# Newborn kid labored breathing



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

I have a Nigerian doe that was born about 8 hours ago. The dam had an uncomplicated birth and is a great mother. She was all clean by the time I got to her but she was very weak. She was laying on her side and crying, but wouldn’t get up. I brought her inside and warmed her up as it was cold and windy today. I got 2oz of colostrum into her, which she actually sucked down. However she is still extremely weak. She rarely stands on her own and her breathing is extremely labored. She is alert and not super interested in eating (assuming it’s hard for her to breathe and eat). Here’s what I’ve tried:

.5cc penicillin subq
3x fluids (3cc) subq
3x vitamin b12 complex (1cc) subq
.1cc banamine IM
.2cc BoSe
Dropped a mixture of oral calcium/honey/warm water in mouth (1 cc total)

Any ideas about the labored breathing? It doesn’t seem to be improving at all. Heart problems potentially?


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Was she full term?

Do you have Dexamethasone or Banamine? 

Give selenium, BO-Se, or Replamin Plus if you have one of those. And squirt a cod liver oil capsule if you have it .


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

I did BoSe already (forgot to list it in the original post) I just did the Banamine, hoping that will help. Doe was full term with twins, other kid is unremarkable.

I do have Dex, thoughts on that? The kid is so young I wasn’t sure if it would be okay to use or not, although that this point I’ll really try anything


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Heart trouble or choanal atresia are certainly possibilities. When did you give the Banamine?


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Gave the banamine about an hour ago, not really any improvement, not worse either.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Banamine can take time. I have had it take over an hour to work. Hope he is doing better now.


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Any luck? It's certainly possible pneumonia set in just the first hour after birth due to the cold & wet. 

If she is still alive today and labored breathing - tubing colostrum & milk will help her and is not as scary as it sounds.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Went to the vet this morning. He told me he would have done everything I already did. He gave her a dose of Exceed, he said he heard a small amount of fluid in her lungs. He said to continue vitamin b/fluids every 6 hours or so. I've tubed her twice today with milk, but really no improvement after that. She won't suck a bottle at all, and seems to just be plain exhausted. Her temp is normal. I gave another dose of banamine this morning around 8AM. Her breathing is still labored, but seems a bit slower now than it did last night, but about the same rate as this morning. She lays flat out on her side if I leave her for an extended period. She will lay down sitting up for about 3 minutes, then lays on her side again. She's peed frequently (probably from the fluids), but hasn't pooped at all that I've seen. I'm not super concerned about that because she hasn't gotten much milk at all.

I'm really stumped. She actually seems to be "dumb"


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Did you give her oral B Complex?


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

I just gave her a pea sized drop of oral B, as well as 11ccs saline and 1cc b12 complex. I'll try to get a video of her later when I'm home from work. Luckily I work at a farm store so my coworkers are somewhat sympathetic with me bringing her to work.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

This is her at 32 hours old. She's been doing this constantly. Sometimes it slows and she closes her mouth but she is still breathing very heavy


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Wow, poor baby, I am so sorry you and your little girl are going through this. I've never dealt with anything like that so I really don't know what I could suggest that would help. I will say that at 32 hours old she should be pooping and if she isn't make sure you give her a warm soapy water enema.
We've had kids born early or hard birth that were gasping and having breathing issues and I will say I think Dex and oral B-Complex saved their lives. So if you haven't tried Dex, and it's been a while since you've given the Banamine, you might try giving a tiny bit. Wish I could be more helpful.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Thanks, I switched to Dexamethasone tonight instead of Banamine. I’ve rarely thrown everything I have in my arsenal at her. Gave her subq fluids with 1cc vitamin b complex again about 2 hours ago.

I tubed her about 5 hours ago. I was thinking about doing it again in about an hour but she hasn’t been standing and therefore not pooping. She’s been urinating a ton though.


----------



## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

You're doing such a good job, I'm so sorry she's still not come around. I've been watching this thread and hoping the poor little one pulls through for you.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

thank you Cristina, means a lot. I’m hoping someone would maybe have a trick up their sleeve, something that may have been miraculous for them that had worked before


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Has she pooped at all? It's possible the plumbing isn't hooked up all the way. (Intestines). I hope she gets better. You sure are doing everything possible.


----------



## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

How is she this morning? I really thought the Dex would do the trick for you.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

She is better this morning. She is still breathing heavily, but has tried to nurse. She can only get about 1/2 oz down before she looses her breath. But she stood up on her own today as well. I think the dex really helped. I should have done that from the get-go. I’m hoping her breathing begins to slow. She still hasn’t pooped, I’m a little concerned about that now. But she also isn’t standing regularly to poop.


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Even though she has been trying to suck, I would tube her 2 ounces several times today - she needs the nutrition as much as everything else to heal and it's better to just bypass the sucking versus breathing conundrum as she is more likely to aspirate. 

Sounds like the combination of Excede from the veterinarian yesterday and Dex is doing the trick. Did the veterinarian give a 2nd dose of Excede to give tomorrow?

