Cough

[FarmerKat]

One of my goats (wether, 5 months old) is coughing. Not much, he mostly coughs in the morning and evening which I assumed is related to the cold temperatures. He will cough occasionally during the day too. Today I was outside all afternoon with them and he coughed 2 or 3 times. In the morning and evening when I feed or put them up for the night, he coughs more often than that.

He is otherwise happy and does not show any signs of distress (eats well, poop is normal). The only thing I have noticed is that his "behhh" is really quiet, I rarely hear him. Could he have lost his voice due to a cold?

His twin brother does not cough at all (I only have two goats).

I was researching coughing goats and come up with anything from cold & pneumonia to allergies to lung worm to "it's normal".

Any suggestions?

[mzgarden]

We are certainly not experts but I'll share that we have two 11 mos old does - half sisters. One has always coughed periodically, the other has never coughed as far as we know. It's cough-cough and then nothing for days, then cough-cough. No deep or racking coughs, no fever, drippy eyes/nose, poo or behavior change. I suspect in her case, it's just part of her makeup to cough a bit. Without any additional symptoms, we have learned not to worry. Hope yours is also just part of his nature.

[marusempai]

So, I am not a vet, but I have a goat that's a cougher, and have talked to the vet a lot about her, and this is what I do. As long as she has no other symptoms - runny nose, droopy ears, whistles or rattles when I listen to her chest (I just put my ear up to her), generally acting like a weenie - I try not to worry about it. Emerald just coughs sometimes, especially when it's cold. If she has other symptoms, I call in the expert opinion, and my vet seems to think this is a good plan. The time the vet agreed she needed antibiotics, she was definitely wheezing, I could hear it myself.

[GoatGirl123]

4 of my does (at the time the only 4 does we had) got a cough that lasted several weeks when they were about 6 months old. First one, then they stopped and another started, and so on. No other symptoms and it passed after about a month. Maybe the same thing, maybe different.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Take his temperature to check for pneumonia.

When was he last treated for worms? with which med?

[FarmerKat]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Take his temperature to check for pneumonia.

When was he last treated for worms? with which med?

I will check temp & listen for wheezing rattling in the chest. No coughing this morning at all (it is warmer than it was yesterday morning).

They were wormed twice since we got them. On 11/9 they got SafeGuard because I saw evidence of tape worm in the poop. They also got Cydectin (pour on cattle kind) on 10/9. Their eye lids were too light and the prior owner came and gave it to them. It is my understanding that she used Cydectin once before. We got them on 10/11.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Take a fecal sample to get checked just because it's a good idea.