We just got back from fair and our pygora has developed a strange cough,sounds like she is trying to clear dust out of her lungs,eating well, drinking fine,goat poop normal. Our nigerian seems fine.Wormed them with injectable ivomec 2 weeks ago and gave tetnus then to. Vet here says to worm once a year but wondering if they need more, pygoras gums pale, almost white.Any ideas?i AM going to get fecal sample to vet and if she dosnt clear up soon her to.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), July 25, 2000

Answers

Hi Kathy,

We show too and its been our experience that sometimes they will come home with something called pasturella, don't know if I spelled it right, but some of the symptoms are cough, snotty noses and in some cases the runs. I give mine sulfer antibiotics for this from our vet, works great and in a few days they are fine. Now... I'm not saying that this is what she may have, but it might be. With her gums white I wonder if it might be worms and they are bad in some areas this year, especially the barber pole variety. If a goat has worms really bad in addition to their gums, they sometimes get a look called, "bottle jaw" which looks as it sounds. Good luck and hope she feels better soon!

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 25, 2000.

thank you for answering so soon bernice,the nigerian snorted yuk on me the other day but my horse does that to me alot so I didnt think about it,I will call and see if I can get the antibiotics. Thanks again.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), July 25, 2000.

Pasturella or shipping fever are sort of catch all phrases for animals sick after travel. The reason the Pygora is sick is because she was already anemic before you traveled with her (the pale, white gums) the wormer 2 weeks ago probably got the worms but it is going to take some TLC to build her blood back up. Having her ill on top of this is going to make for one sick doe, you are very lucky to have caught this, this soon. A round of antibiotics (I prefer to use Naxcel for upper respiratory, since penicillin is so overused and worthless at times) are in order, along with Probios to support her rumen, and a product like Red Cell (In Jefferes Equine Catalog 1-800- Jeffers) to rebuild her blood count. The worming once a year is obviously not enough if she is this anemic. Might want to make sure with a fecal that she is relativly worm free before breeding, after kidding and perhaps as you wean her kids. The three most stressful periods for your doe besides illness. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 25, 2000.

thanks for the info vicky, we dont breed her she is just a pet[ her mom was a pygmi and she is small[FAT]so we are afraid she would have a problem kidding and we live in town so she is just for showing at fair and for fiber.When the vet told me once a year that seemed a little long so I will probably do it twice a year.AndI have been listening in case you wonder,[ alot of your post stress a fecal exam] hence I will get a fecal sample to a diferent vet to look at. She is much better today, cough is gone but I will order the naxcel and probios, I can get penicillen at the feed store by us should I start her on this or wait for the other to get here?thank you both for your help.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), July 25, 2000.