Reflections on Tubing a Cria

Teddy's mom does not produce enough milk which sometimes happens with first time moms. The predicament came when he refused a bottle. He not only refused, but was adamant in his expression of disgust of the whole thing. After trying for 4 days to get him to drink and waiting to see if his mother produced more milk, we went to the vet for help.

The vet watched the mother and cria interact and came to the same conclusion we had. They were both doing their part, but there was a shortage of milk. Sometimes the cria will only nurse on a teat or two instead of all 4 cutting its own milk consumption. Or the mother may not stand for the cria to nurse his fill. Teddy was going to all 4 teats and his mother was standing for as long as he nursed. So a bottle was attempted and refused with much fanfare.

I went home after a brief class on tubing and a weight/ounces to feed chart. And two warnings:

1. Make sure it goes in the esophagus and not the lungs: the wrong one will cause death.
2. Be sure to crimp the tube as it comes out so that the cria does not breathe in milk. This can cause pneumonia and possibly death. Every time I tube the poor guy, I am super aware of it going down the left.

So here we are 2 1/2 months later and I can tube a wiggly cria by myself. I can pour 12 ounces into the tube and not spill much. Teddy is healthy and growing. It is such a relief and joy to see him playing with the other crias.

A feeding every three hours 6 am until 9pm sounds okay until you realize that, unlike a human baby, you can't take this one with you. So I plan outings around his feedings.

Teddy is weighed every day to ensure that he is getting enough milk. While the chart is handy, it is not always on the mark. Right now, for instance, he is drinking 84 ounces at 29 pounds and only making a gain of 0.2 or 0.3 a day. The chart says he would be 35 pounds to get this much milk. When he stalls, I add more milk in small amounts, or if it looks to be a large amount, I add an extra feeding. If you feed too much, the excess can cause problems and make the cria ill. You don't want to fill the stomach more than half full. This week he is getting fed every two hours in the morning and every three in the afternoon/evening.

I used the feeding syringes when I first started. That was great when he only had 4 ounces at a feeding. Now I pour into the feeding syringe (sans plunger) with a drinking bottle. Makes it easier to control the flow and wiggle factor. I am looking for an empty mustard/condiment container to feed with. I had purchased these for fiber dyeing, but can't find them right now. The tip fits into the feeding tube directly making the whole process easier.

I have a skill I never wanted to learn, but it is a valuable one. If a cria needs colostrum, I can tube it, if the cria refuses the bottle.