Goat Milk Question/Bottle-Babies

Anyone use goat milk for the little ones? I have been using goat milk for some bottle-feeds (rather than the normal KMR)...feel it is superior to human, cow & store bought formulas...but the little ones have diarrhea.

I have been following a recipe from the mfg. for kittens but now wondering if this is "recipe" is to be used for newborns only? Anyone have any experience in using goat milk for bottle feeds?

i have been seeing a lot of a product called Pro Biolac , i dont know much about it but i have heard its better then kmr and has a lot more to offer for little ones.
i think with the diarrhea sometimes this can be because of over feeding , or there tummys just isnt agreeing with the milk. hopefully someone will be a long soon with some more information for you.

I started using goat milk for orphan kittens when I lived in Bosnia, because it was all that was available. And they thrived on it. It is low lactose and close to cat milk in formula.

Goat's milk is perfectly fine to use for bottle babies. I have been recommending it over the commercially-prepared formulas for years. However, as with anything you give to kittens, overfeeding can be the problem when your kittens experience diarrhea. How old are your bottle babies and how often are you feeding them?

Additionally, I think it needs to be said that young kittens still nursing as their sole form of nutrition normally do not have formed poop ... at least not like we ~think~ it should be. It is normally soft and sometimes can resemble diarrhea.

Recently, I had occasion to hear about Pro Biolac ... it is a commercially-prepared kitten/puppy formula and from what I have heard, I do like it. I must say that I have never had to use it, but I have heard glowing reports from people who have used it. It seems not to cause the digestive issues so many kittens face on other commerically-prepared formulas and contains more of the essential nutrients required by growing kittens.

I still like and recommend Goat's milk - but if you can get Pro Biolac, I would strongly suggest you give that a try.

How old are your bottle babies and how often are you feeding them?

Babies are 4 weeks today...and feeding schedule varies (unfortunately). They seem to be okay for approx. 5-6 hours but if I am close-by their cage area, their little "spidey" senses seem to kick-in and they scream to be fed.

Additionally, I think it needs to be said that young kittens still nursing as their sole form of nutrition normally do not have formed poop ... at least not like we ~think~ it should be. It is normally soft and sometimes can resemble diarrhea.

I definitely get it...these 4 are foster babies...and make 169 fosters since last April...definitely get it about the unformed poop and the soft texture. This may simply be diarrhea from over eating, diarrhea from the goat milk or a good ole' case of the dreaded Coccidia.

I still like and recommend Goat's milk - but if you can get Pro Biolac, I would strongly suggest you give that a try

Have also heard about Pro Biolac but never tried it myself. Would love to continue using Goat's milk which I do feel is superior.

I suppose my real question should be, do you think because I have added supplements to the goat's milk, that the supplements may be the culprit of the diarrhea and not simply the goat's milk on its own? According to mfg. site, I have added egg yolk, yogurt, karo syrup and on my own, have added, colostrum, lactoferrin, taurine & a good probiotic.

Personally, the addition of the egg yolk and yogurt makes me a little uncomfortable - the risk of a salmonella outbreak is too high with the egg and most cats are highly lactose-intolerant so the yogurt probably isn't the best idea either. If you are going to add to the formula, I think you would probably also want to add some arginine, which is essential for growth.

When I have used goat's milk in the past, I have not added anything to it. I used it straight from the container. I also think goat's milk is superior, but honestly, the science of feline nutrition has gotten much, much better than it used to be and the quality of products manufactured now-a-days has been improving to keep up. I think the Pro Biolac is reasonably priced, a 1/2 pound tub of the powdered variety costs about $9 US and should last a good while. Of course, always remember to use boiled or "sterile" water when mixing kitten formula.

At 4 to 5 weeks old, the kittens should be fed between 4 to 5 times per day with a total daily intake of about 100 - 130 cc's.

As for the causes, yes, giardia and coccidia most certainly can be the culprit in rescued kittens and of course, the only way to know is to obtain a sample and have it analyzed at the vet's office.

I just wanted to add that my boys, when I got them, were riddled with internal and external parasites, including giardia, and that took weeks to clear up, They had smelly, semo-runny poop from that.

As Jenny said, the diarrhoea may be caused by worms. It may also be caused by the changes you've made in what you're feeding them. Stick with one thing for a while and see if the runs stop. Remember too, when you're adding vitamins to their formula, that these babies only need tiny, tiny amounts - too much could be causing the diarrhoea.