys! The mother sort of rejected this baby at first and had to be held down to let the babies nurse. Also this little one came from an over-crowded situation, she was kept in the woods, in the damp shade with no grass, just hay and occasional grain which she was pushed away from by the other goats.

She is very "laid back" and is eating and drinking just fine, really enjoying not having to fight for food, enjoying the sun and the grass too. She's getting along fine with my two older does.

I'm concerned about her size and her "laid back" attitude. Could there be anything wrong with her, or is she just a bit stunted due to her rough start? Do you think she'll have a growth spurt now? She's just so tiny!

 

[Brindlebtch]

Ahem. Pictures. With a scale. She sounds incredibly cute.

I hope she is OK.

 

[dianneS]

Here is a photo of her next to a woman's size 8 shoe! She's around four pounds, maybe five now. I think she's gained a pound since being here only two days!

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats036.jpg
http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/dshoenfelt/goats039.jpg

 

[agnes_day]

 

[dianneS]

Okay, now I am a little concerned. She has diarhea. It could be all the new grass she's getting though. She was only fed grain every few days at her other home and usually got pushed away from the food by the other goats. She had a lot of wet grass this morning, so I'm hoping its just the high water content in the grass. She's grazing, eating, drinking just fine. She's not a bouncy playful little goat is all.

 

[Soccer Mom]

It sounds like all she needed was proper food. Wow, she is tiny. I give mine a little pink Peptobismal for diarrhea.

 

[ma2babygurl13]

be careful letting them eat too much fresh grass if she isnt used to it...it can kill them, had it happen to a little boer doe before we knew better.... causes something with the bacteria in the gut to get off balance.

 

[ShrekDawg]

awwww she's sooooooooooooo cute! maybe she's still just a bit nervous/scared being in a new home/place I am pretty sure she will probably liven right up once shes here for a while, gets used to the place, realizes she's here to stay, realizes this place is good, and realizes there is a constant/steady food supply and no need to fight for it. or maybe thats just her personality. maybe they abused/neglected her. who knows. I am not sure. good luck with her though.

 

[ksalvagno]

I would have a fecal done at the vet ASAP and make sure she doesn't have any parasites. She probably needs to be wormed if she was in overcrowded conditions in damp conditions. Probably a vet visit for a general checkup wouldn't be a bad idea either since she came from bad conditions.

I would also get some Probios and give her some every day for a week. The Probios will help with the good bacteria in her stomach that she needs.

I would also find some good goat breeders in your area and find out what they do for vaccinations and worming and feed. Different people do different things depending on what part of the country you live.

Very adorable!

 

[dianneS]

Her poop is firming up, but now it looks more like cat turds, still not normal. I'll be giving probios and wormer ASAP.