rabbit food for a snack?

[jd4020]

Hello,
I don't post often as I enjoy reading and gathering information, but I have a couple of questions.
I had some leftover rabbit food, so I've been adding a 1/4 cup to the feed bowl when I am milking. Any thoughts about this? Would that be adding too much protein to the diet? How would too much protein affect them?
I feed oats, goat chow, shredded beet pulp, various herbs.etc. I add dolomite and cod liver oil at times to their feed bowl and hay is always available as well as anything seasonal such as apple tree prunings in fall or early spring, beet tops etc., from the garden, untreated pine trees and dry leafs that we've raked up. They usually dig right in.
I treated some pink eye with a calendula eye wash and emptied out capsules of eyebright into the ration. It responded well and cleared up after a few days.
Second question, one of my girls has a cough. Kind of rattly. Doesn't have a hard time breathing. Her temp is normal, her appetite is great and the goat berries are normal. The snot is clear or white. She's had it for about 6 months. Hasn't seemed to give it to anyone else. I've wormed all the girls, so not sure if it's lungworm. Wondering if it's just a chronic sinus problem. I don't like to use antibiotics; only if I absolutely have too, but I can't seem to get this cleared up. It doesn't seem to bother her unduly. Maybe I should take a sample of it to the vet for analysis?
Thanks.
Judy

[mygoat]

nahh.. You probably wont need to take a sample to the vet. Just give her a couple days of light doses of pennecillin or something. If it clears up or gets better finish out the antibiotic term and then hopefully it will stay away. Make sure to use probiotics! Or if you're really against antibiotics, try using a product called "sheep/goat Rx" first.It's for goats with coughing, sniffles, that sort of thing. I believe it's all natural. Never used it though. You can always give a fortified vitamin B shot too.

[Jillis]

One of my goats, who is otherwise quite frisky and healthy, has a nasty, allergic type cough. They all had a bad pnuemonia as babies that swept through my herd when I brought them home, must of come from the barn where I bought them. Anyway, I was told that it could just be residual lung damage.
I've heard that giving them some Vit. E daily can help heal the scarring.

[jd4020]

Thank you.
On the probiotics, I do have a tub of this, but was wondering if there was a specific brand for goats or does it matter? I've raised goats for about 25 years but have never had this sort of problem and am new to the probiotic thingie. I raise them for my own families' needs and for the most part have had healthy, productive animals. We are not into the show scene and I don't sell any products to anyone, so my girls stay put on the farm.
I was thinking of trying some of the products offered on the fiascofarm site.
I have some vit. E oil in the cupboard, how much of a dose could I put on the feed? They eat most anything that's in the feed bowl but dislike a capsule shoved in their mouth.
Where would I get a fortified vit.B shot?
Thanks so much for the advice.
Judy

[rranch]

I am also curious about the vit B for goats. Is it an injectable? I've seen it for cattle but not goats. what would a dosage be?