URGENT3 yr old doe goes from fine to sick in less than a day

Tiny Buns · Nov 30, 2015

We have a senior doe who was fine yesterday. Fine today. In fact she happily lifted and had a romp with our buck at noon. We go out after supper and she's scrunched down in the cage, shaking in the corner, eyes half closed.

She doesn't appear to be eating, drinking, or eliminating.

We gave her oxbow critical care in a syringe and syringe fed her water. She seemed to perk up a bit and cuddle. Put her back in the cage with a dish of her favourite treats and not even a whisker twitch.

What else should we try? It seems to be moving quickly

Miss M · Nov 30, 2015

Wow...

It may be too late, but there are things you can try.

You can offer papaya (fresh or enzyme tablets) or pineapple (fresh or canned), in case she has a fur blockage.

Your syringing of fluids and nutrients is absolutely the right thing. She must keep taking in fluids.

She must also start eating again. Tempt her. Regular kitchen oatmeal lightly coated with molasses. Bits of banana, or apple, or carrot. Things that would normally be treats only are on the table, because the refusal to eat is an emergency.

You can also give her chewable low dose ("children's") aspirin for pain. Up to one whole pill twice a day.

Tiny Buns · Dec 1, 2015

She's lapping at some watered down oxbow critical care and kefir. Her eyes are wide open now and she's not as scrunched up. I've left her a dish of crit care/kefir to lap at and put some apple slices and snap peas right in front of her. She's perked up enough to thump at me for my ministrations so I hope that's a good sign.