The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Violetsprite on August 11, 2012, 12:36:28 pm
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Sorry for the yucky thread title but it describes my 14 year old english goats condition right now. She is moving about and has eaten this morning but her breathing sounds a bit laboured & she has a bunged up nose which has been runny for about 2 days (prior to that i'd noticed an occasional runny nose over the past few weeks), she's not coming up for food with the other goats in the morning lately and has lost weight. I've given her an injection of teramycin on the advice of a local sheep farmer but not had the vet out yet. As it's the weekend i thought i'd just keep an eye til Monday but i'm a bit worried given her age so in the meantime any advice or comments would be very much appreciated. Thanks all.
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Could be pneumonia. Keep a close eye on her and if she seems to be ill in herself, get the vet, they can go downhill quickly. General good 'nursing', ie no stress, nice things to eat will help, willow branches are good.
Have you got a mineral supp, has she had some recently?
If she doesn't pick up with the tetracycline in a day, pen and strep is a good antibiotic for pneumonia.
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If this was a person you wouldn't hesitate in calling a doctor, Get A VET for the poor old thing. :rant:
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Thanks Jaykay - she has 2 different mineral bucket licks and helps herself as and when. Some helpful advice there - thank you. She does seem a bit perkier since posting but i'm keeping a close eye. Thanks for your comment tizaala although seems a bit harsh - i like to think although i haven't experienced all goat problems over the years i do have a fairly good sense of when it is an emergency - but i appreciate your consideration.
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When I called the vet to my 10 year old goat who had laboured breathing and had lost weight, he said that if she was younger, he would suspect pneumonia but, in view of her age (almost 11) he thought it was more likely to be tumours in her lungs. He gave her a short of antibiotic and left me some more but she died a few hours later.
I hope your goat doesn't have the same but I would have the vet out just in case or, at least, phone for advice.
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Hi Mad Goatwoman - this is my concern - trouble is (think i may have posted this before) our local vet - helpful as he is - doesn't know much about goats - every time i have an ageing goat with an illness (touch wood i've never had to call them out for anything other than an abcess or minor infection in younger goats) it always seems to be the same - a dose of antibiotics and then the only other solution they can offer to end their pain/potential pain ... :'( I hoped the forum might be the place to get reassurance that goats get colds - not that i've ever seen one before - clutching at straws ... as i mentioned earlier she is looking brighter but i have read some scary stuff about pneumonia so will call the vet - but suspect tumours and in which case, well i guess i'm hoping she will improve before monday ...???
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Sorry about your goat .....its so worrying especially with the older ones. I would definitely try the pen and strep if you can have any or a local sheep farmer may be able to let you have some ......that would help if it was pneumonia.
Never had a goat with tumours, but some of the farm cats have, and these have had laboured breathing and snotty bunged up noses.
One other thought crossed my mind - your goat has not had access to any mouldy or dusty hay?
People say goats do not have colds, but I have had runny noses and goats looking miserable for a couple of days, so although not like a human cold, they do have something similar.
Hope your goat picks up.
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We lost a 5 year old Togg to pneumonia. The vet came straight out and we tried all we could but it developed so fast. We believe hers was secondary to something else but that the stress of her primary illness triggered the pneumonia. We use HeptavacP now to try and prevent it.
Hope all is OK but I really would get her checked out xxx
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Violetsprite, I do hope your girl only has a cold. I am fortunate that we have one vet in our practice who does know goats. Let us know how she does.
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yes they do get colds but no blood usually. Hope she recovers very soon, :bouquet: :bouquet: .
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I would definitely say that they get colds. But getting a cold can lead to pneumonia. And I would say, especially because of the blood, that this might well be pneumonia. Several others have given good advice, but most important is those antibiotics. If the Terramycin has no effect in improving her condition in 10 hours then you need the vet and a different, perhaps stronger antibiotic.
Pneumonia can kill quickly, so keep a very close eye.
Beth
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Hi all - thanks for some helpful advice - Goat is looking much better today - nose is dry and there was only the one occurence of blood in what must have been a big sneeze. So looks like it is hopefully not pneumonia however she is still old and is very slow walking up behind the others - and has had runny nose before - i suspect this is a slow decline that has had a hiccup - she may have tumours or perhaps a heart/lung issue but vet may be able to narrow it down. Thanks for pointers.
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Hope it turns out to be nothing serious - poor old lady :goat:
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Glad she is looking better. Hope the improvement continues.
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Sorry coming to this thread late but just thought it may be worth a mention that if she is getting on a bit and your not sure about the mineral lick and if she is taking it, I smash up with a hammer a bit of my goats lick and sprinkle it on their food like salt on your dinner type thing. They do seem to eat all their food when i do this in a one-er as opposed to leaving some of it until later.
So glad she is feeling a bit better, and so are you no doubt :relief:
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Hi all - thanks again for kind thoughts - just a quick update to say 'Fudge' is looking a lot better & last 2 days has been the first up for food - thanks for comment about mineral lick goosepimple - i'll bear it in mind although she's been happily taking from them throughout this time round. All advice has been much appreciated - fingers crossed it'll be a while b4 i ask for help again :excited:
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Really good news. Thanks for letting us know. And ask for help whenever you need it. Don't feel you have to wait a while. Big :hug: for Fudge from me.
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:fc: keep us updated.