# newborn constipated? not walking



## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

Big Nubian doeling born Saturday 3pm, born at 159 days bred. I never saw her poop. Have seen her pee once. She's not as active as her brother. I do see her nursing some, neither drink as much as I think they should but I don't know anything - this is my first batch of kids. The boy is bouncing around when he's awake, she doesn't bounce. This morning I tried putting a baby enema up her. After the enema I did see a very tiny bit of yellow poop, so I know she has an anus and stuff can come out. She's starting to make grunting sounds every now and then. Is there anything else I can try? Can there be another problem?
Went out to check her before sending this off, she's not walking much. She can walk, just isn't. And to top it off, her mom stepped on her in the stomach (the baby fell). She's a beautiful, dark, solid black kid, with a tiny white crown and white on one paw. Truly beautiful and I would hate to lose her.

Also, the mother is getting full of milk, totally expanded to the max. How much should I milk her? Just enough to relieve pressure? I milked her once and fed the milk back to her.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

You'll need to milk her a couple times a day. Milk at least half out. Keep the milk to drink! It's 2 days since she kidded, shouldn't be a lot of colostrum in it and colostrum is good for you anyway. 

Give the baby another enema. If you saw yellow poo then she's passed her muconium so that's good. Spend some time with them after they eat and see if they are pooing. Should have soft yellow poo. 

Is she grinding her teeth? If so, that's pain and she could have an injury from being stepped on.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

thanks, will milk the mom. 

I'll try another enema. I just saw her pee again, but not poop. She's laying down resting. Seems ok from the mom stepping on her, I felt around her middle and she didn't flinch at all in pain. Haven't noticed her grinding her teeth, but will pay more attention. 

When she's standing, before she walks, she'll take 2 steps out with her front feet keeping the back feet in place and stretch.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

Stretching's normal. She may just not be as active yet.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

Gave another enema, as best I could. She'll strain to poop and cry, but nothing comes out. She's resting now. Will let her rest and check on her in a while. Maybe she'll nurse when she wakes up and that will help the digestive system move. 

She looks more than just not being active. She's slow. I've let them out in the yard since it's sunny. The boy is jumping everywhere. She just stands, maybe walks a few steps. After a bit will find somewhere to lay down.

No teeth grinding though . 

Thanks for you help Ashely.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

You will find that they often have different activity levels, especially at first. Some are just a little slower to get going. I would give her a shot of Bo-Se (1/4 cc) and some Vitamin E (just use the capsules for people, snip the end off, and squeeze it in her mouth).


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Is she getting enough to eat? You see her sucking, but is she getting the milk? Is her belly round and full of milk or is she hard and gassy?


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

She should be getting milk, it comes out of the mama easily, but no, I'm not sure. I believe I've seen milk around her mouth. She's been asleep with her brother for a while now. I'll feel her belly - not sure what hard and gassy is but I'll feel her. 

I've seen her pee, so wouldn't that be from the milk?

I gave her her vit e today. When she was born Saturday I gave her the selenium/e gel stuff. I don't have Bo-Se to give her.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Hard and gassy...the belly would feel very hard and it would look distended somewhat. Feel it after you watch her nurse. It should feel full, but kind of soft and slushy, not hard as a rock. After they are fed, their bellies distend from the milk. You can actually see the difference.

I don't have a lot of years under my belt, but if it were me, I would milk out the mom and bottle feed the girl, at least at times, so you can gauge how much she is taking.

Some Probios wouldn't hurt either. You can get it at TSC or any farm supply store.

Where are you from, Terri?

Welcome to the forum and keep us updated.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

I'm in Sylacauga, Alabama. 

I milked the mom and tried to bottle feed the girl. She won't take the bottle. I stuck it in her mouth and she will not take it. I'll try again later tonight. She will suck a little on her mom. Her stomach does not fill hard, but I don't see it extended. However, I can't notice extended bellies on any of the 4 new kids (2 from another doe born last Wed). 

I've been giving them a pea size of probios paste everyday. They don't like it . 

This is my first time with kidding, although I've milked this one's mom since we got her last May already freshened.

Still haven't seen any more poop. She's still just standing around or sleeping.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I don't agree, she is constipated because colostrum poop is stuck in her small intestine, her stomach will be soft because she is not eating.

