Coughing... Lung worms OR Virus?

[Latestarter]

@Sara1226 Please don't withdraw. Greybeard wasn't saying you did anything wrong. Nobody is blaming you or accusing you. He was trying to help and save further confusion/frustration (to you) by recommending a course of action for everyone else providing guidance/suggestions TO you. We all get pretty "anxious" to help when a member is having an issue. The result can be information overload to the person with the issue. I'm sure we all wish you to stay and update us on your progress (as well as your goat's progress).

 

[OneFineAcre]

And not the first thread where you see competing advice
And now sometimes the advice becomes what has become the consensus on forums
People diagnosing animals based on what they have read even if they have no first hand knowledge
Just what they assume to be true based on what the more "knowledgeable " forum members say based on how long they have been on the forum and the number of times they have posted
And let's be honest
Everybody wants to be a non GMO/organic homesteader now and goats are "starter" livestock
So a lot of people with little to no knowledge of animal husbandry have a herd

 

[Southern by choice]

And not the first thread where you see competing advice
And now sometimes the advice becomes what has become the consensus on forums
People diagnosing animals based on what they have read even if they have no first hand knowledge
Just what they assume to be true based on what the more "knowledgeable " forum members say based on how long they have been on the forum and the number of times they have posted
And let's be honest
Everybody wants to be a non GMO/organic homesteader now and goats are "starter" livestock
So a lot of people with little to no knowledge of animal husbandry have a herd

X 2 !!!
I also am not a fan of telling someone to just give this or that to their goat especially to someone that has no experience.

 

[NH homesteader]

Goats shouldn't be "starter" livestock. They are one of the more complicated animals and there aren't a lot of vets to help! I admittedly had no idea what I was getting into when I started with goats but I can thank you all on here for helping me understand more.

 

[Green Acres Farm]

Goats shouldn't be "starter" livestock. They are one of the more complicated animals and there aren't a lot of vets to help! I admittedly had no idea what I was getting into when I started with goats but I can thank you all on here for helping me understand more.

Exactly!

 

[babsbag]

But they are small, cheap, friendly, and easy to find so they do end up as starter livestock. I had a goat 34 years ago and I was scared to death of her. She was a big Alpine that we got from my in-laws. She has a bad limp and DH just said "she is coming with us"; turns out she had a sticker in her foot. They were probably going to eat her. When we moved I gave her away to a church camp. No goats or livestock for 26 years...then came 5 acres, then chickens, and then goats. Now look at me.

I have been fortunate to have a good vet, a dairy goat club, and a few mentors.

 

[OneFineAcre]

Goats shouldn't be "starter" livestock. They are one of the more complicated animals and there aren't a lot of vets to help! I admittedly had no idea what I was getting into when I started with goats but I can thank you all on here for helping me understand more.

I don't agree
Goats milk is the most consumed in the world because most people in the world are poor and they are easy keepers
We haven't been doing this as long as other folks but out of 50 or 60 kids we've lost 4 or 5 to Coccidia
We have lost 1 mature doe who had a damaged heart It may have been due to a selinium deficiency
But we had given her selinium
Sometimes they just die and you can't do anything
Goats are not rocket science but they do need proper care

 

[NH homesteader]

Well then maybe I'm over thinking it

 

[OneFineAcre]

Well then maybe I'm over thinking it

They do need proper care
That's for sure
But honestly a lot of people do over complicate things
Not saying you are

 

[NH homesteader]

I try not to... But it is difficult sorting through soooooooo much information that not everyone agrees on!