I'm worried about my buckling...

Middle River · #1 06/02/08, 08:48 AM

I have a march 2008 born buckling that i bought before he was born ( for my new herdsire ), and picked him up May 4th. He and his half sister that i also got, were pan raised, and i'm still feeding them this way as i couldn't switch them to a bottle - they want their pan. They are both on goats milk. Then i have another doeling in with them from WA she is a bottle baby.

Anyways, for the last couple of weeks i've noticed green snot/crusties on his nose, as well as coughing. I took his temp when i noticed it, and he didn't have one then - i just tried taking it again this morning, but could not for the life of me do it by myself ! So i will have to wait till i get help to take it again. These symptoms started off small, but haven't got better, just worse. He eats great, has bright eyes, and plays a lot, but has more snot (green), and coughs more now, and when i listen to his breathing, i hear snot in his nose.

What do i do ? i just called my vet this morning, he is on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks ! I only have penn. G, and biomycin. Please help. Thanks !

Backfourty,MI. · #2 06/02/08, 09:58 AM

I have an adult doe that get's a runny nose that crust's up sometimes & I have to clean it out. It's not always like that & only does it sometimes. I took her to the vet because I did what I knew & couldn't figure it out, He said her lungs & all were clear, no infection, but what ever it was, was between the throat & nose, and also that goats don't get allergies! Well I think goats do get allergies sometimes, I use Dimetapp for her when I think she need's it.

I'm not saying that's what's wrong with your little guy, but I would take his temp. again. Maybe he does have a little infection. If you do the antibiotics you'll need to do for 5 days and if I had to choose between the 2 that you have I would go with the Pen G.

Middle River · #3 06/02/08, 10:14 AM

Thanks Backfourty ! I did ask some others about this a couple weeks ago when it was more mild and was told just to give him some cough med. and what not - not to worry. I've given him vetRX - no help. He has just got worse too - more snot, noisy breathing, and more coughing. I plan to corner DH when he gets home from work till he helps me hold him to get another temp reading :+)

I worry that he is like this because he is pan-fed. When he eats he shoves his whole face into the milk and i'm sure sucks it up his nose - wondering if that is why he is like this ?

Backfourty,MI. · #4 06/02/08, 10:20 AM

I guess he could be getting some of the milk up in his lungs but my guess if you tried the others things might be phneumonia(SP?) and maybe you should give him the antibiotics for 5 days. They can get what some call shipping fever which is the same thing. Also do you know did the breeder do his cocci treatments or has he been wormed at all yet?

Middle River · #5 06/02/08, 10:40 AM

hmmm...i'm not sure if the breeder did the cocci treament/prevention before i got him - i was just told he has his shot - should i worm him ( i have ivermectin ) and order something for cocci and get that going on all my kids ? I have fecals done and no cocci, so i haven't done that ever yet, but want the best for them so will if i'm told to - whats the easiest way to prevent cocci ?

Should i give him a round of penn. just to be safe ? If so, whats the dose for a 2 month old kid ? Can i give it SQ or does it have to be IM like the bottle says ?

Thanks !

AnnaS · #6 06/02/08, 08:48 PM

I pan fed last year and never had icky noses. The kids really clean each other off

With kids, I treat aggressively. They can have a lung infection that is not very symptomatic but quietly destroys lung tissue. If there's any fever, depression, or difficulty latching onto the bottle, I'd suspect pneumonia.

Anyway, If I was choosing between penn & Bio-M (oxytet) I would pick the Bio-M. There's much more resistance to penn.
Dose for Bio-M is 1 cc per 35 lbs once a day SubQ for 3-5 days. That's the last script my vet gave me for upper resp. infection in a kid. You can do IM or sub-Q, IM is absorbed more slowly. If you can get some banamine, use that too but not for over 3+ days.
I really like the Excenel/Naxel for pneumonia/shipping fever. We had some this year and the kids were much better in six hours.
On a almost unrelated note, are you coming to Mora? I'm just doing Sat. junior show- can't afford 2 days.

LaManchaPaul · #7 06/02/08, 10:02 PM

One of the twins (Rubin) had snot and rumbling. The vet gave NuFlor injection and another 48 hrs later. That was on 5/20 and it all went away. The other twin was not affected. He never had temp or weight loss. The snot was nasty with an ugly sound. We're both glad that it's gone. Paul

Middle River · #8 06/03/08, 12:03 PM

Ok, i got a temp - 100.2. BUT my therm. told me my battory was low right after i took it, so it may be off a bit.

I see my posts from earlier are gone ???

So i think i will start him on a 5 day biomycin dose. He looks and acts fine, but sounds awful - so i rather be safe then sorry.

Anna S. - i REALLY wanted to go to Mora, but now with MN and the TB issue i can't, as i was told i can't bring my goats back to WI if i do go ???

Also, i measured my buckling's girth - 23 in. so he is about 42lbs ? Is that good for a Alpine buckling born 3/21/08 ? And if it's 1 cc per 35lbs, would 1.5 cc be ok for him ?

Backfourty,MI. · #9 06/03/08, 08:48 PM

If it were me & I shouldn't be answering for anna but I'd give 2cc for that weight. As far as worming him with the Ivermectin at that age I don't have the answer. I do use Ivermectin on my adult goats, but the kids I usually just do the cocci preventative for the 3, 6 & 9 weeks of age & 1 time somewhere in there of safeguard. I have never had a heavy worm load in any of my goats but don't like to take chances with the babies since they can go down so fast. I really don't know the difference in cocci & other types of worms but I do think cocci is worms of some sort. I use Di-methox sol. 12.5 % solution since it's less expensive but you can also use corid or albon for cocci.