[janeen128]

Okay, so about a month or so ago I posted that I had some goats coughing in my herd. The sheep who run with the goats are not coughing and neither is the youngest goat Beebop, he's almost 5 mo. I ruled out lung worm then by Goathiker's home test, no larva floating in the AM. I did the same test a week ago, came up negative. I've been taking temps on a few of them here and there (I have 9 goats) no fevers as of yet. Pretty much all are coughing at different times, but not every day. I gave Robitussin DM to a few in the beginning for a couple days and it cleared up but now it's back. I've been giving them vit C too. Am I missing something? Should I just treat for lung worm, or is could it be a cold that needs to run it's course?

 

[ksalvagno]

Really hard to say. Could be anything from dust to colds to walking pneumonia. Listening to their lungs would help.

 

[janeen128]

I've listened to their breathing, there is no weasing. All are eating, drinking, pooing & peeing fine, and they are not acting sick.

 

[goathiker]

I don't think that they are sick. I think that they are coughing from having to spend more time inside with the dusty bedding and dampness here. Having a light bulb or two high above their stall area will burn off some of the moisture and help out with some of that.
Robitussin can not clear up pneumonia or lungworms, it's not that good. I think it's just irritation.

 

[Wild Hearts Ranch]

What's the home test for lungworms? Mine have had a dry cough for a while - I haven't been too worried because they have no mucus or anemia and temperature is normal, but it would put my mind at ease knowing it's not worms

 

[janeen128]

I don't think that they are sick. I think that they are coughing from having to spend more time inside with the dusty bedding and dampness here. Having a light bulb or two high above their stall area will burn off some of the moisture and help out with some of that.
Robitussin can not clear up pneumonia or lungworms, it's not that good. I think it's just irritation.

Okay, that makes sense. Maybe I'll rig up some light bulbs to put out there. I will have to anyway when Patti delivers here soon.

 

[janeen128]

What's the home test for lungworms? Mine have had a dry cough for a while - I haven't been too worried because they have no mucus or anemia and temperature is normal, but it would put my mind at ease knowing it's not worms

You get some poo, wrap it tightly in some gauze, I put a rubber band on top put it in water over night, then in the AM if you see larva floating you know you are dealing with lung worms, if not then you're not.

 

[Wild Hearts Ranch]

I'm not sure how accurate that would be - everything I'm reading says that lungworms are extremely hard to detect in a fecal, even when done by vets, and that the best way to diagnose is to treat and see if they improve. Can do permanent damage if not treated, so I think I'll just go ahead and try it.

 

[janeen128]

Some people on here have had positive results too. The reason you wrap it tightly in the gauze

 

[janeen128]

Some people on here have had positive results too. The reason you wrap it tightly in the gauze

My finger hit send to soon... The worms would then suffocate and the float.

 

[goathiker]

They are actually swimming Janeen. The warmish water makes the eggs hatch and the larvae will be swimming in the top of the jar. You only want a single piece of gauze around the poop. It's to keep the poo from breaking up and clouding the water.
If you see larvae in the bottom of the jar, they are thread worms or liver flukes.

There is a very expensive test that is done, called a Baerman fecal, this fecal is specifically for finding lung worms. The procedure is exactly the same. The only difference is the container used and that the vet would suck up a few larvae and look at them under the microscope.

 

[Wild Hearts Ranch]

I'd still feel better knowing I've ruled it out by treating. Mine have nice straw bedding, not dusty and no smell. They do it outside as well.

 

[janeen128]

They are actually swimming Janeen. The warmish water makes the eggs hatch and the larvae will be swimming in the top of the jar. You only want a single piece of gauze around the poop. It's to keep the poo from breaking up and clouding the water.
If you see larvae in the bottom of the jar, they are thread worms or liver flukes.

There is a very expensive test that is done, called a Baerman fecal, this fecal is specifically for finding lung worms. The procedure is exactly the same. The only difference is the container used and that the vet would suck up a few larvae and look at them under the microscope.

Oh wow! I just know I didn't see any larva, I didn't know they would actually swim.. Yuck. I only used 1 layer of gauze, so I'm pretty confident they don't have lung worms, they would be showing other signs by now...

 

[goathiker]

I would be pretty confident that they don't even without the test, Janeen. The common lungworm around here can't hatch in temperatures under 65* and require a slug for an intermediate host. I haven't seen a slug out of hibernation for a couple months.

 

[janeen128]

I'd still feel better knowing I've ruled it out by treating. Mine have nice straw bedding, not dusty and no smell. They do it outside as well.

Mine do it outside too, but not all the time etc... It's strange... I might treat just incase too, but they would be showing other signs by now I would think...

 

[Wild Hearts Ranch]

From what I've read the coughing is pretty much the only symptoms until there's severe damage. They could have been carrying it around since it was warm.

 

[janeen128]

I wormed all my boys with Valbalzen in September though, since my bucks were going to be leased out. So that would have covered them.

 

[Wild Hearts Ranch]

Not if you only did it once. They have a 14 day lifecycle.

http://goats.wikifoundry.com/page/Lungworm,+How+to+deal+with+it

I only have Ivomec so I'll probably order some of the Levasol; it's cheap.

 

[janeen128]

Oh, hmmm then once wait to see if there is no coughing, if coughing stops, worm again 10 days later, and then 10 days again... I can do that.. I think I'm going to get ivermectin, or ivomec + safe for preggo girls... I'm going to be giving some selenium and vit e gel, doing hooves this week, so I'll just add this in with a few of them, if their symptoms are gone I'll do the rest, if not then I won't.

 

[Wild Hearts Ranch]

Ivomec + is not safe for preggos. Can cause abortion. Regular Ivomec is fine but neither is effective on lungworms.