Fellow knowledgable goat owners who share their wisdom are absolutely invaluable. They are in no way intended to be taken as medical advice or a treatment plan. I am simply sharing my own experiences and results. Please be aware of the fact that I am not an animal medical professional and that this post is intended to be informational. Whatever your view on goat care is, I think we ultimately all want the same thing: healthy, happy and productive animals. But I also use commercial wormers and other items when needed. I like to treat my goats using as natural of supportive therapies as possible. While I try not to baby my goats (too much!), I also like to know that they are well-maintained. For whatever reason, our goats are not like that! They are generally very healthy but they also think that they are going to melt during the slightest rain shower and demand that we deliver their hay directly to their sleeping bunks so they don’t have to stand up. Let me start by prefacing that I have known of several goats who have lived their entire lives in a pasture without much shelter or human interaction and were perfectly healthy. What we did for our goats with runny noses: Lungworms are most common in the early spring and early fall when moist pasture conditions exist and new plant growth is sprouting. Lungworm is usually treated with Ivermectin wormer. The most common cause of an abnormal cough in goats is lungworm. However, excessive coughing and coughing that occurs after physical activity could be a sign of health problems. Once you know your goats well, you can usually tell the difference between a “cud cough” and an abnormal cough. Goats often make a coughing or “hacking” noise when they are getting their cud. In the same manner, a cough can also be completely normal. Discharge from the eyes, reduced appetite, hunched body posturing and reduced activity levels are also telltale signs of an illness that shouldn’t be ignored. However, a thick cream to yellow colored discharge can be a sign of infection or pneumonia. A small amount of clear nasal discharge is usually nothing to worry about. Goats, like humans, can develop a runny nose from any number of things, including a sudden change in weather or environmental allergies. Let me start by saying that a runny nose isn’t necessarily indicative of an illness. Full Disclosure Link ** Respiratory illness in goats – What to watch for: ** I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you from purchases made through links in this article. Some may say it’s extreme, but hey, these goats are my babies and I will do everything in my power to make sure that they are as healthy and happy as possible. If you aren’t aware of what to look for, a seemingly healthy goat can succumb to it very quickly! This is why I take action as soon as I see any signs of respiratory illness. Respiratory issues aren’t something that I mess around with when it comes to our goats! Pneumonia is known as the “silent killer” because it can strike so quickly and often without much warning. I did a quick herd check and saw three other goats who also had a decent amount of discharge from their noses. We noticed that one of our goats, our mini lamancha wether Bug, had a runny nose. Last month, we walked out to the goat pen as usual to do the morning feeding and milking chores. Goats get colds too! This is how I help my goats recover quickly when they have a runny nose or signs of a cold.
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