Post by mtnmama on Apr 25, 2009 13:43:20 GMT -5
I have a LaMancha buckling born 1 month ago to a doe who we have a hard time keeping in thrifty condition. We seperated her from the rest of the herd because of this and didn't want her to mate with the buck thhis year. Somehow an "oops" happened. She didn't show ANY signs of pregnancy. DH went out to shut in everyone for the night and found her with one dead and one BARELY alive babies. She's doing great now. We brought the little one in, warmed him up quickly and gave him colostrum from another just freshened doe. Mama never developed an udder and had only a trickle of milk when I tried to milk her and check her udder every day. She ran when we tried to give her baby back and had nothing to do with him, so I brought him back in the house and keep him in even now at night, out in a seperate pen with another month old buckling for company in the daytime. He couldn't walk, I bottle feed him, gave a dose or two of selenium gel (that's all I could order here, no vet and no one ever heard of BoSe around here), gave him B- Complex and a vit. E capsule in one bottle per day. He started walking (wobbly) and even ran a couple of times. Then he stopped and had absolutely no use of his legs for about a week. I kept exercising his legs a number of times a day, and resumed the B & E vit.'s daily with one more dose of selenium gel (I'm afraid of overdosing and I don't really know how much to give). He can now stand on his front legs, hold himself in an upright position without propping him, and balance but not really move his back legs. Is there anything else I can do? What do you think this is? CAN he get better? Needless to say, Charlie and I have really bonded, and I don't want to lose him. But I also will do what I have to if this is all useless and there's no hope. He eats, poos, urinates normally. He is bright eyed and even butts the other goat occ. Seems happy. He is nibbling hay, LOVES dandelions, and sipping water. Loves to tear up magazines, too! He's in no pain whatsoever. Sorry this is so long. I just am afraid of your answers when I end it. Thanks for any help.