Hello everyone, I believe there are still many friends who don’t know much about the care of premature babies and how to care for premature lambs. It doesn’t matter, I will explain it to you today. Share the issues of caring for premature babies and how to care for premature lambs. The article may be a bit long. I hope it can help everyone. Let’s take a look below!
Contents of this article
- How to take care of premature female cats
- How to care for babies discharged from the incubator
- How to care for premature lambs
- How to raise premature calves
- What to do with premature babies
- How to care for premature kittens
1. How to take care of premature birth of female cats
Premature birth refers to the mother expelling a viable but immature fetus before the end of pregnancy. The mucus from the mouth and nose of the animal should be wiped immediately after birth, and attention should be paid to keeping warm to avoid stress. The gastrointestinal tract secretion and digestive functions of newborn animals are not perfect, but the metabolic process is particularly strong and the demand for food is large. Artificial breastfeeding is provided after birth to help them find nipples and suck colostrum, which increases the resistance and Stimulate the intestines and promote the discharge of meconium. If the mother refuses to breastfeed and is unable to breastfeed, you can find a female cat with a similar delivery period to nurse on her behalf. If the kitten cannot eat enough colostrum, it must be artificially breastfed. The \”three certain\” principles of timing, quantity, and temperature should be followed during feeding.
2. How to care for babies discharged from the incubator
1 , For premature babies, breastfeeding is more necessary, which will help improve the child\’s immunity. Because the stomach capacity of premature infants is very small, the amount of milk fed each time should be small and the time interval should be short.
2. If the baby weighs less than 1500 grams, the baby should be fed every 1 hour; if the baby weighs 1500 to 2000 grams, the baby should be fed every 2 hours; if the baby weighs about 2500 grams, the baby should be fed every 2 hours. Premature babies are fed every 3 hours. If the premature baby has poor sucking ability, the mother can feed it slowly with a dropper or small spoon. Hands should be washed before feeding and changing diapers for premature babies to ensure hygiene and pollution-free, and utensils should be disinfected every day.
3. How to care for premature lambs
1. 1. Disinfection of umbilical cord. Over the years, some lambs have suffered from tetanus. The main reason is that sheep farmers lack disease prevention knowledge. When delivering sheep, they use unsterilized scissors to cut the umbilical cord or use unclean thread to ligate the umbilical cord, or even ligate the umbilical cord without sterilization. Tetanus bacillus causes infection through the umbilical cord. Therefore, after the lamb is born, clean the umbilical wound with 3% hydrogen peroxide, cut the umbilical cord with sterile scissors, tie it tightly with a sterile thread 5 cm away from the umbilical cord, and apply 3% iodine tincture on the umbilical end to kill germs . Lambs can also be injected subcutaneously with 1,500 units of tetanus antitoxin to make the lambs automatically immune.
2. 2. Dehumidify and keep warm. After the lamb is born, immediately use a clean cloth to clean and dry the mucus in the mouth, nose, eyes and ears, and let the ewe lick the lamb\’s body dry. If the ewe does not want to lick, you can sprinkle some bran on the lamb, or Apply the mucus from the lamb to the ewe\’s mouth to induce her to lick the lamb. And light a fire to keep warm, and quickly dry the lamb\’s wool to keep warm.
3. Three, rescue. When encountering a lamb suspended in suspended animation, immediately wipe away the dirt in its mouth and nostrils with a clean white cloth. If the lamb inhales mucus and has difficulty breathing, hang it by its hind legs and beat its chest to make it spit out mucus. If that doesn\’t work, a rubber catheter can be put into the throat to suck out the mucus. In cold weather, when the lamb cannot freeze, while making a fire to keep warm, quickly soak it in warm water of 38℃, gradually mix the hot water to 40-42℃, soak it for 20-30 minutes, and then pull it out and dry it quickly. Place in a warm place with a fire.
4. Fourth, breastfeed as early as possible. After the lamb is born, it should eat colostrum early to obtain higher maternal antibodies. The milk secreted by ewes within one week after giving birth is called colostrum, which is an ideal natural food for newborn lambs. Colostrum has high concentration and nutrient content. It contains a large amount of antibody globulin and rich mineral elements, which can increase the lamb\’s disease resistance and promote the healthy growth of the lamb.
5. 5. Keep warm from cold. When lambs are separated from their mothers, their body temperature regulation center is not yet fully developed, and the climate in spring is changeable. If you don\’t pay attention to keeping warm and cold, you will easily catch cold and get sick. The lamb house should be built in a leeward and sunny place, and the house should be cleaned frequently with excrement and urine, the mat should be changed with dry soil frequently, and the house should be cleaned. The lambs\’ habitat should be paved with hay and dry soil. In cold snowy and rainy days, the doors and windows of the lamb house should be covered with thick straw curtains. And make a fire to keep warm, and prevent the lambs from getting wet by rain. Let the lambs move outdoors more during the day, receive fresh air and sunshine, and get more sun exposure to increase the content of vitamin D and cholesterol in the body, promote bone development of the lambs, enhance resistance, and create a good environment for the lambs. A clean and warm living environment.
