# Kid Lost Suck Reflex



## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

I'm worried about a buckling in my set of triplets who is 36 hours old. He has lost his suck reflex. He has stopped nursing from Mom. If I latch him on a teat, he just stands there with it in his mouth, doing nothing. The problem is, he is acting like he wants to nurse so badly, bumping her udder with his face. But he just can't suck. When I popped a bottle into his mouth...he just stood there holding it it but not drinking. He has gotten tastes of milk on his tongue to help stimulate him. 

Yesterday, he was doing a great job. In fact, they all were. All of them got their colostrum. His sisters will suck today if guided to a teat, but are having trouble figuring out where to go. But they drank once latched. So I've been out there quite a few times today to get them on that teat. 

I did get BoSe into them. The vet drew me up the tiny doses in insulin syringes. Mom did get selenium about a month before birth, not enough I am guessing. How long until I see a difference? 

What should I do? Feed him with a syringe a drop at a time? I'd rather not lose him to aspiration, though him starving would not be a good thing either. I do have a weak kid tube in order to tube feed. I wasn't going to do that unless he gets weak. I may have the vet show me tomorrow how to do it, so I can if I have to. 

The dam is producing. In fact, she was a fantastic girl as I milked her this evening so I could have some if I needed to bottle feed the kids. Her udder was quite taunt, a sign they hadn't gotten at her much today. 

They're all warm and when awake, very active.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I don't know what to tell you. But...I have seen where people have used cod liver oil and that seems to help some with this issue. Also, vit e...the BoSe doesn't really have much in it so taking a vit e capsule and squeezing into their mouths might help. Don't wait too long on tubing as it won't take long for a baby to go downhill.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

This kid needs to be tubed.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

I agree with Nancy - this kid needs to be tubed! Using a weak kid tube and syringe is really pretty simple. Following his body, lay the tube alongside the kid from his mouth to just past the last rib and mark the tube by his mouth with your thumb and forefinger. Keeping your thumb and forefinger on the mark - lay him in your lap, insert the tube in the corner of his mouth and feed it gently down his throat. When your thumb & forefinger meet his mouth you know it is where it should be. If you meet resistance and your thumb and forefinger do not meet his mouth, pull it out and try again. Wishing you the very best with your little guy.


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## luvmywaggintails (Nov 18, 2013)

I just had the same issue with a kid about the same age. Started out fine, nursing fine but the next day standing hunched with tail down. Would go up to mom and bump udder but not drink. Temperature was normal but I could hear a little raspy breathing. I did tube feed her, gave Bose and Vit B but also started her on Nuflor just in case there was some pneumonia starting. She came around pretty quickly. Maybe something else is going on with your little buckling??


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Take his temp to be sure nothing else is going on there...then try the honey trick..see if his sucking reflex is gone or just weak...put honey on your finger and place far back on his tongue ...if he sucks the honey off, do it again..do this several times and have a bottle ready with honey on the nipple...
this work for training a new baby to take a bottle but the honey will give a nice energy lift and hopefully wake up the sucking reflex
If this does not work I would tub him...

best wishes


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## Artdrake (Feb 21, 2013)

You might want be sure he is pooping too


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

Thanks all. I didn't post an update last night because I was rather worn out after a long shift at work + working with the little guy. He had a temperature of 102, so normal. 

I used corn syrup rather than honey, and he did not feel like sucking on it when it reached the back of his tongue. So he got tubed 1 once of his mother's milk (milked her out, then gave it to him). That was scary, since you can watch all the youtube videos or read descriptions, but doing it for the first time? I didn't want to overdo it, which is why I did an ounce.

And this morning, he is sucking again! Both on his mother's teat and on a bottle. I had to pop him on her teat, then he had a drink. I milked some out of Mom and tried him on the bottle, he drank a few ounces for me. I'll keep at it to make sure he gets his fill (but not overfill), he still acts strong, tail up, starting to hop around.


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## luvmywaggintails (Nov 18, 2013)

Good to hear. Great job on tubing him!


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## DesertRose (Apr 12, 2013)

My first goat mentor had a huge commercial goat dairy. She had an average of 200 babies born a year.

This is what she would do when a kid stopped nursing after it had been nursing fine. Did not matter off doe or bottle.

The second she noticed a kid not nursing she would tube feed one feeding. AND, she gave each kid acting that way a shot of antibiotic right away.

By the next feeding time the kid USUALLY would be back to nursing within hours.

She always felt this problem was caused by a sore throat. 

:thinking:
I have followed her advice for over 40 years now and very rarely have a kid go more than 6 hours and refuse to nurse.

I've had three this year so far that I had to follow this procedure with and they are doing fine.

She may have been way off but so far it has worked. I would rather use herbs and such but when they are so small and young every minute counts and it takes longer for the herbs to work.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

good job!!! sounds like he got weak and couldnt suck...keep up the good work!


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Good deal Stacykins! I'm so glad that he is sucking again.


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

Aye, he is sucking just fine now. But cannot nurse off of his dam without getting put on the teat. Instead of kneeling down like his sisters, he extends his legs completely, *standing as tall as he can*, and jams his face into the space where her back legs meet her body. I have been physically folding over his front legs, opening his mouth, and putting the teat in his mouth. Then he will suck furiously. If I take my hand off of him (gently holding him down basically), he pops up to stand tall again, loses the teat in the process, and returns to her leg region. He is either a slow learner, or a super "speshul".

It is rather frustrating, at least his mother stand so quietly and patiently for him when he tries, and for me when I had to put him on her teat.


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