Here's an interesting problem I've run across...
When I first started bottle feeding, I was adding some probiotic powder (can't remember the name off the top of my head...but it was designed primarily for goats and was all that was available at our local TSC). My boss had used Probios in the past and I found a jar of it I had ordered last spring while trying to save an abandoned fawn. It doesn't expire until next year or so and I figured it was better so I switched the fawns over to it. 1 tsp (5g) in each of their bottles once each morning...the other stuff recommended 2.5g each.
When I begun doing that...about 2 days in, both fawns developed the runs.
I had been surfing the old forums on this site last year when I was raising the abandoned fawn and had picked up some tincture of iodine wound solution specifically to cure the runs in that fawn...unfortunately it had passed away before all the stuff I'd ordered had arrived.
Anyway... I added 1cc of iodine to each bottle for the first feeding and then 1/2cc to each additional bottle for the next 2 days until 24 hours after they were having solid bowel movements again. Once I got them off the iodine solution, I begun to give them probiotics to help get their systems balanced again since I've heard the iodine basically clears out all the beneficial bacteria in their system. Within 24 hours, they've both developed the runs again. There's only 2 things changed...removal of the iodine in each bottle and the addition of Probiotics once yesterday and once today.
I started them back on the iodine and once again and won't be adding the probiotics tomorrow...
So now I'm left with 2 questions:
1.) When I get them back to having solid bowel movements, are probiotics even necessary since they have access to a pen with fresh grass and an area where I went through and tilled up the dirt to give them an area where they can munch on some fresh dirt?
2.) What is the likelihood that the Probios is causing the runs? ...or am I just shocking their systems and do I need to start gently with the Probios and work them up to 5g/day over a period of multiple days?
When I first started bottle feeding, I was adding some probiotic powder (can't remember the name off the top of my head...but it was designed primarily for goats and was all that was available at our local TSC). My boss had used Probios in the past and I found a jar of it I had ordered last spring while trying to save an abandoned fawn. It doesn't expire until next year or so and I figured it was better so I switched the fawns over to it. 1 tsp (5g) in each of their bottles once each morning...the other stuff recommended 2.5g each.
When I begun doing that...about 2 days in, both fawns developed the runs.
I had been surfing the old forums on this site last year when I was raising the abandoned fawn and had picked up some tincture of iodine wound solution specifically to cure the runs in that fawn...unfortunately it had passed away before all the stuff I'd ordered had arrived.
Anyway... I added 1cc of iodine to each bottle for the first feeding and then 1/2cc to each additional bottle for the next 2 days until 24 hours after they were having solid bowel movements again. Once I got them off the iodine solution, I begun to give them probiotics to help get their systems balanced again since I've heard the iodine basically clears out all the beneficial bacteria in their system. Within 24 hours, they've both developed the runs again. There's only 2 things changed...removal of the iodine in each bottle and the addition of Probiotics once yesterday and once today.
I started them back on the iodine and once again and won't be adding the probiotics tomorrow...
So now I'm left with 2 questions:
1.) When I get them back to having solid bowel movements, are probiotics even necessary since they have access to a pen with fresh grass and an area where I went through and tilled up the dirt to give them an area where they can munch on some fresh dirt?
2.) What is the likelihood that the Probios is causing the runs? ...or am I just shocking their systems and do I need to start gently with the Probios and work them up to 5g/day over a period of multiple days?