How serious is a goat that is sneezing?

[Linebacker]

Once again I will show my ignorance. I have a billy who sneezed two or three times (four at the most) in a three hour period yesterday afternoon while some cattlemen buddies and I were fencing. One of them said a sneeze (even a single sneeze) is a grim diagnosis for a goat!

If that is true, is there anything I can do?

thanks and please dont laugh, I am trying to learn.

[Jim S.]

Mine would all be dead, were your pals correct.

A sneeze I think nothing of. A COUGH, now that gets my attention.

[Linebacker]

[QUOTE=Jim S.]Mine would all be dead, were your pals correct.

????? what would be dead? the goats

[Jim S.]

LOL. Yeah, all my goats would be dead now if a few sneezes were "a grim diagnosis for a goat!"

I think yer pals were putting you on. I think it's kinda mean of them to not let you in on the joke, eventually, though.

[topside1]

Linebacker all my goats sneeze, I'm sure they are alergic to weeds....No worries

[southerngurl]

I bet it's as serious as some dust in his nose.

[Jim S.]

What's this about a goat's knees????

Oh... never mind...

[lgslgs]

Our goats will sneeze as an alarm call to alert the rest of the herd to potential danger without making much noise.

I've been trying to recall whether they did this as much before we got a cow. I certainly didn't notice it as much. Either I just overlooked it before or they have adopted their version of the cow snort/huff as a form of communication.

The other day I was up a hill on the other side of the fence - a place where they don't expect to see people. The herd came bopping along and all of a sudden alerted and then 4 sneezes went off in a row - one from each of the four top ranking goats! It was really cool.

With one goat in the house right now, it is common for us to hear the herd let out a "we see you" sneeze when I take Buster out for his 4 am potty break. Usually it is just one of the goats (Clyde, the self appointed herd guard wether) who greets us with the night time sneeze.

If you've got a Billy, strangers, and fencing work going on I expect he was probably guard sneezing.

Lynda

[Linebacker]

I dont think they meant it as a joke. Although you see a few herds of goats around here now. Most of us are only familiar with cattle and the old forklore and wives tales we all heard from bias cattle folk seem to take priority sometimes.

The joke is how much more fencing for goats cost. It may be cheaper to just turn them loose in the yard and feed them dollar bills.

Ive got the fever and the quest for knowledge.

Maybe Ill come up with other questions that should make ya'll smile too.

[katiesgarden1]

Hello, I am new to the goat raising also. Jim S you said that coughing would get your attention. Why coughing what can that mean? My doe coughs once in a while like shes got something in her throat and can't quite swallow, but then she quits. Also off the subject. Are you suppose to seperate the doe and the billie I only have one of each. Thanks Kathy

[Steffiej]

My nigerians sneeze, and I've been told it's a warning noise. I've noticed they do it to each other if one gets too close when the other is eating, or if they think something is too close in their "space".

[topside1]

Kathy there is quite a difference between coughing and chronic coughing. Chronic coughing could be caused by lung worms and can easily be cured by using the appropriate wormer. If your doe is the proper age and weight why bother separating, they both need companionship. You may want to separate them during the day of kidding just to minimize stress on the doe....TJ

[GSFarm]

A lot of these bucks are snorting and sneezing this time a year. It's nothing to worry about.

I have one doe to, ever since I had her, snots all over when she sneezes, sometimes even on me!!

[katiesgarden1]

Thanks topside1, I think they are old enough, but paco the billy really corners snowflake the doe. she stands on top of the feeder for hay to try to get away. nature ya know. what kind of wormer would work on lung worms if that is what she might have? Thanks again

[Cygnet]

I had one wether who sneezed, sniffled, snorted, and sounded like he was coughing up a lung in the morning. I had him tested for worms multiple times, multiple rounds of various antiobiotics, soaked his hay, etc. etc. ... finally figured out that on days when my asthma was bad, his cough was bad. This was absolutely consistent. We pretty much suffered together ...

I honestly think I had a goat with nothing worse than bad allergies!

He was fine from an athletic standpoint -- great pack goat. *shrug* And he died of something completely unrelated to his snotty nose.

[chris30523]

I have heard lots of stories from"cattlemen" none have had any bearing on my goats. Goats won't eat anything even tin cans. They sneeze or snort all the time. They are born looking for a way to kill themselves (this one might have some truth)
My DH and his uncles are cattlemen (I even have a plate on the front of my truck that says "BEEF") They make fun of my goats all the time. Follow that Quest for knowledge and read any thing you can find .Don't take advice on goat from Cattlemen.Unless of course they also have goats.

[lijj]

My goats sneeze when something frightens them... or when they think they are in danger (even if they really aren't). One sneezes, they all stick their heads up and ears up, stand still for a few minutes, the kids run in fright... It's humorous

[fishhead]

From what I've seen the sneeze is an alert signal. I've done it when my goats were into something they shouldn't be and it makes them stop.

[Linebacker]

Thanks Everyone,
I am relieved and very glad I asked, yesteday afternoon while just my son and myself were fencing and cleaning up not a single sneeze. Maybe their better judges of people than I am and just dont like my buddies! LOL
Thanks again,
Brad

[topside1]

Kathy, if snowflake is coughing a lot primarily after running, jumping or and type of physical activity then I would worm. These wormers are broad spectrum and will kill all types of worms. If you decide to worm your doe also do you buck and keep records for future reference....TJ

Brand Names:

Ivomec Injectable for Cattle & Swine 1% Sterile Solution (Merck)
Double Impact Injectable for Cattle & Swine 1% Sterile Solution (Agrilabs)
Drug Name:

ivermectin


Family: Avermectin
Treatment & Control of: Lungworms, gastrointestinal roundworms, larvae, lice, mange mites & cattle grubs. External parasites.
Goat dose: Oral
1 ml per 50 pounds- given orally.
Some people are now using 1cc per 34 lbs with good success. This is 3X the label dose.
Milk withholding time:
In the US: 36 days
In the UK: 14 days
My personal withholding time: 4 days
Why is my personal withdraw so much shorter? Ivomec is used on humans in third world countries. The withdrawal times given on the package is set by the FDA after testing on cows (the use of Ivomec in goats is "extra label"- it has not been tested on goats) and it is said that after the regulated number of days there are no traces at all of drug left in the (cow) milk. You can see the in the UK, where the drug has been tested on goats, the withdrawal is shorter than in the US. Here on our farm, the milk I milk from our goats is consumed by only two people, me and my husband (both adults). I personally am not concerned about the very small traces of wormer that may be in the milk after four days, since I know the wormer is safe to use on humans anyway. This why my person withdrawal is four days. I drank this 4 day withdrawal milk for many years with no ill effect until I switch the using my Herbal Worm Formula. It is up to you to make your own choice about how long you decide to withhold the milk.
Notes:
This injectable wormer is not given by injection. It works much better if given orally. Measure the wormer with a syringe, but remove the needle before squirting the wormer into the goats mouth. Get it as far back as you can because it does not taste good and they will try to spit it out.
This wormer does not kill tapeworms. If you actually see worms in the goats poops, use Valbazen or Safeguard.
Safe for use in pregnant does.