You HAVE to get her plumbing working, go to the pharmacy and use the glycerin suppositories for babies, also give her kero syrup or pancake syrup orally....keep using the glycerin suppositories until she is pooping. Kids usually nurse and pee, nurse and poop, dams should keep most poop cleaned up. Babies should have round full tummies most of the time, they should play a little and sleep. Stretch and grunting is constipation. Even if it takes using 1/2 the suppositories and 1 hour, keep at it...she will die of impaction or dehydration if you don't do something now. Vicki


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

her brother's poop has been very thick. I'm going to town now to get the suppositories now. I have karo syrup. 
Thanks, will let you know how it goes ....


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

Gave her the karo mixed with a little water, total of about 6ml. Do I need to give more?? how often??

Used the whole package of 6 suppositories. What finally came out looked like a worm, a little over an inch long and dark. Thought I saw some yellow poop in her but it would never come on out. Put her in with her mom while I came back inside. She wouldn't nurse. 

Went back and tried an enema using 2 cups warm water with 1/4 tsp baking soda and a baby syringe bulb. After a few of those she passed a long (5") stringy, mucus substance, with little 'pellets'? of dark in it. Nothing like the yellow poop. 

I stopped with that. Will watch her in the morning to see how she acts and if she's nursing. It's good to know she doesn't have to poop after each nursing, only every other one.


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## icboers (Feb 1, 2009)

Sounds like maybe the dark poo was meconium still.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

This morning she seems a bit better. She walked with interest in her surroundings, before she would just stand or walk rather aimlessly. She's still stretching her back legs some. She did nurse, but only for a few seconds. A little shorter than the other babies do.

Tried to do another enema, but she's strong enough to fight me, figured if she's feeling that good I'll wait and see how she does today. Thanks everybody for your help. 

Oh, and icboers, it may have sound like meconium, but didn't look like it. Looked like a worm, almost like a garden worm but with no segmented band.

What was the purpose of the Karo? Do I need to continue with it?


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## KJFarm (Oct 26, 2007)

Karo has a laxative effect. You need to get a jar of infant sized suppositories and keep putting them into this kid, until she completely evacuates. Until then, she won't eat well or grow.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Did you read the directions on the suppositories? Put her in your lap and hold it up there until it is completely dissolved, then let her down, do another one if she doesn't poop or if all you get is little pieces. It looks like a worm because the inside of her bowel is packed, impacted with stuck meconium, only letting some of her colostrum poop by. 

Their anus is sealed with meconium in utero, it goes up about 6 inches into their large bowel, you have to get her to pass this. I really can not be forcefull enough (there will be no bedside manner with this post) that if you do not get this kid pooping she is going to die. There is no such thing as you can't control this goatling to use the suppositories!!!!! Enemas when it is meconium sealing her rectum shut will not be enough, you need the glycerin to heat it up (glycerin when in contact with the skin warms it) and melts the meconium. Do not come back and tell us this kid is dead, when you could be working on her and getting this overwith, get off the computer and get this kid pooping NOW!!

I would give her at least 6 cc of kero every few hours, all day today, until you have her pooping...yes all of this is going to give you a kid with diarrhea for awhile, but you know what is causing it, it will go away.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

I used liquid glycerin suppositories in a tube you stick in and squirt. Sounds from your post I should be using an insertable capsule thing. I didn't see anything in the store but the liquid suppositories. 

Will the liquid work? Or should I find the gel capsules?????

I'll keep giving her suppositories. Just didn't know if I needed to this morning so didn't fight her, but I will. 

Will give her the karo today, just gave her 6cc. 

Since I didn't know the enemas wasn't going to work, I've been out there doing that with her. And you're right, nothing came out but maybe a little mucus.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

It's a small plastic jar and it containes glycerin suppositories, ask at the pharmacy, they are like wax sticks. Vicki


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

ok, my mom is in town now and will get some. 
Thank you ever so much.
will let you know...


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

the suppository will not completely dissolve. I kept one if for an hour and it dissolved maybe half. 
Will go back and do some more. Am giving her the karo mixture.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

I've been doing suppositories and karo all afternoon. No poop yet. She'll get up and try to poop, but nothing.
Going back out to continue. Something has to give.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

There is another alternative. Find someone with middle aged does that have very good thick colostrum and give her some. Tube it if she will not drink. Colostrum is seriously laxative and we have fixed cases of poor evacuation with additional colostrum. It is not for the immunity but for the laxative and for the nutritive value.


