[groovyoldlady]

So...I have 3 girls with a chronic cough. It is winter in Maine and it is not uncommon for the girls to get snotty noses and then a little cough. But the colds have been cleared up for a couple of weeks now. I did have to give one girl a round of LA200 because she got worse than the others, but she's all better now too. Except for the cough.

The hay is not dusty and the other 2 girls are fine.

Any ideas why this has gone for WEEKS? I am giving 500mg of chewable vitamin c to the Nigies every day. I tried giving garlic, but the only one who likes it is one of the does that hasn't been sick at all.

 

[Goats Rock]

Are you guys damp and muddy? It might be just the dampness. I've been coughing. Environment mold?

Have you tried Vet RX? It's Vicks for goats. (And chickens, same thing). A drop or 2 in each nostril.

 

[GoofyGoat]

I use children's robitussin dm the honey flavor and it usually clears up in a couple doses. My doe Luna gets allergies and once the cough gets tamed down I give her plain honey to coat her throat. It seems to work pretty well.

 

[groovyoldlady]

Are you guys damp and muddy? It might be just the dampness. I've been coughing. Environment mold?

Have you tried Vet RX? It's Vicks for goats. (And chickens, same thing). A drop or 2 in each nostril.

I use so much Vet Rx that I should buy stock in the company!!!!! It's great stuff, but very short term. It IS wet now and muddy. But until 3 days ago everything was frozen solid. Our temps have been swinging from warm to insanely cold. Frankly, I feel blessed that no one has gotten sicker than this!

I use children's robitussin dm the honey flavor and it usually clears up in a couple doses. My doe Luna gets allergies and once the cough gets tamed down I give her plain honey to coat her throat. It seems to work pretty well.

Children's Robitussin dm and honey? BRILLIANT! Do you use the "people" dose?

 

[GoofyGoat]

Children's Robitussin dm and honey? BRILLIANT! Do you use the "people" dose?

I give Luna 5cc's and she sucks it right out of the syringe. The plain honey the same amount. SHe actually wants more but I don't let her have it...mean ol mom Oh, she's a nigi too.

 

[happybleats]

Are they in a shelter most the day/night? Could be build up of urine? You can check by squatting down in the shelter at their head/laying level and take a good sniff. If all smells fine, perhaps a few days of B complex would help.
To feed garlic to the reluctant try making a paste with fresh garlic and olive oil and drench it to them.

 

[toth boer goats]

Possible lungworms.

 

[groovyoldlady]

Are they in a shelter most the day/night? Could be build up of urine? You can check by squatting down in the shelter at their head/laying level and take a good sniff. If all smells fine, perhaps a few days of B complex would help.
To feed garlic to the reluctant try making a paste with fresh garlic and olive oil and drench it to them.

We don't have a real "barn". We have 2 shelters - (One has a door that can be closed, but we only do so when it's 10ºF or colder at night. The other shelter is 3 sided.) - Both are cleaned and limed daily. Thanks for the garlic tip!

Possible lungworms.

In the winter? We've never had lungworm before, so my knowledge is pretty sketchy. How do I diagnose and treat?

 

[toth boer goats]

If they had it prior to winter, it can explode if the animal is stressed, even in winter.

Baerman fecal test.
But whoever does it, has to know how to do it.

 

[Goats Rock]

Groovy, I forgot who I was responding to, of course you know about Vet RX! I did not mean to come across as patronizing. All the 4-H kids around here keep calling about their goats' runny noses and coughs. (And of course, no one wants the vet, the dads thing is "it's just a goat"). So everyone is trying to help those human kids help their goats.

 

[groovyoldlady]

Groovy, I forgot who I was responding to, of course you know about Vet RX! I did not mean to come across as patronizing. All the 4-H kids around here keep calling about their goats' runny noses and coughs. (And of course, no one wants the vet, the dads thing is "it's just a goat"). So everyone is trying to help those human kids help their goats.

No offense taken!

 

[NigerianDwarfOwner707]

Hey there. Just to confirm, has the one with the chronic cough gotten garlic?

 

[groovyoldlady]

Hey there. Just to confirm, has the one with the chronic cough gotten garlic?

Not yet. My M-I-L just had an emergency appendectomy and our 4-H Club kiddos just did speeches and I just started a job - so I'm a day late and a dollar short and....what was the question?

Seriously, I'll try to give her some tomorrow!

 

[toth boer goats]

How are things?

 

[groovyoldlady]

I talked to vet friend today. She said to just give her ivermectin. It will take care of lung worm if that is the problem and will not hurt her. She's preggo so I checked and I have regular Ivermectin. I'll dose her tonight. My research says I should re-dose in 14 days if she resumes coughing.

 

[toth boer goats]

Yes treat her, what did the vet friend say about the 14 days?

 

[groovyoldlady]

Yes treat her, what did the vet friend say about the 14 days?

She said to repeat the dose in 14 days.

She is coughing noticeably less now, so I think lungworm was the right call. I had 2 others coughing - though not as bad as Jazzy - so I went ahead and dosed them too.

Here's to a cough free Spring!

 

[toth boer goats]

Sounds good then, go by her instructions.

Good luck.

 

[SalteyLove]

Maybe the daily dusting of lime is irritating her?

 

[groovyoldlady]

Maybe the daily dusting of lime is irritating her?

Hmmm. Maybe? But I don't think so. We close them out of the pen while we clean and the bedding is usually very settled before s=they come back in.