Goat with pnuemonia! Need advice.

[Jillis]

My 7 month old Nubian has pnuemonia! Over night! She is the one whose silly head pops up at the window in the door when it is time to be let out. She is the "leader of the pack" when it is grain bucket time. Today, she just stood there and refused to come out. I knew something had to be wrong. She hid in the barn and I took her temp, it was about 106 degrees F. She would not eat at all.
I had the vet come out and by then she was coughing and had congestion in her chest.
One of the babies had this thing with green booger snots in the nose and eyes, and very, very listless. I gave her penicillin until it cleared up. A few others had boogers but weren't listless so I didn't treat.
The vet told me to begin Penicillin and also gave her some Banamine. A few hours later, she was obviously feeling much better, and ran out and ate her grain. I could feel how much cooler she was too.
I didn't know that pnuemonia could come on so fast without any noticable symptoms ahead of time. I also didn't know goats were that susceptible to "colds."
I will be watching them like a hawk now...

[Misty]

drop the penicillin and use Nuflor. Pen is better for reproductive issues and staph. I would give her Nuflor for 4 days. Day 1. 6cc/100 #, the remaining days is 3cc/100#. The banamine is good 1cc/100# for use every 12 hours. You can order a vaccine that is great for pneumonia....Super Polybac B Somnus from Texas vet labs. Cee Sales has it, so does Jeffers I believe. Cee sales # is 800-851-3170. You give 1cc sub q and repeat in 21 days. It protects against 5 different strains of pneumonia.
Good luck
www.geocities.com/buckshotboers2003

[ozark_jewels]

I second going with the Nuflor. It is GREAT for pnumonia!!

[Teacupliz]

I use Pen G all the time Works great.. SMZ works good to and it is orally.
Don't forget the fortified B-complex.

TeacupLiz

[Jillis]

Learning, learning...poor Esmerelda got a lump at the Penicillin injection site this morning.
I will ask the vet about the Nuflor. Some of the babies have green boogies now too, but they look okay otherwise...I am keeping a close watch on them all...

[Goat Freak]

Glad to hear that they are doing better now, I sure hope that you don't have to deal with that again. Good Luck, bye.

[moonspinner]

There are some strains of pneumonia that can strike out of nowhere with no symptoms til it's too late. I also know of some cases where the goat looked to be recovering only to relapse so make sure you give the full course of antibiotic. I'm a big fan of B complex whenever goats are sick.

[Jillis]

Thanks to all. She is still looking good tonight. I can't give her the shots until the lights go back on---we are finally getting the barn wired. But the little baby who originally had it is needing to be back on the penicillin---I stopped it too soon. How long should they be on it? 5 days?
Also, moonspinner---how much B complex? Is it a shot? Do you get it at the farm store?
TIA! Jillis!

[goatkid]

I would use Nuflor. You have to get it from the vet. I buy it by the bottle to have on hand. You don't want to stop giving antibiotics too soon because the goat can develop bacteria that is resistant. My vet has me give Nuflor every other day for 3 or 4 doses and Bananine once daily for 2 or 3 days. I got a goat with a subborn case of pneumonia better with this schedule. I give B complex by injection. I think I got it from the feed store. My vet also carries it.

[GoldenWood Farm]

You can use Banamine to bring down her fever. Make sure you have no drafts going on. Also what mightg be going on is pasturella? I could be wrong though (and then they got phnemonia).

Being stressed can do that then they get sick with other stuff. But nuflor and banamine is what I would also use. Banamine helps with pain but like I said will bring her fever down.

MotherClucker

[Milking Mom]

Is Nuflor by prescription or can you get it over the counter?

[GoldenWood Farm]

I can't remember..I think here it is over the counter..but I am not sure.

I think it varies on where you live and your vet.

MotherClucker

[Misty]

it is prescription. Use it as I described above. If you have goats get some polyserum or bovi serum.

[mary,tx]

I have used penicillin with very good results. You can buy a bottle of it, and the syringes, at the feed store or Tractor Supply and keep it in your fridge. You're going to go broke on this venture if you have a vet out every time.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by buckshotboers

it is prescription. Use it as I described above. If you have goats get some polyserum or bovi serum.

It is prescription, but I have a good working relationship with my vet and she lets me buy it by the bottle whenever I need it, even with no prescription. I know a lot more about goats than she does, so I generally just tell her what I need. It all depends on your vet.

[moonspinner]

Even though I and others have used Pen G successfully, it sure doesn't go down well with my vet. He calls all the OTC antibiotics "junk" for anything serious. Nuflor is pretty heavy duty and should kick out the bug and around here anyway, it is prescription-only. The Fortified B is the best kind and by injection.

[okiemom]

Do you have them on a cocci prevenative? If you don't get them the loose minerals w/ rumensin in it. I lost several goats chasing pnemonia and finding it was a secondary infection due to cocci overload. I really liked nuflor or batryil sp.? I also learned pneumonia dosen't heve to have snot. I lost many babies to no running noises or eyes. A fever will sometimes be the only sign. You might check the others for fever even if they look ok.

I also recomend the pneumonia shot at least for this year, since it is in your herd. Make sure the area they are sleeping in is cleaned out (not on concrete) and the amonia oders are eliminated. Goats in the winter tend to not travel too far from their warm barn/shed. This leads to overcrowding and even worm problems. Would not hurt to worm them again to make sure that is not weakening their immune system. Put their feed "out" where they have to walk around and get exercise to get it.

This pneumonia can kill in less than 24 hrs. By the time you find it it can have done some major damage to the lungs. I hope this helps it is so disheartening to have this happen. Huggs. Katharine

[goatkid]

My vet sells me whole bottles of Nuflor and Banamine. This works well because if I have to call him at night with an emergency, he can let me know what to give and I have it right there. I also keep bottles of B complex, Thiamine, calcium, glucose, propylene glycol, Biomycin, scour halt and Biosol on hand, also A&D and Bo Se. I live 30 miles fom the nearest vet and need to have medicine here.

[Jillis]

Giving goats shots is stressing us out! We did clean out the bedding and then put down a thick layer of pine shavings. Oy! This is a lot of work! The babies are on a starter grain that has a cocci preventation in it. I am really avoiding having the vet out as much as possible, but Esmerelda is a valuable animal and she was very bad...She is still sub-par and coughing badly but at least she is eating and going outside again...tonight we gave her a shot of Pen and she ran around the other side of the barn. A few minutes later she peeked around and looked at us and something about it was so cute. Poor sweet baby! (She's my biggest girl, but she is still my "baby!")
Thank you all so much! I feel like I will never be confident enough with this goats but I know that it will come in time...
Jillis

[Misty]

even if you don't want the vet out, you can buy biomycin and have better results than with the pen. This is from experience, not hearsay. Good luck with her.