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

:yeahthat
And keep her warm. Sounds like really, really stuck meconium probably due to the 159 days gestation. Take a tissue and pull out any meconium (dark worms) you see. Keep at at it may take some time. And do it gently. Feed warmed colostrum 4 times a day to get her bowel moving more.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

I'm keeping her warm. Don't have any colostrum, my other doe kidded 3 days earlier, and don't know anybody that would have any. 
I've got her butt elevated and in front of a heat light to help melt that suppository and let it run down inside her. Checked her temp to make sure she wasn't cold and it was 103. I am doing all that I can and it doesn't seem to make a difference, but I'm going back out to keep at it.
oh, I do hear some tummy noises.


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## Angelknitter12 (Feb 16, 2012)

How is she this morning?


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Are you sure she is eating? If she's not eating enough, she may not have any poop inside of her. Also, she needs plain karo syrup, not mixed with water. Or else put it in her bottles of milk. I would not trust the doe to feed this kid and it's really hard to know what they are doing when you have to run down to the barn to see. If you can bottlefeed, keeping her in the house, it would probably help you enormously. Exhaustion from running back and forth is certain to set in, and then you can see exactly what she is or isn't eating, see if she's actually pooping, etc.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

I don't know how much milk she's getting, but the mom lets her nurse whenever she tries. She actually nursed better than usual this morning, which isn't a lot though. 

I'm pretty much staying in the barn. I know she hasn't pooped during the 6 to 8 hr stretches I'm out there. I'll try to bottle feed her, but if she's stopped up inside will she want to eat more? I let her out in the yard to get some exercise to see if that would help get things going. She walked around some and actually tried to do a little jump/twist. 

I'm keeping up with the suppositories. The only thing she's passed is maybe a tinge of dark/blood with what I figure is the melted glycerine. The suppository never melts completely. 

I'll give her plain karo, I've been mixing it with water since it's so thick.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

well, she's not fading away, but she's not pooping. I'm pretty discouraged.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

She has to eat or she'll die and she also has to poop or she'll die. I'd put this kid on a bottle and make sure she's getting the right amount of milk, bringing both kids into the house and using a heat lamp or some source of heat to get her system going, keeping up with the suppositories, and if those are not seeming to work use a regular enema and see if you get a better result. If her body temp isn't warm enough that may be why the suppository isn't working. Use a warmed/body temp. enema and you won't need much, maybe half of it at most. When I've used them I think the enema water started coming out when the bowel was filled. She needs to be eating at least 4 ounces every few hours. Have you bottlefed kids before? It's not difficult. After the first few days they can be moved to 3 or 4 times per day feedings, taking around 16 ounces per feeding or so. Bottlefeeding, keeping kids in the house is just so much easier, especially when you have a kid who needs special care.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

> I don't know how much milk she's getting, but the mom lets her nurse whenever she tries.


I would be bottling her. It's the only way to know if she's getting a reasonable amount of milk. It would be one thing if everything was going swimmingly, but it's not, so she needs extra attention.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

thanks everyone. She's gone. Was 2 hrs short of being 6 days old. 
Yesterday she was actually running and jumping some, it was so nice to see.
I have lots of questions about the care of the others and will be posting on the info category.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

I'm sorry Terri. :down :down I wonder if her plumbing wasn't right.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

I also wonder if something was internally wrong. I know I did enough suppositories, enemas, karo, Kolostrum, milk of mag... 

Is there anything I can do for the mom? She's mooing and looking for her baby. I gave her some Immune ST( a blend of immune system supporting herbs from Molly's Herbals).


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Did you worm her post-kidding?


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

Yes I did, thanks for mentioning it.


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

Its always heartbreaking to lose one, especially after so much effort. {{{hugs }}}

Were you able to open her up and see if she was impacted or if there was something obviously wrong inside? That's hard to do at the time, but I've always been glad for what I learned when faced with another situation.

I keep some colostrum in the freezer. It loses some of its immunity boost over time in the freezer, but its better than nothing if that's all you've got.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Sorry you lost her, Terri.


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## MilkingMama (Feb 8, 2012)

Thanks ya'll. There were lots of tears over here.

No, I couldn't have opened her up. This was our first kidding, and she was our favorite of the bunch. 

And I've lost the chance for keeping colostrum this year. Next year I'll be sure to save some.
The mom's settled down now and the little buckling is making friends with the other doe's 2 kids.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

I think it may have been something congenital. When I was first in goats, I would have hesitated to open up a baby, too. Now, this is something I will do. I did it last year when I lost a bottle baby and suspected it may have been a blockage because she'd swallowed the end of a nipple. I was right. It was caught between chambers in her rumen. I orderd a different type of nipples this year.
Sorry you lost your doeling. My friend and I have come to the conclusion that it's usually our favorites that we lose.


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