sigh Failure to Thrive

Susie570 · Jul 10, 2015

Looks like I'll probably lose my first kit.
Out of 19 live kits born, I guess that's not too bad.
The tiniest runt in Chrissie's litter doesn't seem to be getting any better. I started giving it supplemental feedings from cooperative does (mostly River) once a day. I'm pretty sure it's getting milk, but haven't seen any 'fat tummy' on it yet. I'm so tempted to try giving it formula, but also telling myself that if I need to go to that extreme, I probably should just let nature take its course.

The kit is very lively and hungry, it squeaks excitedly and roots around. I fed it again to day, from River, and it actually looks like it has milk in its belly now. I may try again later today. This is as much as I'm willing to do. It's still the size of a newborn kit and the litter is nearly a week old. I've prepared Skye that it will probably not make it. I should probably cull, but can't quite bring myself to do it, since the kit is so eager to live.

Looks like it's probably a case of 'failure to thrive'. :/
Little broken chesnut I've dubbed 'Baldy', since the markings look like it has a ring of hair on its head.

FourRingCircus · Jul 10, 2015

My last batch from three different does didn't go well, and one of the surviving ones was like that. It did finally start to grow some hair after a week and a half, but then I noticed it was getting sluggish and decided it was time. Not easy, but part of it unfortunately.

Susie570 · Jul 10, 2015

heritage":8sclyljp said:
My last batch from three different does didn't go well, and one of the surviving ones was like that. It did finally start to grow some hair after a week and a half, but then I noticed it was getting sluggish and decided it was time. Not easy, but part of it unfortunately.

Yeah, it has fur on it, just very small.
I guess I'll see how it goes.

Miss M · Jul 10, 2015

He sounds like a scrappy little thing. He may just be having trouble figuring out the whole nursing thing. If he can survive long enough to get good at nursing, he just might make it.

:clover:

opcorn:

Susie570 · Jul 10, 2015

Miss M":18z3gu4d said:
He sounds like a scrappy little thing. He may just be having trouble figuring out the whole nursing thing. If he can survive long enough to get good at nursing, he just might make it.

:clover: opcorn:

Yeah, that's the main reason I haven't just culled the little critter yet... it's all about trying to nurse when it gets the chance, seems like it just fell behind in the beginning and keeps getting shoved out of the way by the bigger kits. :/