6. 6. Timely supplementary feeding. In the first month, lambs mainly rely on breast milk to obtain nutrition. However, as the age increases and the stomach volume expands, breast milk alone can no longer meet the nutritional needs of the lamb\’s growth and development, and fodder must be fed in time. Lambs are fed supplementary forage 15 days after birth, mainly high-quality fresh grass. Hang fresh dry grass in the air or let it feed freely. Adjust the food from the age of 20 days and grind the fried beans. Add a few drops of goat\’s milk, mix it with warm water to make a paste, put it in the feeding trough, and let the lamb sniff and eat freely. About 20 grams per day, so that it can learn to eat in 2-4 days, and then gradually replace the opening food with the matching food. feed.
4. How to raise premature calves
Newborn calves are born two days after birth Colostrum must be consumed within an hour, and the sooner the better. Even if the cow is lactating, we must try to let the calf eat colostrum from other cows. This will help the calf produce meconium and obtain maternal antibodies. In the early stage of raising calves, three things must be done: time, quantity, and temperature. Keep cows and calves separate from other cows, pay attention to temperature changes, feed them with flowing water, and get regular vaccinations. It is best to consult a veterinarian.
5. What to do with premature babies
From the mother’s last menstrual period Counting from the first day, babies born before 37 weeks are called premature babies. The weight of premature infants is lower than that of normal newborns, generally less than 2.5kg, and their ability to breathe independently and maintain body temperature is weak. Therefore, premature babies must strengthen nutrition, actively prevent diseases, and take care of them carefully and patiently between 0 and 1 year old.
Premature babies are prone to hypothermia when they are cold due to underdevelopment of their temperature regulation center, less subcutaneous fat, and poor heat production ability.
However, due to underdeveloped sweat glands in premature infants and excessive wrapping, they may also develop fever due to difficulty in dissipating heat.
During care, attention should be paid to keeping the indoor temperature between 24 and 28°C and the relative humidity between 55 and 65%. If the indoor temperature cannot be reached, consider using a heater. The water bag keeps the baby warm, but be careful not to burn the baby. The clothes and quilts of premature babies are required to be soft, warm and light.
The baby\’s body temperature should be maintained at 36 to 37°C, and the temperature should be measured every 4 to 6 hours. If the maximum or minimum body temperature differs by 1°C, appropriate measures should be taken. measures to ensure the stability of body temperature.
Premature babies should pay special attention to keeping their respiratory tract open. When lying on your back, you can place soft pads under your premature baby\’s shoulders to prevent neck bending.
Due to the immaturity of the respiratory center, premature babies have irregular breathing and often suffer from apnea. If the baby\’s breathing stops for more than 20 seconds, is accompanied by cyanosis (the skin and mucous membranes appear blue-purple due to lack of oxygen), and the heart rate is <100 beats/minute, it is called apnea.
Apnea is a danger signal for premature babies. Parents should pay special attention to it. If this happens, they should go to the hospital for treatment in time without delay.
Premature babies cry weakly, and the expansion of the lungs is restricted and often bruises, which are more obvious after feeding. Therefore, feeding premature babies must be slow. Generally, A feeding takes about 40 minutes.
And premature babies have weak cough reflexes, making it difficult to cough up mucus in the trachea, which can easily cause respiratory obstruction and aspiration pneumonia. You need to be careful not to let your baby choke on the milk.
Because the organs in the body of premature babies are not mature enough, their resistance to various infections is extremely weak, and even minor infections can develop into sepsis.
During nursing, it is best not to let anyone else enter the room of a premature infant except for those who specifically take care of the baby, let alone give the baby to outsiders. Relatives and neighbors watch.
Those who specialize in taking care of babies should put on clean clothes (or special sterile gowns) and wash them when feeding the baby or doing other things. hands.
Mothers should wear a mask when breastfeeding when they have a cold. They should wash their hands with soap and hot water before breastfeeding to avoid cross-infection.
The liver function of premature babies is less mature than that of full-term babies, so the physiological jaundice of premature babies is more severe and lasts longer, and light therapy is required if necessary. , to prevent kernicterus.
Because premature babies grow quickly and have insufficient reserves. Therefore, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, etc. should also be supplemented one to two weeks after birth, preferably with breast milk.
Because colostrum contains various essential elements for the human bodyThe content of vitamins, proteins, fatty acids and antibodies is high, which is just suitable for the needs of rapidly growing premature babies. If breast milk is insufficient, use premature infant milk powder.
It is best for premature infants to go to the hospital’s pediatric health clinic for check-ups once a month when they are less than 1 year old. After they are two years old, they can go for check-ups every 2 to 3 months. once to get guidance from your pediatrician.
6. How to care for premature kittens
1. 1. The bodies of premature cats are very fragile, so the appropriate temperature is very important. It is best to keep the temperature at around 26 degrees.
2. 2: Diet. Premature cats may not have milk to drink. If there is no breast milk, you can buy some pet-specific goat milk powder and feed it every two hours. Feed once.
3. Three: Wipe the anus with a soft tissue to promote excretion.
This ends the content about premature baby care. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.
