Tiny Goat Won't Take Bottle

nigerianbreeder

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My Nigerian Dwarf doe had three kids yesterday. A boy and two girls. The two bigger ones are eating fine, but the runt of the group, who only weight 1lb. 10oz., will not take a bottle. They were born at about 6:30 last night and this runt was tube fed three times already. I almost feel like the nipples might be too big for her. The other two seem to enjoy them. I keep shoving it in her mouth and she just lets it sit there. A little bit of milk does come out, so she has to be tasting it. Last time she was tube fed was at 4:30 this morning and that was 1.5 ounces. Should I just tube feed her again?? Is she going too long without having milk?? Other than the eating thing she seems to be acting fine. Certainly a lot smaller than the rest.
 

goats&moregoats

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I had two tiny ones in Feb. it was just to cold to leave then in the barn, so I bottle fed. I used a regular baby bottle from the dollar store...cheaper nipples and softer. Both girls were tiny. 1.5 lbs and 1.0 lbs. Anyhow, I had a hard time getting them to take the bottle. After eight hours of nothing they finally latched on an went to town on suckling. Maybe give it another hour or so and try again. best wishes to the little one and you.
 

nigerianbreeder

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So, just no more tube feeding and try the human baby bottle? Is the thought process that eventually they will get hungry enough to find food? Since you have tiny babies too...how is their size turning out? I might keep one girl since I'm wanting to expand my herd a little, but need want to pick the one with the better type.
 

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My babies are now just a week shy of three months. Sold one first part of June. The other is doing beautifully and follows me everywhere. These two came from a doe that I purchased off another. She was smaller than what I wanted for my herd, so I sold her with the other baby. Poppit, pictured below, was kept because the whole family fell in love with her along with a handful of friends.

Both girls did excellent on the bottle, growing like weeds. I actually kept them in a pack-n-play until they were six weeks. Then I took them back to the barn. They did get sick a bit around 13-15wks, but fully recovered.

First picture: Poppit last week, guess she wanted her share first. lol Second: Poppit with her sister Mystic and their Mother(black & white on bench) other doe is Cassie, this was taken when they were sick. Third: another of Poppit last week or so.
 

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nigerianbreeder

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Alright, so I took the runt that wouldn't take a bottle to the vets at about 10. They took her and put her in an oxygen chamber and are giving her some special mixture to hopefully get her going again. Picking her up later today. Crossing my fingers that she improves:fl!!!
 

nigerianbreeder

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I got my baby goat back from the vets at six. They had been feeding her this water solution that had baking soda and something else in it that I can't remember( suppose to help hydrate her ). For the next 27 hours I have to tube feed her the water solution every hour. I might try the bottle later tonight if she acts a little more peppy about the suckling thing. They gave me some shots to give her too. They are suppose to help in case she got over fed and or if any got in her lungs. The one vet said her lungs sounded fine, but was worried since every now and then she would breathe from her mouth, almost like she's panting. The vet said she did seem better since this morning. I think she seems better too since I noticed her almost acting like she wanted to suckle. When before she wasn't even bothering to try that. She also was being a bit more noisy too. Guess I'll just keep trying the stuff the vets and hope for improvement.
 

SA Farm

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Hope she'll be okay...Keep us updated on her progress, please :hugs
 

nigerianbreeder

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I decided to cut her feedings down to once every two hours instead of every hour. She seems to not be "deflating" in between meals. I've noticed she hasn't peed since at least 10:30. The vet also said she didn't pee for her( might of said she did a little...a lot of information was trying to get absorbed all at once ) I'm going to try and give her some bloat release and see if things start working again.
 

nigerianbreeder

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What should I be doing about her not deflating or peeing????
 
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