Help needed with new kid goats

Hoof'n it
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Help needed with new kid goats

Postby Hoof'n it » Sun Nov 20, 2016 8:22 am

So, as it usually goes with me. I get sucked in to taking 'rescue' animals.

I have 2 new feral kid goats. Probably a week or 2 old.
Betty is coming along in leaps and bounds and loves food. Growing like a weed. She's on a bottle and drinking a good 300mls of formula 3 times a day.

However Wilma, is really struggling. I'm not sure what to do... Or how to proceed
She's not drinking much. If I can get 50mls down her in a sitting I'm lucky. She's on formula that is recommended for kid goats. I also have get on Ketol which is a glucose based supplement. I feed her 4 times a day. Any more and she throws a tanty and blatantly refuses the bottle.
She is really quiet, is often lying down, but gets bursts of energy and plays with the other goat.
She's a watcher, and is really curious, and man does she have a bleat on her!
Her breathing is sometimes elevated.
Her belly does feel rather full, and she does seem to hunch a lot as if she is straining to poo.
She is quite interested in grass, if she's in a grassy pen during the day or has some to munch on in the stables at night.
Im thinking she could be constipated? I have fed her some olive oil. Is this alright? I was also thinking of giving her an enema, would this be a next logical step?
Or should I be thinking something more sinister?

I have no hesitation to take her to the vet, but is there anything one can do at home before then?

Oh and here are the pictures of them.
Betty on the left, Wilma on the right
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Chisamba
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Re: Help needed with new kid goats

Postby Chisamba » Sun Nov 20, 2016 1:59 pm

baby goats can waste away from constipation, in fact unless a vet is really familiar with baby goats they often miss the signs and do not treat it. I small warm enema is definitely the way to go. If done correctly it can save a life, and it is a do no harm sort of treatment.

about twenty ccs of warm water with a tiny bit of dish soap. you may have to repeat the treatment a few times if she is very constipated.

PaulaO
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Re: Help needed with new kid goats

Postby PaulaO » Sun Nov 20, 2016 5:43 pm

No advice, but jingles for Wilma.

Hoof'n it
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Re: Help needed with new kid goats

Postby Hoof'n it » Sun Nov 20, 2016 6:36 pm

Thanks, I gave her an enema this morning.
She did pass some, but not a lot. She did seem more vocal afterward. :lol:
I will probably have to give her another one again.

She's a little battle axe, which I guess they have to be in the wild to survive.

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Suzon
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Re: Help needed with new kid goats

Postby Suzon » Sun Nov 20, 2016 7:50 pm

Instead of formula, can you get actual goat's milk? I know not every place has the availability. We're spoiled with it in the dairy case of our local store.

Hoof'n it
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Re: Help needed with new kid goats

Postby Hoof'n it » Sun Nov 20, 2016 8:01 pm

I have a few dairy goat farms around me. But I believe there are huge restrictions about selling raw milk. So I can ask, but unsure if it's possible.

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Re: Help needed with new kid goats

Postby Sue B » Mon Nov 21, 2016 4:24 pm

Get some C&D antitoxin (to treat enterotoxemia) and then vacc both kids with CDT (C&D toxoid + Tetanus).

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Baroque
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Re: Help needed with new kid goats

Postby Baroque » Wed Nov 23, 2016 8:28 pm

I'd be doing their 5 in 1 vaccination now plus add a bit of yoghurt to the milk mix to help digestion, and maybe try adding a wee bit of the olive oil to get the gut moving but be careful that she doesn't start scouring or bloat in which case get onto the vet fast.

Antibiotics may be a good idea in case she has navel ill developing as well, lambs and kids go very quiet and are not keen to move about much if they have navel ill developing but generally bounce back fast once you give them the ABs. I'm using Bivatop at 1ml/10kg every 3 days and usually 2 doses fixes it.

Did the weaker one get colostrum after birth?


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