# HELP - baby is eating dirt and rocks!



## Fainters (Oct 10, 2007)

I have a 5 wk. old buckling that has been acting off for several days. I first noticed that he stayed under the heat lamp shivering over the weekend and never seemed to be nursing his mom. He also quit eating feed or hay. I started bringing him in the house at night to keep him warm and noticed that he grinds his teeth constantly. I have treated him with molasses water and baking soda for a belly ache because this seems to be his biggest problem. I can not force him to nurse even when I hold his mother for him. To keep him hydrated, I have been forcing the molasses water down him. I just noticed that he is eating dirt and rocks and I wonder if he has an impaction. Why would he do this and will it kill him?

http://www.freewebs.com/scapegoatranch/


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Most kids will eat dirt, mine do on occasion. I've heard they could be lacking in a mineral of some sort though I think it is alot of the kid curiosity. Has he not been pooping? If not then he may be constipated, there are some remedies for this, one of which is sweetened mineral or veggie oil, a few cc's til he goes, you are definately doing well with keeping him hydrated, I would pick up a packet of electrolyte powder or even gatorade as these will stay in his body a bit longer than the mollasses water.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

eating dirt is also a sign of floppy kid syndrome.
beth


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

Really Beth? Because if my kids find a bare patch of dirt they can't get enough of it. They have no problems whatsoever, I haven't had FKS yet. My thought is that maybe dirt has good bacteria in it that they can't get anywhere else. How do you think country kids like me stay so healthy? I know I ate quite a bit of dirt when I was a kid  :lol:

Give him Milk of Magnesia with a little olive oil, if he has something in his belly that shouldn't be there it will help move it through him, it also works better than baking soda. Give him a B shot, and I think I would still give him baking soda just in case it is FKS.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

Im not saying its the only sign of FKS Im sorry if thats what it sounded like. But it is one of the early signs of it. I have seen my kids eat dirt as well. But when it starts going along with the other signs of it, such as the not eating anything else i start to worry. A friend of mine just lost a kid to FKS and then discovered another in early signs of it this morning. Thankfully she got to the second kid sooner and she is doing much better. Have you taken the kids temp? Has he started eating again? she mentioned not eating grinding teeth and shivering. Sounds like there is something more then just a mineral deficiancy. grinding teeth can be a sign of a belly ache or a high fever. I dont know if goats like people get the chills when they have a fever. Take his temp and watch him really close. you may want to try and get some warm water with minerals down him. 
hope this helps and makes my first statement a little more clear.
thanks
beth


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## Fainters (Oct 10, 2007)

Good news! I gave him molasses water with baking soda and ginger for the stomach ache twice yesterday along with probiotics, baby aspirin, B12 and some MOM. Last night he finally nursed with gusto and this morning he was eating and nursing and playing with the others. I don't know if he had eaten a rock or something that gave him this belly ache but he seems to be recovering.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

That is great news. Way to go :clap: :clap: 

I was going to say the same as Beth. Eating dirt is a sign of FKS.


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## Shelly (Oct 5, 2007)

They also eat dirt to get the rumen going. Glad your guy is doing better. Shelly


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