Kits seizing??

[ollitos]

If you touch them, they cry and scream. They are all stretched out like this and twitch, very stiff. Their front legs are all seized up. They area all panting and hot. Greg said it's like they're having seizures. Two are already dead.

One had poop stuck on it's eye. Greg cleaned it off and said milky puss started running out of the eye.

Any idea what's causing this???

They are 10 days old.

 

[ladysown]

i'd suspect a toxin of some sort. especially if they were fine before this.

 

[ollitos]

No problems until this afternoon.

 

[Dood]

Could the doe have mastitis and is feeding the kits poisoned milk?

 

[dayna]

Is the doe feeding the kits? Low blood sugar in kits can cause seizing.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

Poor babies

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I don't know if it is even sold anymore, but it sounds like strychnine poisoning, which used to be commonly used to control vermin... when they seize, do they arch their backs with their heads tipped back and legs straight out?

 

[Bad Habit]

I have nothing helpful to add, except that's just awful, and I'm so sorry you're going through this

 

[ollitos]

No mastitis. Well fed. Fine this morning.

We think it was the heat. Two days ago, the high was like 50. It hit 90 today.

They were not arching. Just board stiff with their front legs pulled up like begging puppy pose. If you touched them, the screamed. The doe is fine. She's never had problems with her litters.

 

[jessie15273]

I hope they pull through poor things. It got to 85 here today, but it supposed to go back down to the 50s tomorrow in Jersey. Maybe if the weather sorts itself out they will too

 

[MamaSheepdog]

We think it was the heat. Two days ago, the high was like 50. It hit 90 today.

I think you might be right. They are all spread out in the nest, instead of snuggled together. Poor little guys.

Are they doing any better?

 

[ollitos]

I think 4 have died. I'm not sure. I'm not at the farm tonight and Greg is offsite right now.

 

[ladysown]

when kits die of heat (in my experience) it's generally not with seizures...I've had kits die of heat and they just die. they'll be spread out but curled up dead.

 

[Teddy2511]

I'm so sorry; how are things going?

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I don't know if it is even sold anymore, but it sounds like strychnine poisoning, which used to be commonly used to control vermin... when they seize, do they arch their backs with their heads tipped back and legs straight out?

They do still sell strychnine. I actually have some that I got from the feed store as gopher poison to deal with ground squirrels in my garden. It's very controlled, though, like 0.1% or something. It is still pretty darn effective though. I am not sure if every state allows it, but it is still on the market.

 

[DonnerSurvivor]

It really sounds like Tetanus.