So to be clear - you never saw her pass the meuconium? I'd probably proceed with the enema this morning. Have you ever done it? Use 100*F water with olive or canola oil in it (or dish soap!), a 3 cc syringe with no needle is easiest for the littles. After you put like 10 cc in, you'll have to hold her standing and belly massage and move her limbs about since she is not strong enough to do so. Then repeat with another 10cc after 5 minutes. It may take 3 or 4 rounds of putting fluids in and then mobilizing her. It will exhaust the poor gal unfortunately. Do it after a good tube feeding.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Did the vet say her heart is ok? Did he check for choanal atresia? It may be her lungs but the way she is breathing in the video and the way she can't breathe and nurse also says choanal atresia to me. Hopefully it is the lungs. Choanal atresia is fatal.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

2PM: Vet said her heart sounded normal, and she said he heard a small amount of fluid in her lungs. Exceed lasts 4 days so I won't be giving her any more antibiotics for another 2 days. It is seeming like choanal atresia to me too. Breathing that heavy with no significant improvement is concerning to me. Is there a way to diagnose this before I decide to end her suffering or not.

Edit
3pm: came home from work, tube fed her about 30ccs of milk. Flow was pretty slow at the end otherwise I would have tried for more. She did poop!!! That’s good news. Breathing seems to be the same. She seems more alive. Gave another 1cc of injectable B

Spoke with vet and he said give it 24 more hours and if she hasn’t improved at all to think about euthanasia, but he was skeptical about choanal atresia. I do trust this vet, he is very good with goats and we have a good relationship.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Prayers sent.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

My vet stuck a small tube up the nose. If it only went up a short way, you knew there was a blockage. The other thing my vet did was hold the mouth closed so they could only breathe through the nose. If they passed out, it was choanal atresia.


----------



## cristina-sorina (May 4, 2018)

ksalvagno said:


> My vet stuck a small tube up the nose. If it only went up a short way, you knew there was a blockage. The other thing my vet did was hold the mouth closed so they could only breathe through the nose. If they passed out, it was choanal atresia.


I had no idea that was also something that occurred in goats, I thought it was only in humans, that's very interesting, thanks for all the info.

Hoping your little one keeps improving!!


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Update:
She is MUCH better this morning. She is drinking a bottle very well so the last time I tube fed her was yesterday late afternoon. She gets up now when she sees me and is “calling” to me as well. Her breathing is slowly improving, she doesn’t get out of breath quite as easily but she is still too weak to walk or stand for a long time. Her ears are up and I upgraded her living quarters to an exercise pen so she can get some walking in. I will post video later this afternoon of her improvement.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad she is improving.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)




----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

That's wonderful


----------



## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

She is absolutely drop dead gorgeous. :hubbahubba:


----------



## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

Great she is doing better! A cutey.


----------



## Jamie LaDouceur (Mar 23, 2019)

I am so happy to hear she’s getting better. She’s a cutie!


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the support. I’m hoping she stays on the right track and can visit with her brother tomorrow (fingers crossed she is breathing better)


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

So cute, glad she is better.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Just an update, she is doing better she is up and walking and “talking”. I put her outside with the other kids yesterday for a couple hours so she could get some exercise. It really wore her out. I did her last dose of dexamethasone last night. But I’m having an issue getting her to nurse on the bottle.

She will look for the nipple and I have to open her mouth to put it in, but she’ll suck only 10 times or so then stop. The milk is a good temperature and I use a Pritchard nipple which I hasn’t had a issue with before, I’m going to try changing out the nipple on Monday when the store is open again. Any suggestions? Am I just waiting for her to figure it out? She hasn’t been eating enough, only about 4-6 oz per day. I’m going to tube her tonight with another 3 oz to be sure she is getting enough.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I have used the sheep one, just don't cut too big of an X in it. 
Slip it onto a clean and sterilized coke bottle or equivalent.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail...MIiPXZuvfh4QIVAcpkCh2vIQmaEAQYDyABEgInp_D_BwE


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

I’ll try that one, see how it goes. I did have to tube her this afternoon as she had no interest in nursing.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are you sure she can eat and breathe at the same time?


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Unfortunately she passed away this afternoon. She took a big nose dive this morning. I’m not sure if it’s something I did, although it felt like a roller coaster ride. She’s get better then get worse, then better, then worse


----------



## NigerianDwarfOwner707 (May 17, 2018)

I'm very sorry for your loss. Please get a necropsy done to figure out what was really going on, though.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm very sorry. I would suggest getting a necropsy done.


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm so sorry  I kept checking in on this thread to see how she was doing and hoping and praying she could overcome her issues. I'm sure you did nothing wrong, and I really think she had a lot going on inside that ultimately she couldn't overcome. If you do decide to have a necropsy done I hope you will share the results with us.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Yes, I’ll have a necropsy done. Will keep everyone posted. Very curious.


----------



## Dwarf Dad (Aug 27, 2017)

rssgnl27 said:


> Yes, I'll have a necropsy done. Will keep everyone posted. Very curious.


I am sorry you lost her. I have been watching this thread, hoping she would get right. Thank you for caring enough to try this hard.


----------



## rssgnl27 (May 9, 2012)

Dwarf Dad said:


> I am sorry you lost her. I have been watching this thread, hoping she would get right. Thank you for caring enough to try this hard.


Thanks, I really thought she was out of the woods until yesterday. She went south very quickly I feel like I've failed a little bit you can't save them all I guess


----------



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

It sounds as if you did everything you could. Don't beat your self up on the "what ifs " and the "if onlies". Sometimes, nature can be pretty cruel. That baby knew love and care. Sometimes, despite all our effort, it just isn't in the cards for that particular critter.

So very sorry for your loss.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am so sorry, how devastating.


----------

