My little one has been taking 4 0z. every 4 hours. She is a week old today. She nibbles grass and dirt. It was a struggle at first, (at least more of one) but now she eats well. After she is done, though, she bolts away and is very spooky. I kept her in the living room for a few hours last night to try and get her to be not so flighty. Anyway, this morning at 6 and at 10 she has had two pretty loose stools. She has been good until now. A little soft maybe, but not runny. It is getting to the runny point. I'm gonna not stimulate her next feeding but I think I would like to either give her some pumpkin or pepto-bismol to try and nip it in the bud. My question is how much should I give her? Pepto mixed in with milk or pumpkin mix in with milk. How much of either? Any suggestions?
woody said:
Woody,
Overstimulating can also lead to soft stool. We are happy stimulating bowel movements twice a day and urination every time if possible. I know on the doe its a little harder to not stimulate the anus, but it seems as though you don't have to stimulate very much to get them to urinate a little.
Good luck,
John
Well, I just tried the pumpkin. I put a little less than a teaspoon in 4 oz. I thought I beat it up pretty good but about 1/2 way through, the pumpkin floaties were blocking the nipple. She couldn't get any and got frustrated and stopped drinking. I got about 2 oz. of regular goats milk and fed her the rest of that. I did not stimulate her either. And as usual, she booked right out as soon as she was finished.
I'm gonna whip the crap out of the next batch (maybe use my wife's blender) and hope she drinks it all. I think she would have if it didn't get blocked. I guess I could cut the nipple bigger but I didn't want it coming out too fast and choke her. Thanks for the help and I guess we'll see what happens at the next feeding.
I'm gonna whip the crap out of the next batch (maybe use my wife's blender) and hope she drinks it all. I think she would have if it didn't get blocked. I guess I could cut the nipple bigger but I didn't want it coming out too fast and choke her. Thanks for the help and I guess we'll see what happens at the next feeding.Woody the two things that come to mind are like already said, Too much stimulating plus grass. Once they start picking at the vegetation their diet is alterd and you just may see the stool get a little loose. Give em a little time to adjust to the new diet. If you throw all the tricks out right away you may not know what caused the loose stool to begin with. Diet change always alters stools.
If in doubt, eat some sauerkraut. Just my thought`s.
If in doubt, eat some sauerkraut. Just my thought`s.
I would do 1.5 tsp to 4 oz. to see if it will work. If not i would then go 1 tsp. to 4 oz. Mix well. It has worked for me! Good Luck!
I use 1 heaping spoo full per 4 oz . I use it until they start to stiffen up but some use it every feeding doesn't hurt either way.
Well I tried 1 tsp. of pepto in 4 oz. cause I figured it would go right down. It did. I did that twice last night and once this morning. I didn't stimulate her last night but she went on her own while she was eating. Still pretty runny. This morning she went again and it was a little (very little) firmer but now it is a dark greenish almost black looking. Not quite black though. She is alert and hungry, she even was looking and chewing around for the bottle. I tried to get her to just eat some pumpkin off my finger but no go. I'm gonna puree some pumpkin and blend it into her milk today, along with some plain yogurt. I guess I'll see how that does. Is this an OK plan or should I try or not try something else. One thing for sure, this is definitely a learning experience! Stressful learning experience though.
Woody you didn't mention is she eating any dirt. Fresh dug break up the clumps and let her eat her fill. A slightly larger hole in that nipple might be called for as I have not had a problem getting the pumpkin through mine. The green color might be from the clover or what ever your giving her. Rick
Ok. Just fed her again. I'll try to give all the info I got. Yes she gets dirt and I have seen her eat just a little of it. I fed her a pretty nice size tsp. of pumpkin in 5 oz. of milk.(I forgot the yogurt at my shop) I cut a small "x" in the nipple hole and she has no problem wolfing in down. I didn't stimulate her and she pooped on her own. Now it is black and kinda like soft tar or pudding. Other than that she seems healthy and happy. She even snuffled around my hands and shirt looking for more but then, as usual, booked off. Do I need to give her any medication cause of the black poop or could that be from the pepto? If it doesn't straighten out I'll go with kaopectate next. How much? I'm not freaked yet but it's creeping in.
Probiotics and Albon (or other sulfa-based oral) would be my recommendation. Rather than just clog it up, correct the reason it started in the first place.
Not always Dc. the only sure way to tell if coccidia and or ecoli is present and that`s to have the vet look at it under a scope.
Diet change will alter the color of the poopies. If they start eating a lot of greens they tend to get dark green in color. Normally what goes in is going to come out.
Woody if in doubt have a sample tested. No sence medicating if something isn`t there. If ya kill bacteria with antibiotics make sure to reintroduce new . Probiotics.
Diet change will alter the color of the poopies. If they start eating a lot of greens they tend to get dark green in color. Normally what goes in is going to come out.
Woody if in doubt have a sample tested. No sence medicating if something isn`t there. If ya kill bacteria with antibiotics make sure to reintroduce new . Probiotics.
Dc what I started doing along time ago was having a sample done to know for sure what I`m dealing with but if the vet wasn`t there at that time I would treat for Ecoli & Coccidia so no more time would laps with nothing done. That`s why I say to reintroduce bacteria. Ecoli & Coccidia can travel fawn to fawn very quickly if they are kept together.
Robbie is right about, if in doubt treat.
Now color Dc, I have had cases of Coccidia that had no color variation. When I knew for sure, there was blood present. Sampling is the only sure way to tell.
Robbie is right about, if in doubt treat.
Now color Dc, I have had cases of Coccidia that had no color variation. When I knew for sure, there was blood present. Sampling is the only sure way to tell.
Sorry about being in and out. I also have my own taxidermy studio and I NEED to keep trying to get some work done. I'm way,way behind. This bottle feeding has taken up ALOT more time than I expected!! Anyway, I guess I can give a sample to the vet and see what she says. I do have my other girl in there with the little one but she is fine. I figured if it turned to liquid runs I would seperate them. I don't believe she is eating that much grass but I'm not around all the time so I'm not sure. Also, being black is nothing to panic about? So to sum up a plan, I'll keep her on the pumpkin for a day or two, get some probotics in her, and see about getting a sample to the vet. Does that sound OK?
Thanks DC. (and everyone else) I'll roll with it until tomorrow and see what happens. I do have feed there for them and try to make them eat just a pellet or so every time I feed. Also, I have given my first fawn a few small pieces of wheat bread. She sometimes eats it and sometimes spits it out. The little one doesn't swallow the wheat bread, yet. OK, so back to work. Thanks all!!! What did the fish say when he swam into the concrete?? ..."Dam"
I'll roll with it until tomorrow and see what happens. I do have feed there for them and try to make them eat just a pellet or so every time I feed. Also, I have given my first fawn a few small pieces of wheat bread. She sometimes eats it and sometimes spits it out. The little one doesn't swallow the wheat bread, yet. OK, so back to work. Thanks all!!! What did the fish say when he swam into the concrete?? ..."Dam"