[Jenjacnubians]

Hi, I am Jennifer in MN and I am only a couple months into having goats. We have had a problem with clear/white snot for most of the time we have had them. The older doeling who is a year has coughed for over a month or so now, (and the two four month olds cough off and on) I have had a friend who has goats come over and she helped me with temps (normal range) and gave me a couple of numbers for two different vet service that do livestock/goats. She also suggested to treat for lungworm. The two vets didn't have much of an answer. No fever, no yellow/green snot, not off feed....no meds basically is what they told me. It has been very dry here in MN and we are in an area that is know as the Sherburne County sandy area. We also have alfalfa hay that is first cutting, nice, leafy. However, I find that crumbles so easy. Could the above be making my girls have allergies?

What do you all as goat mentors suggest? I am really beginning to worry because the two are so young yet and the yearling I want to breed soon.

 

[ksalvagno]

Did the vets physically look at them? I had 2 young ones that had pneumonia and there was no temp. Just a little clear discharge. Some coughing. When the vet listened to their lungs, he said no question they have pneumonia. Since they have had it this long, I would be getting 2 shots of Draxxin and give it to them once every 7 days for a 14 day coverage.

 

[Jenjacnubians]

The vets didn't look at them. I just called and gave a description. I am not sure if they would come out to look at them and to bring them over almost a hour away I thought might trigger a stress problem and make it worse. Where do you get Draxxin? From the vet? I am giving them a herbal immune boast. I have tried to listen when they cough and it doesn't have a gurgling noise. They don't act sick at all. No off feed, no loose stool, very excited to see you and play. Just the snot and cough off and on. Sometimes in the morning when they first come out of the shed and sometimes when they run.

 

[ksalvagno]

Really a vet visit would be in order. You have to get Draxxin from a vet. The vet will know exactly what to listen for. Plus doing a fecal sample to include coccidia wouldn't be a bad thing either.

 

[FernleaFarm]

You have described exactly the way my doe with lungworms was early on. She started like that in February. She was pregnant at the time. I kept calling my experienced goat keeper friend and describing it to her. She thought she just had a cold. I bought an herbal nasal/sinus relief and wondered why it wasnt working. After my doe kidded in April, she seemed always anemic. I continued to give her the nasal remedy and added Goatade. At the end of June, she went downhill, hardly able to breathe. I called my friend over, and she said that she was pretty bad off, and guessed that it must be lungworms. The next morning, she was so bad that I decided that it wasn't worth taking her to a vet when she would most likely die. It was vey hard, but I made her comfortable, and she died that evening. She was my her herd queen.

Anyway, it could be lungworms. But it could also be pneumonia, as ksalvagno suggested. I am no expert, so don't take my word at once
The fecal examination would be a good idea to start with. If it is lungworms, worming would be your route, is my thinking.

I hope this will give you an idea. And I don't want to scare you with my experience. If you find out what it is now, you won't go through what I did.

Plus, I think something was going on on top of the lungworms with my doe. I'm not sure what, but everywhere else I research I don't find symptoms quite like hers.
Sorry, I talk a lot

 

[happybleats]

Lung worm eggs can not be seen in a normal fecal. Goat hiker shared doing a test at home that maybe helpful...gather some berries for each goat and wrap in a small square of gauze. Twist tight and float in cup of water over night...lung worms or eggs will float to the top and you will be able to see them...treat if needed...

If you dont see any worms then assume Pneumonia and treat...I prefer Nuflor which is per vet as well..3 cc per 100# sub q once a day for 5 days... if you cant get RX meds, Tylan 200 from Tractor supply is 1 cc per 25# sub Q every 12 hours for 5 -7 days..
Tussen is great to help break up mucus and Benadryl will help dry the snot...

best wishes