Baby Goat Care:

[mikey]

Baby Care
1500


The first part of this page follows naturally after the "deliveries" page. The newborn kid has just emerged on its own or you have successfully assisted in its delivery. That does not mean that the work is all done. Far from it! It will be soaking wet. Its head, including the parts that breath, may be completely enclosed in a membrane. It may not show any signs of life whatsoever. No, don't grab it right away and run outside and start twirling it over your head like you saw in some movie. First, remove your OB glove. Grab a towel and with it remove any membranes over the nose and head. Stick your towel-covered hand in the mouth and remove whatever mucous or fluids that are there. Rub the sides or ribs vigorously with your towel. Chances are breathing has started by now. Use the nose or ear syringe (from "getting started" page to get more of the mucous out. Squeeze it tight, insert in throat (gently) and release the pressure, quickly withdrawing. Alternately, repeat this in one nostril while you hold the other nostril closed. You can take a piece of hay or straw and stick it up a nostril and wiggle it, which will make the kid sneeze and expel lots of stuff. Keep drying the kid at the same time and vigorously rub the side. Go back to the nose syringe. You will keep busy all the time. You can grab it by the back legs with a towel-covered hand and just lift it up and let some of the fluids drain out. (Old timers used to tie their back legs over a nearby fence and just let them hang there a while.)
By now you will have a fairly good idea of where you stand. If it is breathing quietly with no noticeable sounds of liquids in the lungs or trachea, you can start to relax and get Mom interested in cleaning her new arrival. But if breathing has not started or is accompanied by a great deal of noisy liquid, more drastic measures may be in order. If there is no breathing at all, you can try slapping the sides or mouth-to-mouth respiration. A common problem is that they will breath weakly for a little while and then just stop until you give artificial respiration, which helps for a while. This is very frustrating. Just keep on trying, doing the best you can. Sometimes things will work out OK, and sometimes not.

If it is still having a great deal of trouble, twirling may now be in order. I like to wait a little bit because it is rather traumatic and they need to have a little going for them before you start. (That is just MY opinion, not expertise!) Be sure to grab ahold of both back legs with a towel. Otherwise, you will launch the slippery thing into orbit. You can either spin around real fast and get nice and dizzy and fall down or you can swing it in a circle over your head like a calf roper or in a circle perpendicluar to the ground. You have to go FAST to create enough force to draw the fluid out of the lungs. After you've gone around three or four times, place the kid on the ground and use your squeegie to finish up the job. While it is flying about, your partner will notice globs of mucous being flung out. Calmly rub the kid and continue any variety of the above techniques to keep the breathing going well. I really like tickling the nostrils with a piece of hay. You can squeeze the ribcage and try other forms of artificial respiration.

Insert the dangling umbilical cord into the jar of iodine, press the bottle against the stomach and invert the kid and bottle, giving the whole area a good soaking. [You will want to repeat this process in a couple of hours.] If it is a male, make sure that you only include the navel in the dipping process; iodine is pretty painful stuff!!! If the cord is real long, you will want to cut it back to about 6 inches a little later. If at the time of birth, the cord did not separate from Mom on its own, (which is really quite rare) leave them attached until you get breathing well under way. (You obviously cannot fling the kid over your head this way!) Then you can tie two knots with regular sewing thread about an inch apart and with scissors make a cut between the knots. In emergencies, I have manually separated the cord by just grabbing it in both hands and pulling it apart. Never just cut it with a knife or scissors.

Now you have a living thing, breathing on its own and its navel is dipped. Remove the "plug" from each of the doe's teats by regular (forceful) milking action. By now the kid may be interested in its first meal. This takes a little practice both on the part of you and the kid. You can roll around on the ground. You can lie on your back and look up. No amount of describing the process is really going to help. Squirting a little milk on the lips usually gives it the idea that maybe it tastes good, but you have to be careful about getting it down the throat and choking the kid. If things just don't work out very well you can get some of her milk into a bottle and feed the kid from the bottle. I prefer to do that. It gets things started much faster. Some people prefer to tube feed the kid its first colostrum. There's nothing wrong with that if you don't deposit the milk in the lungs.


Colostrum

If you do not have any colostrum in the freezer, milk a little of it into an 8 oz yogurt container to put away for a future emergency.
There are various recommended techniques for thawing frozen colostrum: some sources state that it is alright to thaw colostrum in the microwave if you use 50% power. I would not recommend this. We thaw it slowly at room temperature or in a pan of warm water.

You can frequently avoid having to use stored colostrum by milking the doe into a bottle and feeding it to the kid right away before it has a chance to develop bad feelings about being forced to drink off Mom. I personally think that this is very helpful in getting the kid to quickly learn how to nurse.


The general rule in feeding colostrum is to give 5 percent of body weight within the first 6 hours of birth, and as much of this as possible within the first hour.

Shots

This subject will be covered in detail on our "Routines/Vaccinations" page when that is completed. For now, the pregnant doe should receive a CD/T shot about three weeks before delivery. This will provide some antibodies to the kid through the colostrum. At about two weeks of age, give the kid 1 ml of CD/T subcutaneously (under the skin of the shoulder or neck). Repeat this in three weeks. Some folks also give the mother a Vitamin A shot (about 1/2 ml IM) three weeks before delivery and about 1/8 to 1/4 ml to the kid during the first week.

