Coughing calf with cyst

[PrettyPaisley]

I knew I should have held my ground on this one.

I've never gotten a goat from an auction. I've read too much to not want to know about who I buy my goats from.

That said-I agreed to buy a couple of springers when we sold the two steers we processed. We brought home three; two from an auction and one from a farm. The folks I talked to promised me that farmers don't just take unthrifty cows to auction; that they raise and sell them or sell the extras. And there were a ton of cows that passed through there the day I went.

Fast forward a month or so and the man who helps us here comes across a black angus bull calf who's about 3 months old. I agree to raise him on extra goat milk. He came from the auction but through a man who is helping us learn cows. This gentleman has a huge operation and is a decaon in his church, he's pushing 80 but as far as I can tell he is just good people. He's a wealth of knowledge and has offered us tons of assistance.

Well he's the one who came across this calf and bought it on our behalf. I put the calf in a stall in the barn because he's still on the bottle (and hay and a small amount of grain) and I'm afraid he is just too little to go out to the pasture with the big girls.

About two days after he got here I heard a cough. This was about 5 days ago. I didn't worry about passing anything from cow to goat or to the other cows as they don't come into the barn unless it's freezing outside.

So we mentioned this to the man who bought him and he said he would possibly be allergic to hay dust. Umm.... okay. And to make sure his nose was wet = and it is. Or something like that.

Well this morning I notice a cyst on the side of his face between his eye and mouth. Now if this were a goat I would have shot it immediately. But Mr. Robert (our farm helper) starts back peddling and making excuses and telling me to hold off. I don't want to hold off. I want to know what this is and send that calf on his way to somewhere else if he has something that is contagious.

What should I do? He is still in his stall and will stay there until I get to the bottom of this.

[Seth]

A shot of LA200 would be my first recommendation. It could just be an infection/allergic reaction. Never know what you'll catch in a sale barn. The LA will knock him off his feed a bit, so a vitamin B complex injection could be administered as well. Seth

[Allen W]

The buyers lack of skill at buying an animal or taking care of said animal once they have it home shouldn't be blamed on the sale barn or seller. I buy and sell at at the local sale barns if you don't know what your doing it can cost you but every one has to pay for their education some how.

The "cyst" my best guess would be a tooth coming in or irriated some how, I've seen it happen occasionaly and never seen it cause a lasting problem.

If the calf has been coughing five days I would either be satisfied with what I was doing for it or have consulted a vet before now.

Sorry I'm all out of sugar coating tonight.

[PrettyPaisley]

No offense assumed or taken. I'm not a cow girl. As a goat person I'm not quick to call a vet because I've gotten way better info on this board than from any vet I've ever had out here or been to when it comes to goats. That's another reason I was relying on the beef farmer for info and of course, for posting here.

May I rephrase ? Is there some illness this calf might have that would present in a cough and cyst? I am trying to learn and not pass anything on to my other cows. My intention is not to offend anyone who regularly sells at an auction.

[Allen W]

I can't think of any thing that would cause cysts and a cough together.

[Seth]

The cough could be shipping fever or some environmental irritant. The cyst, I'll agree with Allen, probably tooth related. If it is an infected tooth the calf's immune system could be weakened, helping the cough take hold.

[G. Seddon]

I have no idea if the cough and the cyst are linked, but take the calf's temperature (over 102.5???). Lethargy, loss of appetite, runny nose, rapid breathing? These are signs of pneumonia.

[myheaven]

Are you sure it's a cyst not a blister? All I can think of is hoof and mouth if its blisters. Or orf in Goats.
If its a cyst. Could be a simple saliva gland cyst. No biggy.