Anyone evr give bad apple juice to a nursing mother?

[EMSChins]

Okay - so I typically hang a bottle of 50% diluted apple juice on a cage for a mom that just litters. I find that those that are reluctant to leave the babies to eat or drink in the first few days will do so for the sweetened liquid when they won't for plain water and I firmly believe that increased fluid intake= increased & faster milk output. I leave it until either it is gone or 48 hours - whichever occurs first. Today as I was checking bottles I see that a bottle of the diluted juice has mold growing in it and it hasn't even been hanging for 24 hours yet. Yikes!!!

I have never had this happen before and besides grossing me out, it was half empty and now I am concerned that the mom ingested something that she shouldn't have. Anyone ever have this happen before and if so, did the dam get ill from it?

 

[javachin]

This has happened to me actually and nothing bad happened. I would guess she (and I) was lucky. I just made sure to keep an eye on her. I did notice that the mold was growing in the empty portion of the bottle and I had recently changed it. Mom was sucking down the liquid quickly, but that goes to show you how fast it can grow.

 

[menagerie]

I would never leave bottles of juice/water mix hanging for longer than 8 hours. Nasty bacteria starts growing way before you see any mold.

 

[Sycamore Chins]

We use it all the time, and change it every 12-24, sometimes 48 hours. Have never had mold grow though. Some of the chins prefer it when the apple juice ferments a bit.

 

[EMSChins]

Yeah - this is the first time I have had this happen and have hung juice dozens of times. I use the small bottles and open a fresh one every time I use the diluted applejuice (no sugar added). I double checked the expiration date on the bottle and it was fine. Mom appears perectly fine, in fact she has tons of milk and the the kits are gaining like gangbusters.

I think in the future I will let it hang for less time to be safe but I was more concerned with whether or not mom would get sick from drinking it.

 

[tunes]

They are more expensive, but the little tiny bottles of baby juice work great.

BTW, I never noticed any increase in milk production with the apple juice. If they had milk, they had it, if they didn't, they didn't. Most of the females didn't really even care for it.

 

[lauralynne]

Some of the chins prefer it when the apple juice ferments a bit.

Of course they do. Chinnie lushes. LOL

 

[javachin]

Of course they do. Chinnie lushes. LOL

Babies require the very best vintage, didn't you know?!

Changing out the juice is just going to be one of those things you have to do every few hours or so. I tried it since I had a first time mother and wasn't sure what to expect with her. Any old wives' tale would have worked, I was worried!

 

[Becky]

I don't hang juice as I didn't have good results with it. What I do with any big litter or with moms that seem to be slow to get in milk is to give them powered goat's milk. Most gobble it right up. Sometimes the babies also eat it, which doesn't hurt a thing.

 

[Terbear24]

I also didnt see any results.... plus most of mine didnt touch it.