This is my 3rd attempt at this question (interruptions & disconnection). I want to thank all who responded to my earlier question about isolating doe. Helped a lot. Doe had triplets on the 13th. 2 males 1 female. All was ok till last few days. Female getting weaker and found cold in stall this am. Brought in house, held for awhile, now in box. Sm amt can goat milk/water squirted in mouth frequently. Will swallow, not sucking. Crying a little bit, lethargic. 2 males reamin with mom and seem full of life. Noted what looks like poss lice on kids. Dusted with SEVIN dust (dust 2 yrs old-still effective?). Mom goat with diarhea today. Have not wormed recently. Any do's/don't? Appreciate all advice.

-- Fabienne Vernon (resourcefulhome@conninc.com), March 27, 2001

Answers

I know others who are more hesitant to use antibiotics will disagree with me, but any time I have found a kid I was sure would die before tomorrow, I have started it on penicillin and it has come remarkably back to life:-) I figure, what's to lose?

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), March 27, 2001.

I agree with Mary. Use the penicillen...you definitely have nothing to lose!! Maybe try electrolyte solution,also. Why is it that this stuff always happens to the does and not the bucks??? Good luck.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), March 27, 2001.

The usual conclusion is simply that her brothers are not letting her nurse, thus you have a weak malnurished kid. Anyway you can milk the doe and feed the girl the milk? Anybody around you know how to tube her? It takes a lot of syringes of milk to fill up a belly that is empty. And if you don't fill the belly 3 times a day she will get dehydrated, a goat with no calories dies because they can not keep themselves warm. Throw some towles into the dryer, when warm put her in with the towles, don't turn on the dryer. Be very careful of using heating pads as they dehydrate the kids very quickly. With the dam now with diarrhea you probably have mastitis, or worms. Is the udder soft and empty from the kids nursing? Is the udder hot? Squirt some milk into a cup, even warm it should taste wonderful. What color are the gums and eyelids of the Mom? They should be pink and healthy. With lice and worms you may also be dealing with an anemic mom with a less than adequate milk supply. Start watching the boys carefully also. Lice has to be dealt with now, and then in 21 days when the eggs hatch and reinfest everything, you have to do the pen and bedding also, but if using Sevin around infants, you will probably poison them since they pick up everything with their mouths. What is the temp on the kid. If it is sub 102, she probably will die without vet intervention, fluids, tubing etc. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 27, 2001.

The doeling died in my arms tonight. Too little too late, I guess. Have offered males bottles, have taken a oz @ a time. Bonnie's (mom goat) udder is soft and warm-not hot. Will try to milk her tomorrow and just start bottle feeding males. Males remain lively. Gave Bonnie dewormer tonight. What should I use for lice? Should I wash off goats tomorrow to remove any SEVIN dust (recommended by feed store) still there. Temps to get up to 60 tomorrow. Thank you for your responces.

-- Fabienne (resourcefulhome@conninc.com), March 27, 2001.

We use Inermectin Pour-On for our Angora goats to control lice.

-- David in NH (grayfoxfarm@mcttelecom.com), March 27, 2001.

So sorry about your doeling. I know it hurts to lose one that way. We have also used the Ivomectin pour-on for lice.

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), March 27, 2001.

What did you worm with and how much? If you choose to use Ivermectin might as well buy the 1% Cattle Injectable (not the Plus) and use it as a wormer, orally at 2cc per 100 pounds, injected at 1cc per 110 pounds it works on lice, mites and nose bots. And yes give it to her both ways on the same day, repeating this in 21 days. Use the Sevin in the goat pens today and also in 21 days, making sure you either bed over the sevin or rake it into the ground really well. Probios, baking soda, and yogurt with acidopholis in it will help the diarrhea, remember a dehydrated goat from diarrhea is not going to produce as much milk. Lots of good hay right now, be careful if you are increasing her grain to fast. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 28, 2001.