Saving Calves and Goat Kids Without Mothers Colostrum

Associated Content ^ | 11-08-09 | Sherry Tomfeld

[stillafreemind]

You've waited months for that new calf or goat kid to arrive. The excitement is soon over shadowed by the fact that the new calf or goat kid has not had its mother's colostrum.

[stillafreemind]

I wonder if this would work the same way for dogs and cats?

[Tijeras_Slim]

Unfortunately Democrats reproduce by fission, like all bacteria.

[Nervous Tick]

>> You’ve waited months for that new calf or goat kid to arrive.

But, enough about Mohammed’s sex life...

[Fawn]

I know that a kitten that doesn’t get at least a week of the mothers milk, has a very slim chance of making it...esp. if it’s in a shelter.

[hoosier hick]

I wouldn’t recommend this mix, but my wife has had success with abandoned new-born kittens(in case you have an immediate concern):

1. Put in a small box with heating pad and covered with a towel.
2. Using a small bottle (from Wal-Mart), cut the opening larger with a knife.
3. She uses Kitten Milk Replacer mix (available from Tractor Supply, mail order or vet’s office)
4. They don’t eat much the first day or so, but after feeding, they need to be stimulated to go to the bathroom by rubbing their butts with a tissue
5. Segregate them by litters until healthy and eating food on their own

There. Everything, and more that you wanted to know. When we had dairy cattle, we kept colostrum from a healthy, older cow in the freezer for emergencies....

And if you didn’t really want to know all this, oh well....

hh

[stillafreemind]

Thanks Fawn..I think I will try this next time a smaller animal is having problems.

[Bailee]

Both solutions works very well.

Just remember Heating lamps can overheat(cook) the infants and while they might not eat much they need to be feed about every 3-4 hours.

Store bought milk should not be used.

[Roos_Girl]

You probably know this already, but my understanding is that store bought formula uses cow colostrum, which does not one spec of good for dogs. What I have read that works is having the mother’s blood drawn, spun down to separate out the serum and then injecting the serum into the abdominal cavity of the puppy. I expect this same thing could be done with kittens.

[stillafreemind]

Wow..I have never heard of that either! Thanks.

[Roos_Girl]

I had actually read about doing that if one of the puppies got sick, say with Parvo. The antibodies in mom’s body will be in the serum and possibly help the puppy survive. But it makes sense to me that if you can use to it try to save a puppy’s life that is already sick, you could use it in the case where you’ve lost the mom or mom isn’t able to provide milk for some reason. What I read didn’t give the amounts to be injected, but said that a pracited veterinarian should know the procedure.

[Excellence]

I raised a day-old kitten who lost her mother. I bought fake rabbit fur, make a cave for the kitten and put a hot water bottle under the fur at the cave end. I fed her kitten’s milk replacement, and used a warm, wet cotton ball on her tummy to stimuate urine/bowel movements. We traveled all over Northern California with her in her fake rabbit fur-lined box. As soon as we started the engine she was asleep. When she grew up I built her a cat condo from scratch. She was one spoiled cat.