(The term "CD/T" refers to Clostridium Perfringens Types C &D­Tetanus Toxoid. Alternatively, you can use a product which contains a greater number of the "Clostridials" such as Covexin®8, following the maker's instructions.)

Castration

There are several methods of castrating young animals and these are all discussed in detail in many of the books. The technique used is generally a matter of personal preference.
The best is probably the "cutting" of the scrotum and the actual removal of the testes. The bottom third of the sack is cut off and the testes are pulled down while sraping the cord with a knife until it separates. Do not simply cut through the cords.

Most goat raisers use "bands." These are applied with "elastrators" or "castrating and docking pliers". Obviously they go over the testicles. Be sure not to get the band too tight against the belly; rather, try to get it down closer to the testicles. Sliding the band off the pliers takes a little bit of dexterity and practice. Make sure it doesn't roll up into the belly when you do this.

Be sure to check for the development of infection once or wtice a week. At that time apply a little iodine. The scrotum will shrink and become dry and fairly hard. When this falls off, there will usually be some sort of wound. I like to use some type of powdered antibiotic on this to encourage drying.

Occasionally, there will be accidents where the skin of the scrotum will separate from the abdomen and the cords and tissues will herniate. You can tie this off with surgical gut or thread if there is a danger of bleeding. Vigorous treatment with local antibiotics is important at this phase. You may want to remove the sack if there is a danger of this causing further injury.




A quick note on constipation:

It has been our experience that baby goats are quite susceptible to constipation, which can cause a wide variety of symptoms. I’d like to suggest that you go to the dropdown for Constipation right away and become familiar with that problem as soon as possible.

Returning to the herd
Most people use a delivery stall or some favorite place for delivering babies. This is definitely a good idea, for reasons of health and sanitation. It is then a good idea to move the doe and babies into a new cleaned stall after the afterbirth has been passed. They should stay there, separated from the rest of the herd, for two or three days in order for Mom and the babies to "bond" and for the babies to gain sufficient strength to mix with the others without being trampled or in other ways injured. Then, if they are going to be raised by their mother and you don’t observe any problems with the kids, they can safely join the larger group.

[mikey]

Cleft palate
1601


This is a rare, congenital disorder of baby goats known as "palatoschisis"; but if you raise enough goats it is one that may occur in your herd. For this reason, it is a good idea to check every baby for this problem at birth. Upon careful examination of the roof of the mouth (forget about the technical termination), you will notice a thin slit toward the back. Another thing to watch for is that this anomaly is sometimes accompanied by other congenital malformations (cleft lip, rigid limbs).
Symptoms

The first thing you will notice is milk dribbling from the nostrils after nursing. Occasionally, there will be some choking or snorting when they nurse. Later, respiratory infections may develop due to inhalation of milk or food.

Treatment

This is one of those situations where you need to make some quick judgments. Surgical repair can be performed at about 3 months by a skilled veterinarian, but this will be quite expensive. If you have an outlet for selling kids for meat consumption, then it may be possible to raise the kid for a few months. Definitely, NEVER keep the animal for breeding. If you want to try to raise it, remove it from the mother and raise it on a bottle. This, of course, means that you will need to bottle feed colostrum right away. You can make a "prosthesis" out of thin rubber (like a bicycle tube) to attach to the bottle that will cover the slit in the roof of the mouth. It will take a little experimentation to make this all work, but it is possible. You probably should try to wean the kid at between one and two months of age. Some of these animals can handle hay and grain with little difficulty; others will snort and cough and get the food up into the air passages; these probably should be destroyed. We have raised hundreds of baby goats and have only had one instance of this ailment. Fortunately, we were able to raise it for meat purposes by the method above. It is up to you to make the initial hard decision as to whether or not to try; just be sure to make the decision early to avoid a lot of hardship on you and the baby.

[mikey]

Constipation
12/27/01


We have found this to be a very common problem in baby goats. Always watch for the first black tarry stools (called meconium that will come out sometime in the first hours. The kid will soon lose its appetite if it does not pass this. At times during the first month of life, the kid may appear to be a little "off", may not want to nurse, may make little "groany" noises, may (if things get really bad) lie on its side and make kicking motions, or may just get weaker and weaker until it dies. This syndrome sometimes passes as wimpy kid disease or "weak kid disease." Of course, these may all be symptoms of other ailments; but it is wise to check for recent stools. A simple enema or stimulation with a gloved small finger may be all that is needed to solve the problem.
For an enema, add 1/4 teaspoon of soda to one pint of warm water and gently insert with an ear syringe or other device. You may have to use a finger to break up a clumped mass of feces.








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[mikey]

Dehydration
1621




In baby goats, this is usually the result of a prolonged battle with diarrhea. (There are numerous other causes relating to sodium, potassium, etc deficiencies and excesses which can only be confirmed by testing.) The kid may appear unthrifty, the skin will lose its elasticity (will not snap right back into place when pinched and pulled) and, if severe, the eyes will be sunken. Dehydration is always a very serious situation. Not only must you restore the fluid levels to the proper amount, you must also do it in a way as to preserve or enhance the electrolytic balance within the bodily fluids. Also, since dehydration is only a symptom of the primary ailment, you must diagnose and treat the causative problem.
Therefore, deal with the diarrhea as described elsewhere if that is the cause. [Diarrhea] In order to restore the electrolyte balance and fluid level, you can do this is any of three ways: intravenous fluids, subcutaneous fluids, or oral fluids.

Oral electrolyte solutions

For the young animal which is strong enough to nurse, not in imminent danger of death and may have diarrhea, this is best accomplished by means of oral electrolyte solutions. There are several of these available commercially. There are two different types of these and their use is generally dependent on how many days you have been administering them. We use RENEW® (analkaline electrolyte) on days one and two and RE-SORB® (a base electrolyte) on days three and four. You can compare the contents of various brands to try to duplicate these formulas. If you have only one kind, do not hesitate to use that one. Avoid using an alkaline type for more than 2 or 3 days. There are several recipes available for making your own solution at home, mixing salt and soda. These may be okay but we definitely prefer the commercially prepared mixes.Some come with other various nutrients added; these are excellent also.

On the first two days you can go without milk completely and feed just the electrolyte. Some sources say that after that you can mix milk with the electrolyte. Others say that mixing milk with electrolyte prevents proper curd formation and you should always alternate milk and electrolytes, waiting about 4 hours between each. Some continue giving milk from the very beginning, but I prefer to eliminate the milk for a couple of feedings. Whatever you do, don’t starve the dehydrated animal even though it is terribly runny; you’ve got to keep some sort of liquid going through it.

Some products, sold under names like "Electrolytes Plus®" are made with Sodium Bicarbonate, which is the recommended treatment for "Floppy Kid Syndrome." Intraveous electrolytes

If you think you’re really sharp, this is the best way to get fluids to where they are needed and to do it quickly. It is fairly hard to do in a young debilitated animal, especially if you are not experienced. If you already know how to do it, there is no need for me to describe it here except to remind you to warm the liquid to body temperature and have someone observe the animal for a little while after administration. Be sure to use only products labeled for IV use and in the proper amount.

Subcutaneous electrolyte administration

This is a technique which the amateur can easily master, often with very successful results. The major difficulty nowadays is acquiring the fluids. Most of the mail order suppliers no longer carry injectable electrolyte solutions. A standout exception to this is Pipestone Veterinary Supply where you can buy an injectable electrolyte, "5% Dextrose and Lactated Ringer's." Be sure NOT to inject products labeled for oral use or any homemade remedy. (Most suppliers only have ORAL products available now and in the catalogue the bottle may resemble those intended for IV use, so be careful.)

The solution is administered as follows:


Warm the solution to body temperature. For a newborn kid of about 7 pounds, fill a 60 ml syringe with the solution. Grab the skin along the back near the shoulder. While lifting the skin, insert the needle into the "tent" formed where the skin is raised. Slowly depress the plunger and put about half the contents into this area. Withdraw the needle and go to the other side. Repeat the process there, emptying the syringe. Some of the fluid may leak back out of the injection site. That is not a problem. If you need to inject more fluids, use more sites rather than putting more fluid in the same site.
(For your information, the exact dosage is 20 - 30 ml/kg/hr till urination begins, then 10 - 15 ml/kg/hr.)

Repeat this procedure about every hour until the animal urinates. Then either use half the amount or spread the time to two hours. As soon as it appears strong enough to nurse, you can try to switch to oral electrolytes. After the first day (or even before) you can resume feeding milk. Keep an eye on the urine amount to make sure that it roughly equals the amount going in.

There are dangers to administering too much fluid (muscle cramps, excessive urination, stupor, swollen limbs are a few signs). If you have any doubts, you should definitely consult your veterinarian.


WWW Resources

Univ of Georgia  [Fluid therapy]
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[mikey]

Diarrhea (Neonatal)
1801



Always regard diarrhea as a SYMPTOM of a more basic illness which can take many forms. Although we need to start treating the symptom right away so things don’t get out of hand, we need to be constantly trying to discover the real root of the problem. This can be an organism, an environmental factor or something as simple as too much milk. Generally it is not practical to collect feces or bodily tissue for complex laboratory testing. Instead, we have to rely on certain clues based on experience to help us figure out what is wrong and what to do about it. Below, you will find lists. In the first, you can use the color of the feces or general descriptions to go to a page for the disease which matches those symptoms. The second list contains some of the more common causative agents of neonatal diarrhea for speedy cross reference.





SYMPTOMS

Under 5 da, yellow, profuse watery, low temp
Over 10 da, grayish, foul odor, bloody, shreds, temp
Dark, bloody, tissues, weight loss, soiled
Watery brown to black with mucous and blood (rare)
White, sudden
Big eaters, abdom pain, bloody, die with milk in belly
Chronic runs, unthrifty, anemia, swollen belly
Profuse watery, weakness
Watery with mucous and fever
Creamy w/ gas bubbles, wt loss, tenesmus (rare)



DISEASES

Campylobacteriosis
Chlamydial
Coccidiosis
Cl perf C/D
Cryptosporidiosis
E. coli
Malabsorption
Nutritional scours
Salmonella
Viral diarrhea





Your medicine chest should contain the following items for treating diarrhea: kaolin pectin (veterinary use type), Pepto-Bismal® ,Sulmet® oblets ® 2.5G, Terramycin® scours tablets, Probios Bovine One®, rennet tablets, Corid® amprolium, Levasole® sheep boluses, a broad spectrum injectable antibiotic such as pen G or LA200®, a veterinary thermometer. The use of these will be described in the treatment sections which follow.

DIARRHEA TREATMENTS IN GENERAL


If all the above has left you confused. If the runs looks like the runs, but you know you should do something. You’re standing there with an armful of pills and potions. Here is a basic routine that you can start with in just about every case:

Mix up a dose of "alkaline" electrolytes (or whatever kind you have). Most of the packages are designed for calves, so you will have about a half gallon of this stuff, which is much more than you need. Put about 8 ounces of this in a pop bottle and warm it to body temperature. Put a lamb nipple on the pop bottle. Somehow or another you have to get this into the kid. If it is a bottle baby it will tell you that it tastes pretty awful but reluctantly take it, most likely. If the kid is being raised on mom, you may have a project ahead. Take your time and make sure it doesn’t go into the lungs, as you well know! Hopefully, you have not waited so long that the kid is too weak to nurse. When you get this down, you know that your on your way.
Now give a Sulmet® tablet as per the label (one pill per 25 pounds). If the baby is pretty small or you are afraid of it choking on the pill, grind it up (in 2 spoons or mortar and pestal) and stick the powder on the back of the tongue with your finger, a little bit at a time. If the kid is in a group and you suspect coccidiosis you can add the ground up pill to the amprolium solution and give that orally with a small syringe (no needle). Does the kid have a fever? If so, give it a shot of about 1 ml penicillin Procaine G or LA200. This is about all that you can do for about 6 hours, so rest and ponder the situation with careful attention to keeping the area clean, warm and dry.


Some general notes on diarrhea:

Kaolin pectin may be absorbed thru the gut and cause further problems. Pepto-Bismal ® does a better job of protecting the gut lining.
Among experts, there is a new feeling that oral antibiotics may be detrimental and that you should rely more on injectable antibiotics, oral electrolytes and products that restore digestive function.

Powdered milk replacers are mostly indigestible in young animals under ten days of age.

The dosage for amprolium may be confusing when you read the package. If so, put 8 teaspoons of the powder in 8 ounces of water and put this mixture in a sealed jar. Of this amount, give 3 ml per 10 pounds of body weight once per day for 4 or 5 days.

Rennet tablets, such as those by Junket ® for custard or cheese, sometimes help when nothing else seems to. We give one tablet to a kid, once a day for two or three days.

Probiotic products, such as Probios Bovine One Gel®, are very helpful in restoring disgestive funtioning after a bout with diarrhea.


PREVENTION
The following steps will help to prevent diarrhea in its many forms:


Make sure the kid is not overfed or underfed.
Vaccinate the mother with CD/T and give a Vitamin A/D shot 3 weeks before delivery.

Cleanliness is extremely important. This includes careful cleaning of birthing stalls, bedding, bottles, udders to eliminate ingestion of organisms wherever possible.

Cut milk amounts in half at the first sign of loose bowels (for one or two feedings only.





Georgia
Minnesota

Md/Goat Handbook

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[mikey]

Hypothermia

Simply put, hypothermia means that the body temperature has dropped to the point where life is in danger. The most common cause of this is when babies are born outside in cold and oftentimes wet weather and are not dried quickly by the mother. The best way to prevent this, of course, is to have a nice warm dry sheltered area in which the does can deliver and to be there to make sure that the kids are quickly dried off and get some nice warm colostrum going into their little tummies.
But accidents do happen despite our best intentions. Should this happen to you, immediately take the kid into the house. There is no way that sticking a wet and nearly frozen kid under a heat lamp is going to cure anything. It will merely boil the water on the skin and add to the problems. (Never warm a WET animal!)

If the temperature is over 102 degrees, then you need to re-evaluate the diagnosis. Temperatures between 98.6 and 102 indicate "mild" hypothermia if the kid is less than 5 hours old and can usually be taken care of by briskly drying it off and feeding some colostrum. Anything below 98.6 should be considered an emergency.

Any one of several methods will restore the body temp to normal. One that seems kind of funny but which really does a good job is to immerse the kid in a bucket of water. You can start with the water about the same temp as the kid and gradually raise the temp to 100 degrees. Raising the temperature too rapidly by any method can cause the baby to go into shock. After the kid’s temp reaches and maintains 100 degrees, keep the kid in the water for about 10 more minutes. Then remove and dry it and check frequently to make sure that it can maintain the temperature on its own. Dunking the kid in water will remove most of its natural odor and the mother may tend to reject it when you take it back outside. So rub it against one of the other kids before giving it to mom. Some folks take all the kids away from the mom while the weak one is being administered to. Then they are all returned at once, which can confuse the mom a little. An even better way to immerse it is to put the entire baby, except for the head, in a plastic bag. That way the body does not get so wet and the natural odors are preserved.

Warm water enemas can be of help. Surrounding it with warm towels or hot water bottles are also good ideas. Feeding some nice warm colostrum is very helpful.

There is a procedure for injecting glucose into the peritoneal cavity which we may present later. It is probably not something that the amateur would be trying.

Some people use hair dryers with great success but I’m not sure I like that method.

Whatever method is used, the body temperature should be monitored with a thermometer, which is more accurate than the finger in the mouth approach.

There are other causes of hypothermia, mostly related to nutritional deficiences, and these problems must also be dealt with in order to have a long term resolution. These can occur at any age.

[mikey]

Inverted eyelids
1706

12/27/01

Entropion is a condition where the eyelids turn in and rub against the eyeball. This is usually first noticed because of a watery and partially closed eye. It is a good idea to check for this right at delivery. If found, manually roll the lid out and give the lashes a little bit of a pull. Do this every couple of hours for a little while. If there is still a problem, then you must intervene. You can seek help from your veterinarian who may do one of several procedures.
If you want to correct the problem yourself, you can inject with a fine needle a small amount of Pen G or sterile saline into two or three locations of the offending lid (1/2 cc pen G 3/16" from margin of eyelid). It takes a real steady hand and a little bit of courage. I like to use Pen G to help guard against infection, although it is a little hard to get through a fine needle. You may have to repeat the procedure once or twice, but this is not usually the case. Inject enough into each site to cause the lid to puff out a little. If the process is succesful, this will keep the lid from rolling back in. Alternatively, there are little staples or clips available that (supposedly) work quite nicely, but I've never tried them.


Always follow up any treatment with ophthalmic ointment several times per day.
This is apparently an inherited disorder and you may not want to keep the victim for breeding purposes.




Univ of Minnesota
CONSULTANT ©   Cornell's Diagnostic program

[mikey]

Leg problems

Weak joints are a fairly common problem in newborn goats. This will cause the kid to walk on the back part of the lower leg. It's sort of a sad looking ailment which may give you a strong desire to intervene. If the bending is not severe, you can just keep a careful watch of the situation. This may actually encourage the development of stronger muscles and ligaments. If the problem really is severe, you can bind and splint the legs. We make a first layer of Vetrap® and sandwich a popsicle stick between that and a second layer. You have to be real careful that the end of the stick does not cut into the leg and cause an injury. Take the wrap off every other day to check for dampness or injury. Although the process seems pretty hopeless, we have never had one that did not result in a complete recovery. I do not know if this would have happened had we always chosen to do nothing or not. At least it makes you feel like you have done "something."

[mikey]

Navel ill
1771

This is a term describing a systemic infection which starts at the navel and causes other symptoms throughout the body. It is prevented by careful application of iodine or other antiseptic to the navel at birth and keeping the newborn kid in a clean environment until the navel is dried and no longer susceptible to bacterial penetration. It is frequently accompanied by a high fever and painful, swollen joints. It is a VERY serious ailment and should be treated immediately and aggressively.
Since the disease can be caused by any number of organisms it is really not practical to search for the cause. The organisms can even enter other wounds or be ingested. There is some thinking than maternal uterine infections can be causative.

You may first notice a fever as high as 106 degrees. The kid may stop sucking. There may be thickening with or without pus around the navel. It may show some lameness and stand with a "tucked up" appearance with swollen and painful joints. There may be a rapid pulse and breathing. In severe cases there may be a discharge from the joints.

Treatment

Begin immediate treatment with penicillin at least every 8 hours for five days. Some sources say to give the penicillin every 3 hours the first day or so. Drain but do not lance any abscesses at the umbilicus. If it is fly season, you will have to use something to keep flies from laying eggs there. If there is also diarrhea, you can add sulfa to the treatment routine.

Since this disease is so serious, if there is any herniation at birth or anything leading you to suspect that the kid may be a likely candidate for navel ill, you should start a regimen of penicillin right away.

If it is any encouragement, we were able to cure a calf with severe navel ill by aggressive treatment with penicillin as outlined above.

[mikey]

Urolithiasis
1871



Any obstruction of the urethra because of mineral deposits is referred to as urolithiasis or "calculi." It is very common in neutered male cats, fairly common in male lambs and an occasional occurrence in kids and calves.
The most common signs are: Lack of urination, dribbling, kicking at the belly, bloody but scant urine, swollen abdomen, obvious abdominal pain, lack of appetite, depression, a twitching tail. The kid may do a lot of getting up and down. It is most common in castrated males of all species and is more likely in cold weather and in situations where water intake is limited.

Emergency Treatment

This will take a little courage. In sheep and goats the male has a little curly thing called a urethral process (aka vermiform appendage) on the end of the penis. This has to be cut off with small sharp scissors. Then a needle (on a 12 ml syringe which contains warm sterile saline) which has had the end dulled and carefully rounded off is inserted into the penis. Gently squeeze some of the saline into the penis and hold it in there for a minute or two. The warm saline should have a relaxing effect on the urethra so that after the syringe is withdrawn and pressure is removed the crystals may pass freely on their own. Try this procedure a few times, but don't let the liquid get cool. If this fails the urethra can sometimes be flushed out by gently squirting sterile saline back into the bladder, carrying the crystals with it. When the obstruction is removed, the kid will suddenly start to urinate. You may need to repeat the program every few hours. If unsuccessful, seal off the penis by hand, withdraw the needle, let the penis withdraw into the sheath. It may pass urine on its own in 1 - 2 hours.

You MUST restrict the flow of urine once it starts because a too-rapid emptying of the bladder at this time will cause the kid to go into shock. You should check to make sure that there is no fluid in the abdominal cavity because of a ruptured bladder. This can be checked and drained with hypodermic needle. These activities should be followed by a course of penicillin shots for 3 or 4 days. Since this ailment may be accompanied by bloat, that should be watched for as well. Some attention may have to be given to restoring the appetite.

Prevention

In situations where you feel that there is a danger of developing urolithiasis because of local water or feed conditions, you can add ammonium chloride to the diet.





Univ of Minnesota
CONSULTANT ©   Cornell's Diagnostic program

[mikey]

The WIMPY KID page
The purpose of this page is to provide a simple down-to-earth place to help deal with those kids who at birth or shortly thereafter look like the proverbial dish-rag. Because we know that you are probably not one of the fortunate few who have a complete diagnostic laboratory in your kitchen, we won’t be spending a lot of time talking about specific technical causes of the problem. Besides, you won’t have time for all that. By the time the blood and tissue samples are all analyzed by the lab and by the time Dr. Dolittle gets around to notifying you of the results, the kid will probably be buried under the favorite tree out back.
Random introductory comments

Our term "Wimpy kid" refers to ANY newborn goat baby ten days of age or younger which DOES have a viable heart beat, IS breathing normally or at least attempting to, but has readily observeable muscle weakness with difficulty in standing, walking, nursing, maintaining body heat, and performing digestive functions. Other terms that may refer to this include: weak babies, cachexia, premature, depressed, lack of muscle tone, weak and/or swollen joints, motor difficulties (and probably a lot of others).

"Wimpy kid" is not to be confused with the term "Floppy kid syndrome," which is a technical term referring to a particular set of symptoms centering around a finding of metabolic acidosis. Recent work on this ailment, long noticed by goat raisers but only recently substantiated by clinical and laboratory investigation, has also been very important in understanding which treatment measures are successful. Just because a baby hangs limp in your arms does does mean that it has this particular disease.

Prevention, by getting the kid to nurse right away either by helping it find the nipple on mom or by squirting about 6 oz of colostrum into a bottle and hand feeding as soon as the birth fluids are well-cleared from the lungs, will go a long way in getting the little ones off to a strong start. Some people tube feed some colostrum into all babies right away. We feel that this needs to be done only for those who show an inability to suck. Irregardless of the method, heroic efforts exerted at this important time (no latter how late the hour or how tired the "midwife") will save a lot of lives and a lot of hard, frustrating work over the next few days.


Warmth

It is essential that the weak baby be kept warm. It simply does not have the energy reserves to maintain life AND body temperature. This can be done by any of the following:
Heat lamps: By far, the largest single cause of barn fires is heat lamps falling into the bedding hay. If used, these should be secured with strong WIRE and not twine, the clamps that come with them or any other hurried creation. They should also be used in such a way as to provide a uniform temperature throughout the day and night, not just when the outside temperature is lowest. Remember that radiant heat does not warm the air, only objects which it strikes. The air which the baby breathes will still be cold. Any animal placed under a heat lamp should be checked frequently to make sure that it is not too warm. A wet animal should NEVER be placed under a heat lamp; take the time to make sure it is thoroughly dry. As the baby gets better, gradually raise the lamp rather than suddenly removing it.
Warming the air: Whenever possible, and I realize that this is easier said than done, the air itself should be warmed to a reasonble temperature, depending on the condition of the baby. This will lead to greater expense and the danger of fire should always be considered.

Jackets: Little baby jackets can easily be made out of old sweatshirts, sweaters, coats and the like. These are excellent ways to help preserve body heat. Make sure they are kept dry and clean, since a weak kid will not always be very selective in its toilet habits. Also, make sure that they are designed in such a way that they don’t strangle or hang the baby.

Heating pads: Several suppliers offer (rather expensive) waterproof electric heating pads, mostly designed for canine use. Some of these are excellent and will provide a steady supply of regulated heat. The heating pads designed for people use can be placed in a box NEXT TO or OVER the patient, but NEVER under. Other devices such as heated artificial rocks for reptile cages can be used with care; more of these are coming onto the market all the time.

Into the house: If you have ever visited a sheep farming family during lambing season, you’ll find any number of little boxes in the house each containing one or more little "bummer" lambs. There are several reasons which make this the best choice. The baby and the surrounding air can be kept at a uniform, comfortable temperature. The patient is readily available for feeding, cleaning and checking without having to make all those trips to the barn. And if you’re looking for a particularly good way to aggravate the wife, make sure you don’t participate in keeping the mess cleaned up.

Under the covers: You won’t find this one in your fancy text books, but I’ve never failed to revive a dying baby when at the end of a long hard day of maternity care we both curl up under the electric blanket for a nice nap. It works pretty good too if you’re looking for an excuse for a divorce.


Treat diarrhea or constipation as needed

Diarrhea

Kaopectate, Peptobismal® [Don’t use products containing depressants, narcotics, tranquilizers on weak babies]
Rennet
See sections on Neonatal diarrhea


Constipation

This problem is extremely common in baby goats. Frequently, kids do not pass the myconeum the black, pasty first poop and will lose their appetites shortly after birth. This situation is usually mistaken for some other exotic ailment and incorrect treatment remedies only do more harm than good. The kid may lie on its side, kick randomly while standing or lying down, walk aimlessly and/or be nervous. It can easily be corrected by gentle enemas, digital stimulation (finger in anus, gently) or a warm, wet cloth passed over the anus. Use mineral oil and other laxatives with extreme caution in babies, since they can have some negative effects. Finally, be aware that it is faily common for diarrhea to follow the successful treatment of constipation. More on this can be found at Constipation

Legs - splints

One of the most common problems in weak kids is that there will be weakness in the joints and tendons of the legs. This will cause it to walk either on the front of the knucles or on the back part of the lower leg. (I’m sure that there lots of technical terms for these, but they aren’t available in the memory bank right now!) This condition may be hereditary and you should probably make note of which kids are affected so that this is taken to consideration when breeding plans are made.
This problem is easily taken care of by applying splints to the affected joints. Tongue depressers make excellect splints for the babies. Popsicle sticks can also be used. Be sure to wrap the leg with Vetrap® first, then tape on the splint using black electrician’s tape or some similar strong tape. We usually put the splints on the front of the leg. Do not get it too tight so as to restrict the circulation and tape it high enough that the splint cannot pull loose from the leg. Always put the splint all the way to the bottom of the foot and secure it firmly there with the tape.

Take the materials off every other day or so to check your progress, to make sure everything is nice and dry and not too tight and to make sure that you have not caused any injuries, which will rapidly become infected. The tongue depressers can be easily shortened with strong scissors.

Treat local symptoms
Some problems may have to be ignored until life-threatening conditions are resolved. Others can receive temporary treatment measures. For example, cloudy eyes, which can be a symptom of any number of broader disorders, can receive a little ointment for relief without knowing the cause. Hot swollen joints can be helped with aspirin and arthritis pain rub long before the exact cause is known.

Feeding

How to get the kid to nurse off mom

On just about every page it seems we have emphasized the importance of helping the baby learn to nurse as soon as possible after birth. Once the fluid has been cleared from the lungs, it is time to start the training. Should every attempt to get the kid to nurse off mom fail, milk 4 - 8 ounces of colostrum into a small "nipple bottle" and feed it directly to the kid without delay. Once a little has reached the taste buds in the mouth, the nursing instinct will be stimulated in almost every case. (More hints on bottle feeding will be offered below.)
Before you try the kid on mom, milk out one or two squirts from each teat into a towel in order to guarantee that the "plug" has been removed and that milk is flowing freely. If nothing comes out, either she has no milk or you need to work further on the plug. Sometimes you will need to manipulate the plug out with gentle force by squeezing and sliding your thumb and forefinger down the teat. Never insert a foreign object into the teat to remove the plug. (The following technique may sound overly-acrobatic, but do it anyway--because I said so!) With the dam restrained, preferably by someone holding her, lie all the way on the ground on your side or back so that you are looking up at the mom's belly. With the kid held in a position so that it is about ready to nurse, squirt a drop or two of milk onto your finger. Put the milky finger into the kids mouth and try to get the kid to suck on your finger. If you succeed, it will make the next step easier; if you don't, then go to the next step anyhow. While holding the kid's mouth slightly open, use the other hand to squirt a small amount into the mouth. Try to aim the stream so that it hits against the tongue or some other part so that the milk has an opportunity to stimulate the taste buds and does not just run down the throat in such a way that it can get into the lungs. You are trying to get the kid to want the milk and go searching for it rather than just passively letting you pour it down the throat. This will do so much more to train it to nurse on its own. Usually it will start wiggling around trying to find out where this good-tasting stuff is coming from and your job is now simply one of helping it find the teat by moving the teat to the kid rather than trying to force the kid toward the teat. By lying completely on the ground, all your efforts can be directed toward this one task. Otherwise, you will find yourself standing on your head, off-balance, fighting with a reluctant kid who is trying to go backwards and, by now, a mom who is getting very impatient with your silliness. It may take several attempts before the kid learns how to grasp the teat, but if you reward it frequently with a little milk aimed into the mouth, you'll find that a few minutes spent in this ungraceful-looking position will save many minutes or even hours spent fighting with an unwilling partner. If you have to force the situation, use the index finger of one hand to hold the mouth open while inserting the teat into the mouth with the other hand. You will be more apt to be successful if you make a real mess of the job and start the stream BEFORE the teat gets into the mouth so that there is an opportunity to taste the milk before this strange object is jammed into its mouth. If failure continues, go back to the milk-on-the-finger step and get it sucking on your finger once again. The most important thing is to stimulate the sucking instinct; if this is present, the rest will follow.


How to get the kid to take a bottle

This is one of the hardest and most important things in all of goat raising. Several of the above techniques described above will help here as well. Try to convince the kid to suck on your milky finger. If you are feeding powdered milk, use any kind of whole milk (such as cow milk, condensed milk) to get it started. They don't usually like the taste of most powdered replacers. Make sure the nipple is rather soft, not a brand new hard one. Try putting just the very tip of the nipple in the mouth and squirting a small amount in ahead of it, making the kid reach for it a litte. You can try sliding the nipple in and out of the mouth a little.
Sometimes kids will nurse better if you have your finger in its mouth along side of the nipple and wiggle it around a little bit.

Some kids learn easier when sucking out of a small bowel or bucket. Stick your finger in the mouth and dip the mouth into the milk. The kid will get some in the nose, but that's OK.

Have various family members try. Sometimes one (usually one of your children) seems to have good luck when others fail and for no obvious reason.

If this is a kid which you purchased from someone else, try to acquire and use the same product which they were using and then gradually make the trasition to the type of milk that you will be using.

It's a lot better for the milk to pour out the side of the kids mouth than to have it running down the throat into the lungs.

[Without getting into a lot of technical details, it is important that the reticular groove reflex be stimulated by genuine sucking so that the milk doesn't end up in the wrong stomach, where it cannot be digested and will only cause further illness.]


Oral electrolytes

If the nursing instinct is intact but the intake of milk is inadequate to meet the needs of the baby (diarrhea, imbalances, malabsorption), an excellent choice is the use of oral electrolyte preparations. These usually come in packages of powder to which warm water is to be added. Most kids will take a while to adjust to the awful taste of these products, but do so eventually. While they do not contain a large number of nutrients, their use can sustain life for a few days while underlying causes are corrected. Their main purpose is to restore the electrolyte balance, which has usually been upset in kids which are critically ill.
This topic is also covered in our section on dehydration.


SQ (IV) electrolytes

One of the best ways to increase the chance of survival in a weak newborn is to give electrolytes intraveneously or subcutaneously. The only mail order source which I am aware of is Pipestone Veterinary Supply who offer "5% Dextrose and Lactated Ringers," item #1631, page 43. (Some vets will sell you electrolytes intended for IV use.) The product should be warmed to room or near body temp and given at the rate of 40 ml per 10 pound of kid twice a day (per Pipestone). We would recommend that the average person stick to subcutaneous administration since IV use in a baby animal can be quite difficult as well as dangerous.
We would also recommend that no more than 10 ml be injected into any one site. Any location where the skin is loose along the upper sides of the animal is suitable for administration. We prefer to give it 4 times per day (every 6 hours) at the rate of 20 ml per 10 pounds (10 cc per site). This is a case where more is NOT better since the kidneys may be unable to keep up with the amount administered. With a little practice and careful observation, you will become quite adept at arriving at the correct dosage. In some cases, the results will indeed be quite miraculous. [For the humorously inclined, you can create a squirting pincushion out of your darling little patient if you get enough liquid slushing around under the skin.]


Tube feeding

Tube feeding kits can be obtained from Pipestone; instruction for use are included with the kit. You can make your own by attaching a catheter to a regular syringe. Oral elctrolytes or milk can be fed in this manner. If the kid is strong enough to swallow in a normal manner, the tube can end on the back of the tongue if the situation is closely monitored. Regular tube feeding involves inserting a tube into the mouth and carefully passing it into the stomach. One should listen to the open end of the tube; if breathing sounds are heard, the tube should be withdrawn and re-insterted. If done properly, the only sounds, if any, will be of the digestive process. The syringe is then attached and filled with the desired amount of liquid while closing off the tube with the other hand until administration is desired. (If troubles occur, quickly remove the syringe from the tube, pinch off the tube and quickly withdraw it. Never withdraw the tube in such a manner that it can release liquid into the lungs as it is being withdrawn.) When you are ready, release a small amount of liquid to check the positioning of the tube. If there are no problems, the entire amount can then be released. It is helpful to have a partner refilling the syringe as needed until the whole amount has been given.
Always keep a secure grip on the tube with one hand, since it is quite easy for the baby to swallow it...which is a genuine disaster!


Abdominal glucose administration

This is a procedure which I have never undertaken. Some people inject about 35 ml of 20% glucose into the abdomen at a location about 1 cm to the side and 2 cm behind the navel, pointing the needle toward the rump (about 45 degree angle).

Nutritional supplements

Numerous products, such as Nutrical®, enhanced electrolyte preparations, microbials with vitamins, etc, are available through most suppliers.

Floppy Kid Syndrome
You can find a lot of non-functional links on the Internet about this mysterious disease. The "gist" of the matter is that it is a little-understood ailment which has acidosis as it's most distinctive clinical feature. Technically, I think it generally refers to a syndrome in which the kids appear fairly strong and normal at birth, but later turn into completely limp little "dishrags." The treatment is 1/2 tsp of baking soda given orally in cold water, according to reports citing Dr. Mary C. Smith of Cornell. And the good thing is that it's certainly worth a try since it can't do much harm if the diagnosis is wrong.

Misc things to try as a stab in the dark
Probios® - Contains microbes that help the digestive process
Clostridium perfringens Type C&D antitoxin - usually for older babies
Antibiotics

LA200® - the antibiotic of choice for undiagnosed infections in baby animals
Tylan® PenG - good choice if fever, but need to give every 8 - 12 hours
Sulmet (can give w/ systemic PenG) - oral sulfa bolus Terramycin tablets
Vitamin B Complex - Good for neurological problems, 1 ml every 1 or 2 days

Many vets recommend SQ administration, but we prefer IM.

Vitamin AD - Ricketts, eyes, mucous membranes; every 2 - 3 weeks
BoSe (Selenium and or VetE); Lse

Only obtainable from vet, but of extremely value if weakness due to selenium/Vitamin E deficiency (White muscle disease)

Aspirin (arthritis, swollen joints, fever, unspecific pain)
Epinephrine - as cardiac stimulant as last resort
Vicks®
Companionship as stimulant

Sometimes a very sick animal responds well to the presence of another animal as a source of companionship and body heat. One would not, of course, want to use a valuable potential breeder as a companion for one which has a contagious disease.