# Constipated Newborn



## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

I have a newborn that I believe to be constipated. She is a little weaker than hew two siblings and I do not see poop on her butt. I have been tubing her, as she is not taking the bottle, although she did the first two feedings. I am giving her BoSe and Vit E. I've read the threads on constipation and how an enema won't really help much. I went and bought the child suppositories, but how on earth do you get it in?

I'll go to the store to get Karo syrup.

Should I keep tubing her? She's due for another feeding.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I would try the suppository before you start giving Karo. To get the supp into the baby I just lay them over my lap, head to the right, tail to the left since I am left handed and slide it in. Then I hold the baby with its tail down for a while to make sure the suppository melts. She should poop a little after that.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Do I force it in? Because it looks like the suppository is a lot bigger than the hole. And yes, I'm using child suppositories.


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## punchiepal (Aug 4, 2010)

I have had good luck with enemas. Haven't had one not work yet. Saanen, nubian, ms, mn, nd - worked on all of them. I use really warm water, a squirt or 2 of baby shampoo, and bit ob lube. Sometimes I have to do some then wait an hr or so and try again.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

My husband ended up slitting the suppository in half. I got about 1/2 of it in and voila! Pooping meconium. It started out as the tarry stuff, but then she pooped again and you could see it was drier. I'll keep it up, along with the Vit E & BoSe and really hope she'll take that bottle soon.

Thanks, all.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Good! You might have to do a couple more suppositories or you can do an enema like Jennifer said.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

She's still not taking the bottle, but the suppositories are working! Last one gave me milk poop! She's been up and walking around much more than before. Just wish she had a better suck reflex. The other two are doing fine! I'll keep up the BoSe and Vit E.

How many days in a row is it safe to give BoSe and Vit E? I guess I'm worried about the BoSe. She was born yesterday and of course, got it. Gave it again today. 

Do I keep giving it 'til she's taking the bottle? Certainly there's a limit. I'm giving 1/4 cc plus the E tab.


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

How much Bo-Se are you giving her? I wouldn't keep that up. too much isn't a good thing. I would just keep working on feeding her. Tubing her if needed. Now that she is able to have a BM I bet by morning she will eat just fine for you. Are you sure she is really hungry at feeding time? How much are you tubing her? She may also not be wanting to eat as much as you would like if she isn't feeling hungry.

Lynn


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Lynn, I'm giving 1/4cc BoSe. We were tubing 4 oz, but now up to 6 oz. She looks thin compared to her two siblings. Since the litter is only 24 hours old, we're feeding often; every 4 - 5 hours. Once tomorrow comes, we'll be feeding 4x/day with no night feedings. The last feeding tonight will be at midnight. I'm hoping the stretch 'til morning will be enough to make her hungry. Like I said, she took the bottle well for the first two feedings.

When do you decide to let a feeding go (and not tube) and hope they'll be hungry enough for the bottle?


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## SherrieC (Oct 26, 2007)

Just keep giving her BoSe for a few days, and always try the bottle first before tubing her. I've had a few over the years I had to tube for a couple or more days. Then they decide they want to be a real goat.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

Since your kid took the bottle for her first two feedings, she must have a suck reflex. My guess is that she hasn't been taking the bottle because she has not been feeling hungry. I've had kids do that. They will take a bottle for a couple of feedings and then not want to eat for a while. They especially do not want to eat if they are constipated. I don't force kids to eat every 4-5 hours. My newborn house babies are fed right away and then they usually let me know when they are hungry. I do offer food 4 times a day, but if they skip a meal, I don't tube them. In fact, the only times I've tubed kids were once when it was obvious a buckling wasn't eating (dam's udder was hard and he wasn't interested in mom or a bottle) and when I've had newborns who were warmed up but didn't want to drink their first colostrum after over an hour of being born. After both dam raising and bottle feeding. I've come to realize that some days, kids just don't eat as much. My milkers will have more milk those days. I certainly wouldn't want an infant to go 24 hours without a meal, but they can go 8-10 hours if they were feeding well before that.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

She's back on the bottle! Thanks, everyone.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

That is great!


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## hmcintosh (Jan 8, 2013)

I was surprised to find out how fast a constipated kid can go down. I had a buck born and a couple days later went out and he was just laying there. Brought him in and he was breathing hard and
didn't want to do nothing much less eat. So I decided he must be constipated. I gave him a enema (I took a baby nose syringe because it had a small end and put adult enema solution in it and squirted it up its rear) and he started pooping in just a minute. After much pooping he got up and acted fine within a couple hours he was eating again like normal. I decided that before when I was raising dairy goats I must have lost a baby for this very reason. Didn't have no one to call and ask what was going on and didn't know much at all about raising goats, much less babies. Hard lesson learned, now if one is not feeling to good I go ahead and help clean them out with an enema because I figure it can't hurt and it just might be what help.


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## punchiepal (Aug 4, 2010)

Heather, 
These are the syringes that I use. 
http://www.jefferspet.com/luer-slip-disposable-syringes/camid/LIV/cp/0029533/


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