The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: mariegold on January 11, 2016, 10:46:40 am
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Hello all,
I have an in kid goat due on the 1st of April. She seems fine in many ways, eating hay, oats, barley and a bit of concentrate etc..
But she seems to be breathing quite fast. She looks massive and a bit miserable, she has a very wet nose and weeping eyes.
Should I be worried that this could be the start of something serious e.g Pneumonia? We've had a lot of wet cold horrible weather here and they currently live in a horse field shelter with mud flooring. They do have rubber matting and plenty of straw, their beds are dry and they are out of any draughts.
We add seaweed to their feed and they have red rockies licks. Should I be giving them anything extra vitamins wise?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts and advice.
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Have you taken her temperature? Weeping eyes doesn't sound good. Is she eating and pooing okay?
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She is eating and pooing ok and her temperature is normal. I was wondering if she is carrying some big kids and that is putting pressure on her lungs!? Not sure if that's possible....
She certainly seems a bit low spirited, maybe its just the horrible weather and she has a bit of a cold. Would it be wise to get some Caprivite or similar?
Thanks :)
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Youve posted while i was typing but ill post anyway -
Is there any way you could bring her inside, she has a fair time to go and she can't carry on if she's not well, if she is having to haul herself through mud it won't be helping. Maybe a closed area, still with fresh air of course.
I feed Caprivite, esp during winter.
How much concentrate are you feeding? She shouldn't be that big yet, you shouldn't be feeding much until about 6 or 8 weeks before kidding.
Are you feeding haylage? I've noticed mine look more pot bellied since we've gone onto haylage. Reading on a website there is more feed value in haylage so mine are getting very little concentrate, when its cold they get warm soaked sugar beet, but get chopped carrots, Brussels and cabbage.
You say wet nose, do you mean 'runny' nose?
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I wouldn't expect her to be that big with kids if she isn't due until April.
Oats and barley and concentrate may add up to quite a lot of calories.
I would give her an injection of Combivit and monitor her closely.
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Ok, thank you for the advice.
I will move her and her pal into a concrete floored stable and cut the concentrate. I will let them out on dry days (should we ever see one of those again) I was just giving her about 100g a day with a cup of oats and a cup of rolled barley but perhaps this is too much!
They are on regular hay rather than haylage. I will order some caprivite and try soaking some sugar beet.
Thank goodness for you lovely Accidental Smallholders!
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Has she been vaccinated for pasturella? I would get her checked by vet.
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She isn't! I only lambivac them every 6 months. IS there a recommended product to use against pasteurella?
I will ring the vet and ask them what they think too.
Thanks
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I used to vaccinate with heptivac p and had no problems and through vet advice for goats I now do the same vaccinate with lambivac every 6 months, but I have had problems with runny noses goat just not right paricularly in spring and requiring treatment, since using lambivac only and on vet advice as we have pasturella on our holding we now vaccinate for pasturella annually and lambivac 6 monthly.
Vet reccommend along with goat veterinary society to do separate vaccine for the goats (rather than combined ovivacp /heptivac p) for pasturella - pastubov, you can also use ovipast - initial dose is just like the lambivac 2 doses 4-6 weeks apart then annual booster for pasturella. It can be given at the same time as lambivac but at a seperate injection site Although I prefer to give it at a separate injection site a fortnight later as it says on packet.
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Tbh, if she is not herself and with the symptom you describe I would get the vet out and ask him for some AB's (maybe Duphraval), as she does sound like Pneumonia.... plus Combivit as CDC says. And get the vet t listen to her chest!
Is there any chance she is due earlier than 1st April? You shouldn't really see anything yet if only due in 10 weeks or so.... 1st kidder or older goat?
I do Ovipast as Talana says, Lambivac every 4 months or so as I have had a problem in the past when only doing twice per year.
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I don't keep goats but have had a couple of pregnant ewes with pneumonia in the last fortnight (never happened before) even though they're fully vaccinated. I got them in the shed, with a companion, gave them a/bs and got some Metacam from the vet for the worst one. She wasn't interested in eating for a couple of days so we gave her a 1:8 drench of diluted Lifeline three times a day to keep her going. Both are now fine but I think the weather has been so awful since Christmas we're lucky to have got away with just two.
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Had a chat with the vet and he said that as her nose was running clear rather than green and because her breathing is 'raspy' or uncomfortable sounding she probably has a cold and I should move her indoors and give her a some vitamins. He also recommended ovipast.
Thankfully she does seem a bit better this afternoon. Her breathing has slown down considerably and she seems a bit more 'perky'. I know when I have a cold I feel worse in the morning when I get out of bed....
He said to keep a close eye on her and if she gets worse to ring again and someone will come out.
She only went to the billy once at the beginning of November so unless some sneaky neighbouring goat got in with her she should be due end of March beginning of April. She is about four years ods and this is her second kidding. She had a very large boy last time.
Fingers crossed a bit of TLC will do the trick but I will call the vet if she gets even a tiny bit worse!
Thanks so much for all the advice
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Pneumonia was my first thought too having lost one last week to it but fingers crossed you have it sorted and she's feeling better :fc:
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How is your girl today?
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Hi all. Thanks for asking Anke. She seems better today, still happy to gobble her food and up and about.
Her breathing seems to have calmed down too. Not sure why! I watched her for a while today and she just stared back at me as if to say 'what the hell are you looking at'. I'm taking this as a good sign.
I'm beginning to think I was worrying over nothing! How embarrassing..... just a bad cold. On the plus side I'm now thinking she is a bit of a fatty and I will adjust her food accordingly.
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Good. I am always in a panic mode when something is not quite right with my girls, and having lost a lamb on Xmas day to suspected pneumonia (despite vaccination cover) am quite paranoid now...
You can vaccinate with Ovipast with the usual initial double dose so that th second dose is about here weeks before her due date. That's what I did originally with my lot, only thing the vet was concerned about was not to stress them (as stress is one of the main factors of pasteurella pneumonia). But if your goats are used to you then that is not a problem.
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Hi all. Thanks for asking Anke. She seems better today, still happy to gobble her food and up and about.
I'm beginning to think I was worrying over nothing! How embarrassing..... just a bad cold. On the plus side I'm now thinking she is a bit of a fatty and I will adjust her food accordingly.
It's always best to ask, you'd feel a bit sickened if you'd waited and things got worse, besides, I for one am keen to learn from other people's posts :)