My two yearling does have this perpetual coughing...like there is something stuck in their throats. They aren't doing it all the time, neither one of them has a fever or runny nose...although last week one of them had a bit of a runny nose. I gave her probios and it went away by the end of the day and didn't return.

They are in excellent health at appearance, current on all vaccinations,all vitals are normal,eyes bright, and all that, on the same feed as my two older does, who show no signs of this "gacking"...Any ideas? They seem to be doing it more...Thanks for any help.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), June 24, 2001

Answers

Goats often cough from breathing in dust and other particles from hay and alfalfa. The like to reach up into the feeder and shove their whole head in the alfalfa flakes so they are breathing in all that dust.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), June 24, 2001.

Skips right. We also see alot more coughing in our yearlings than in any other age of goats on our place. I think it is because they live in the woods pen, certainly eating alot more browse than any other age of goat. When running in from the woods for dinner, some hack so much I will ask them if they are going to cough up their lung :) We do not have snails on our place, so lungworm isn't a problem, plus we use Valbazen for our main wormer. The only other coughing we hear is in coughing up their cud, and some does can really make a huge deal of this sometimes. Infants chewing their first cuds will also hack like they are going to throw up.

I do not do anything about runny noses as along as it is clear. Now if it is snotty I will start taking temps and listening to their lungs daily, still not doing anything unless another symptoms appear. Not coming to eat and temperature are the biggys. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 24, 2001.

The doe that had the runny nose didn't want to eat and her nose was snotty, not clear. Also, I forgot to say that I boosted them on CDT about 10 days before this happened. i did it sub q this time and they both have these knots now. Could that have any relation to the hacking up a lung? I know neither of them smoke.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), June 25, 2001.

Colored snot and hacking cough is a pretty good indication of a cold that could progress to pneumonia if not treated. It can be a real problem this time of year with warm/dry then cool/wet weather. You should check with your vet for the best antibiotic and dosage. We just gave all of our kids a round of Bio-Mycin 200. They are running fevers, grinding teeth, poor appetite, coughing and colored snot. I've heard that penecillin should not be used for pulmonary infections. Other antibiotics we use are LA 200 and Nuflor.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), June 25, 2001.

Your CD&T doesn't have anything to do with it. The lump is normal in giving this vaccine subq.

I am a fan of Tylan for goats with upper respiratory, and "good" goats get vet perscribed Naxcel. But again I wouldn't be starting anything unless I had a fever. How about some antihistimine to start with, adult dose of benedryl? Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 25, 2001.

I just finished taking temps on all the does.....102.0...102.5...102.7...104.0(!) The 104 is from the yearling that hasn't had anything other than the cough. What do you think, guys? Thanks sooo much for your help.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), June 25, 2001.

Just to prove a point, a point I make with my 4H kids. I went out this am and took Amber (my big, heavy :) 8 year olds temp this am, it was 102. Now at 1 pm our time in 92 degree, 90 % humidity her temp is 103.7 (I love the new digital themometers!) She is a dark Mahogony colored doe that shaves down for shows nearly black. Boo a sleek yearling that is mostly blond was 102 and is still 102.

That doesn't mean that your doe isn't running a temp. With the other symptoms I would probably start her on antibiotics, and perhaps the whole pen if you are concerened. Which of the above mentioned drugs in Skip or my post do you have or have access to? Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 26, 2001.

I gave them each a subQ shot of LA200, and the doe with the 104 and the swelling from the CDT shot had that bump erupt! It was pussed up. None of the other animals had such a bump arise, other than these two yearlings. Now I'm going to obsess about CL!! I squeezed it all out and flushed with peroxide and iodine and I am just hoping and praying it isn't CL. Is this a fairly common thing to have occur with the subq CDT? Is that why many folks give the injections IM?

I picked up some great alfalfa hay today, so I will load up on the good stuff while it's available here. I suspect that the hay might have been part of the problem.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), June 26, 2001.