Triplet bucks born 1/19/20. All did great. Vigorous & nursed well off mom until 3 weeks. I noticed #1 and #2 (bigger boys) were growing like crazy but #3 (little fella) seemed to be puny. He walked kinda hunched over, tail tucked. Vigorously nursed when he could but quickly got knocked off by one of the two bigger boys. By last Saturday he was quite puny. I brought him in and started supplementing him with 2 oz every 3 hours. He was clearly dehydrated/malnourished.
I did Nutridrench, B complex shots, whole cows milk. He will NOT take a bottle so he has to be syringe fed. He did pretty good last week after some ups and downs last weekend. Seemed to be putting on weight. Still never got playful like the other kids but was bright eyed, stuck with mom between feeds so he was able to at least get a few seconds before he was booted off by his brothers (when she would hold for them to nurse). He eats a few small twigs of hay at most when he's out with everyone else. He turned 4 weeks old today (16th). It's been quite cold here the last 2 nights so, after night 1 of 20's I decided he should sleep inside. I've been continuing feeds with 3 oz via syringe and he's been stable....until this evening. He's been inside quite a bit due to temps and his puny behavior. He's pooping, peeing normally but he now seems to have a tremor....like he's cold. He seems jittery and has been wobbly, kinda lethargic/weird, and stuporous (still pooped and peed normally). I took him out earlier and, despite his weird tremor and wobbliness, he still tried hard to pursue nursing off mom.
I have NO IDEA what to do next. I gave him another pump of nutridrench tonight.
I listened to his lungs with my stethoscope and he's clear. No temp. Not interested in grain or hay this evening (this is not abnormal for him).
Do I give an antibiotic? Wormer? Baking soda? Activated charcoal?
I really have no idea. I have been working hard to keep this little guy alive and nurse him back to health since his severe malnourishment/dehydration. I haven't had a kid sick like this before so any ideas would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
I did Nutridrench, B complex shots, whole cows milk. He will NOT take a bottle so he has to be syringe fed. He did pretty good last week after some ups and downs last weekend. Seemed to be putting on weight. Still never got playful like the other kids but was bright eyed, stuck with mom between feeds so he was able to at least get a few seconds before he was booted off by his brothers (when she would hold for them to nurse). He eats a few small twigs of hay at most when he's out with everyone else. He turned 4 weeks old today (16th). It's been quite cold here the last 2 nights so, after night 1 of 20's I decided he should sleep inside. I've been continuing feeds with 3 oz via syringe and he's been stable....until this evening. He's been inside quite a bit due to temps and his puny behavior. He's pooping, peeing normally but he now seems to have a tremor....like he's cold. He seems jittery and has been wobbly, kinda lethargic/weird, and stuporous (still pooped and peed normally). I took him out earlier and, despite his weird tremor and wobbliness, he still tried hard to pursue nursing off mom.
I have NO IDEA what to do next. I gave him another pump of nutridrench tonight.
I listened to his lungs with my stethoscope and he's clear. No temp. Not interested in grain or hay this evening (this is not abnormal for him).
Do I give an antibiotic? Wormer? Baking soda? Activated charcoal?
I really have no idea. I have been working hard to keep this little guy alive and nurse him back to health since his severe malnourishment/dehydration. I haven't had a kid sick like this before so any ideas would be much appreciated.
Thanks!