Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?  (Read 6054 times)

cuckoo

  • Joined Jan 2011
Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« on: August 20, 2014, 10:31:57 pm »
I have a poorly goat  about 4 months old.  She was bottle reared and is still very interested in a bottle but has been weaned a while now.  She will drink a bit of rehydration fluid from it but not much.  She has stopped eating and I cant find anything to make her eat.  Have tried all the usual ivy, grass, readigrass, other fresh browse even toast with honey and branflakes.  We think it is cocci took her friend to the vets yesterday and that is what he said) - she has had vecoxan and oramec and antibiotics and meloxidyl pain relief and also a vit and mineral drench.  I think she would eat milk from the bottle but don't want it to make her get worse.  She is a bit loose but not loads of diarrhoea.  She hasn drunk much since early afternoon when she did drink a whole litre of warm rehydration fluid straight from the jug.

Thanks

mojocafa

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Angus
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2014, 06:33:33 am »
I don't know what else to advise but it sounds like your doing your best.

Animals are such a worry,  :fc: she turns a corner
pygmy goats, gsd, border collie, scots dumpys, cochins, araucanas, shetland ducks and geese,  marrans, and pea fowl in a pear tree.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2014, 06:39:26 am »
Actually all of mine are still on the bottle and are now coming up for 6 months (but they are dairy breeds). If she takes some milk give it to her but encourage eating hay/straw - she needs her rumen to work. However don't overfeed on milk.

Will she nibble on willow or other branches?


fiestyredhead331

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • NW Highlands
    • Facebook
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2014, 02:57:49 pm »
i was giving one of my weak kids some milk in a syringe and when I turned round one of the others had come up and slurped all the milk that left in the bowl  ::)

fingers crossed she gets better soon  :fc:
keeper of goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, goldfish and children, just don't ask me which is the most work!

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2014, 10:15:41 pm »
Mine all suckle until at least six months so I would try it. It'll help keep her strength up but do have hay available to her at all times.

Hellybee

  • Joined Feb 2010
    • www.blaengwawrponies.co.uk
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2014, 10:49:11 am »
Aww poor little girl, what about getting her some goat probiotics, little powder sachets.  The drinking rehydion well is a positive, brilliant stuff isn't it?   

ballingall

  • Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2008
  • Avonbridge, Falkirk
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2014, 10:30:45 pm »
I would give her some milk, but you might want to water it down slightly, so maybe 200ml to 100ml water just so that she is taking some water too. If you dilute it too much she won't like the taste and then won't drink it.

Beth

fiestyredhead331

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • NW Highlands
    • Facebook
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2014, 11:08:29 pm »
do what ever you need to.....I just lost my little 10 week old Rowan tonight, peacefully in my arms.  :'(

our vet gave us rehydration sachets to mix with her milk which we had to syringe her with as she just couldn't eat anything but in our case we were just unlucky.
keeper of goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, goldfish and children, just don't ask me which is the most work!

cuckoo

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2014, 11:57:02 pm »
Thanks for all the replies - sorry not to have been in touch - has been a manic few days.  Rosie is eating now - hay, barley straw, willow, brambles, coarse mix and drinking over a litre of rehydration fluid via a bottle too.  I did give her some milk - only a few hundred ml and it kick started her interest in the bottle again.  She has diarrhoea today though so wont give her anymore - and have given her kaolin to bung her up.  Sadly she doesn't have the strength to stand but she is very bright in herself and eating so all good signs,  Vet says could be some kind of gut worm. But she has been treated for all eventualities so I guess will tell.  Am continuing the pain relief and antibiotics. :wave:

fiestyredhead331

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • NW Highlands
    • Facebook
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2014, 12:19:32 am »
thats great, sounds like there's some good improvement  :fc:

just watch that diarrhoea though, I tried kaolin with Rowan but no change, will wait for the post mortem and see what was wrong.
keeper of goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, goldfish and children, just don't ask me which is the most work!

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2014, 09:29:55 pm »
Good that she's eating.

fiestyredhead331

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • NW Highlands
    • Facebook
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2014, 10:35:16 pm »
how is she today?
keeper of goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, dogs, cats, goldfish and children, just don't ask me which is the most work!

ballingall

  • Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2008
  • Avonbridge, Falkirk
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #12 on: August 24, 2014, 12:23:39 pm »
Bit concerned that she's not up first- eating that well, she should be up and about...


How is she?



Beth

Hellybee

  • Joined Feb 2010
    • www.blaengwawrponies.co.uk
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2014, 10:07:42 am »
Please check out goat probiotics, as I was taught early on here they're incredibly sensitive to any change, stress etc, please look into them, especially that she's been on anti biotics, themselves being rather harsh on the gut. Is the scour gel like or thicker poo x

cuckoo

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: Poorly goat kid - can I reintroduce bottle to make her eat?
« Reply #14 on: August 29, 2014, 10:12:31 pm »
Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies - Rosie was sadly euthanized last sunday. Her mind was willing but she just couldn't stand and was showing no other improvement.  She was still scouring as well.  Vet didn't think there was anymore we could have done for her when I had spoken to them and she took a turn for the worse on sat, but did improve a bit after another LA antibiotic injection.  We have been away and I just couldn't leave the responsibility of looking after her to anyone else.

She was a bottle fed kid and will be missed especially by my 6 year old daughter who was very upset.


 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS