What is the best things to do for a newborn who is just sluggish/weak for no apparent reason? What is a normal poop for a newborn kid, are there ways to avoid the “he was fine last night”?

By Deb Haines – 1) What is the best things to do for a newborn who is just sluggish/weak for no apparent reason?

Answer…..Karo syrup or pancake syrup a simple, rapid sugar blast rub it on their gums. The idea is to give just enough energy to be able to suckle, which then provides the energy they need. May have to hold them to mom, but if they get nursing, they fix their own problem.

2) Are there any supplements or minerals needed with new kids other than moms milk for their health?

Answer…..Not really if mom was appropriately fed prior to kidding. Selenium and a cd/t vaccine are suggested at 30 days prekidding date and then kids get maximum benefit of both. Other than that, nothing else is needed if the kids are nursing from mom. No herbs, no this, no that Nature is smarter than humans and has already provided what the kid needs in the form of colostrum and milk.Adding things is more likely to prevent colostrum absorption and disrupt milk digestion, so the opposite will occur when you try to add to Nature’s Own milk

3) What to do for constipated kids in the first week?

Answer….First, are they eating enough? Little in = little out. Cow milk is one culprit (low on fat and protein so

less solids to defecate) as is not nursing. Poor quality replacers are another cause the anus clean? Mom licks it clean regularly and this stimulates defecating, so you can mimic this action with a warm washcloth.

If all else fails, get a warm bowl of water (recall the heating discussion above) at about 100 degrees or so, add a drop or two of Dawn plain soap (or no soap at all), and gently infuse ~1cc per lb of kid weight of water into the rectum slowly. In a while should get a poop, and if not that is OK as well usually the water is expelled if there is no feces. If nothing in 10-15 minutes, repeat once. Do *not* use Fleet enema or human preparations as they can really mess up the metabolism and cause a very sick goat. Water is just fine.

4) What is a normal poop for a newborn kid and how long before it switches over to a more solid form?

Answer…..Day 0 it is going to be meconium black and tarry

This will continue as a normal poop for the first day as the GI system is cleared out.

Once are consuming milk, the feces turns yellow and is a consistency of paste or more liquid very normal. If it does remain very liquid in consistency, you may be feeding too little or too much food (usually too much)

5) Are there ways to avoid the “he was fine last night then I found him dead” scenario? Are there ways to avoid unexpected death and what age are they “out of the woods” for that?

Answer….It really depends sudden death in kids and week old goats can be from E coli infection, clostridial infection, salmonella, malnutrition. If the kids are fed well and received adequate colostrum, are kept warm in colder areas, and have received a cd/t vaccine if needed in first week of life, the chances of the problem are decreased. Sometimes, young kids just die accidental smothering by the doe is one cause. Nutrition is a major problem weakness from lack of food is often blamed on floppy kid syndrome or some other deficiency, when the deficiency is in food consumed (quality or quantity).