# Doeling with stopped up nose only in the morning



## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 14, 2009)

In the morning, when it is still dewy outside, I go out to give the girls fresh water and their grain ration for the am.  I have a little doeling who sound stopped up (the sound is coming from her nose, not her chest) when she breaths.  Her eyes are not runny, she is eating and pooping/peeing normally.  There is also no snot on her nose.  Her temp is 102.3

When I go back out at noon, she sounds fine and is running around everywhere.  Should I be concerned?  Could it just be allergies?  I hate to run the vet all the way out here.  I mean, when my human kids get sick, I am the type that waits a few days to see if their body can fight it off without drug intervention (unless they are fevery).  Seems weird to me to get the vet out here faster than I would get my kids to the doctor...


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## freemotion (Sep 14, 2009)

Do a little exploring where she sleeps.  I had a similar issue with my doeling this past spring, and when I cleaned her stall one day, I decided to use some of the hay that had built up under her rack for bedding over her favorite pee spot.  It was VERY moldy underneath, and that was where she liked to sleep!  Keeping that clean solved the problem.

I do use a deep litter method with my goats, and this is the only time I have seen mold like this.  I'm not sure why it was just in this corner.  But no more morning snifflies for my baby girl.


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## trestlecreek (Sep 14, 2009)

I would have the vet take a look.
generally speaking, this is something that needs cleared up ASAP. If it goes on, the goat can end up with scar tissue in the lungs, which means the goat will have problems it's entire life.... humans are different,...goats are very sensitive to lung/UR issues...
Could be allergies, lungworm, pneumonia, an URI,..just to name a few..


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## cmjust0 (Sep 14, 2009)

I second freemotion here...my guess would be that it's something environmental, since it's transient but correlates to a specific time of day..  

Is this goat kept stalled overnight?


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## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 14, 2009)

Hmm...she is not really stalled at night, they can come and go as they please.  She does normally stick pretty close to her friend, the herd Queen, so they usually do sleep in the goat barn, up on a wood platform.

Not sure what to do.  I don't want to be an alarmist, but I don't want to be ignorant of a problem, either.  Perhaps I'll call my vet and see what he says.

We got these girls on 9/5 and had been using straw for bedding, but when I cleaned out the barn Saturday, I used kiln dried pine shavings because I had them out there already for the chicken coop.  Could that be it?

btw - the chickens and goats have no contact with each other other than the goats sniffing them through the fence.


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## cmjust0 (Sep 14, 2009)

Could it be the shavings?  Sure...could be a lot of things.

I know you haven't had her long, but from the first post, it sounded like something that's been happening consistently.  I'm not so sure, now, so I'll just ask...

When did this start, and has it happened everyday since it started?


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## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 14, 2009)

It has been happening pretty much every morning since we got her.  So, you're right to point out, it probably isn't the pine shavings.

Going out to check on her now, looks like she is IN the hay feeder, again...lol

***edited to correct misinformation****


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## kimmyh (Sep 14, 2009)

Sure, many goats are allergic to shavings, especially if the shavings are dusty.


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## DonnaBelle (Sep 14, 2009)

My little doeling had a runny nose, slight cough last week.  I took her to the vet and he said she had a respitory infection.  He gave her a shot of antibiotics.  She still had it today, so I went and picked up another shot and gave to her today.

She is eating OK, but she is not as spry as my other one....

I am giving her some Vet rx on her nose for congestion and keeping a close eye on her.  She's a 5 mo. old Nubian.

DonnaBelle


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## Hoofprintgirl (Sep 14, 2009)

One of the first things that my vet told me was not to use the pine shavings due to the dust.  It wouldn't hurt to have the vet look at her, better safe than sorry.  But they can also have sinus problems just like us humans.  The changes in the weather from warm days to cooler nights can be heck on the old sinus'.  I have used the vet RX myself, that is pretty good stuff.


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## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 15, 2009)

Same thing this morning....called our vet.  He said he'd see her at his office for $25 plus meds.  I think it is worth that for my peace of mind.  Luckily she is little and I can throw her in the car.  It would have cost $60 more for him to come here.  So, we are seeing the vet at 3 pm.  Wish us luck


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## ksalvagno (Sep 15, 2009)

When you are new to an animal, it is better to be safe than sorry. Once your knowledge base increases, there will be fewer trips to the vet. My vet is the same way, cheaper to take them to the office than a farm call.


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## freemotion (Sep 15, 2009)

I can't see a vet here for less than $200.  $25?  Go for it!!!  And ask a zillion questions to get your money's worth!


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## cmjust0 (Sep 15, 2009)

Our vet's office has a different fee schedule for livestock than they do for 'small animals,' even though they're applying the same costly knowledge and -- in many cases -- the same medications.  

I had two cases of entropion in one kidding..twin sisters, each with the lower left lid flipped..and our vet fixed them up with two stitches per lid for $42 out the door.  I think it was $20 each listed as "Surgical Procedure," plus $1 each for supplies.

Notice, however, there was no charge for anaesthetic...  You think they scream when they're being disbudded?  Yeah...try listening to one squall as somebody's threading a needle through their eyelid while they're wide awake...  Yikes..  The vet held a big grin and kept a conversation with me the entire time, too..."So, how's farm life?!?  You guys enjoying it out there??"

Um..yeah..um..


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## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 15, 2009)

Well, just back from the vet.  Diagnosis, URI.  Good news is that her lungs were completely clear, membranes were nice and pink.  So, it may have started as an allergy, but she was coughing this morning, which she hadn't done before.

He said we caught it very early and the med he prescribed should be enough to knock it out.  He gave her an injection of Excenel and sent me home with 4 more to give once a day.  

She was nice enough to poop on him when he took her temp, so he was nice enough to take a fecal.  Everything there looked good, too.  YIPPEE!

All total I paid 25.00 for the visit, 20.00 for the shots, and $3.25 for the "biohazard removal"  $48.25 to fix the baby doesn't seem too bad.  And next time I will know what to look for.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 15, 2009)

Great to hear that your goat will be alright and that you caught it early.


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## trestlecreek (Sep 15, 2009)

Good job getting her taken care of.
Nope, can't complain at that price. My vet charges similar...


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## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 23, 2009)

Had to take Betty back to the vet yesterday, as her nose was still not clear and she was still coughing a bit.

The vet gave her a shot of antibiotics that is supposed to last 7 days.  It's called Draxxin, not sure what it is exactly, since dear husband took her in this time because my son and daughter have bronchitis and aren't not allowed to go anywhere (husband decided he could better deal with a sick goat than two sick people kids).  He also gave her an injection of Ivermectin, even though we had dewormed her orally with Ivermectin on 9-10.  He said her eyelids looked great, nice and pink, but he wanted to re-deworm in case of lung worms.  I think he was surprised that she was still stuffed up and still coughing.

Maybe the breeder was right...perhaps it is an allergy.  

Please send good vibes that this recent round of antibiotics will work, I am getting worried about her rumen with all these extra bacteria killing drugs in her system.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 23, 2009)

Just give her Probios every day. That should help.

Hopefully this will take care of it. Too bad they don't have tests for allergies in animals like they do in humans.


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## cmjust0 (Sep 23, 2009)

Any fever?  

If there's still no fever, I'd say something else is going on and another round of antibiotics won't help it.

The good news, I guess, is that if there's no fever and no lungworm, it's probably something minor.  Allergies, dusty hay, something like that.


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