# why is my doe panting?



## full sun (Aug 6, 2005)

I have a 3 year old ND doe that is panting and breathing heavy/rapidly. She's eating, drinking and otherwise acting her normal sweet self. I noticed it this morning as I was leading her over to another pasture. She gets very dramatic on the leash. I thought she was panitng because she was pulling too hard. But then tonight, she ran back to her home pen (off leash) with the other goats and she was panting again. Then after a few minutes she was just breathing heavy. I stayed with her for about 20 minutes, but her breathing remained rapid and heavy. Any ideas? I am so worried about her. 

Jennifer


----------



## goatkid (Nov 20, 2005)

Is she pregnant or overweight? Is the weather hot by you? Other ideas would be lumgworms, scar tissue in the lungs from a past bout with pneumonia or allergies.


----------



## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Jennifer, this is not what you want to hear, but in my opinion I would cull the animal. I know my opinion sounds quick and brutal but since I've been working for a local breeder I've learned a lot and have seen a lot. Sound like lung damage of some kind, as goatkid mentioned earlier. Sorry to be so blunt but that's my opinion....Lung damage or severely over-weight....Heavy continuous panting is absolutely not normal or desirable no matter the temperature.


----------



## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

I would wait to see if this doe does this again. If she's overweight or pregant, I would almost expect them to pand during activity. Especially if it's warm where you are. The only time I"d cull is if this seems to be a recurring (and therefore probably genetic) problem. Otherwise, I woudln't rush to the culling.


----------



## full sun (Aug 6, 2005)

She is overweight. She's the only one in the herd that is fat. I just told her a couple of days ago that she is way too heavy. How would I even fix it? She gets alfalfa pellets and grass hay. Same as everyone else in the herd. Actually, the queen butts her away from the food.

Tennesse John, I am not ready to cull. She's only been panting today. 

I am going to look into lungworm. She has a had a little cough for a month or so. 

Jennifer


----------



## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

Are you sure she isn't bred?

Mine did that for 3 weeks before they delivered.


----------



## cayenne47 (Nov 7, 2004)

My buck and wether did the same thing. I just thought it was because they were fat. None of the does were doing it (and some of them ARE piglets :baby04: ) Vet said not fat, just healthy boys. He listened to their lungs and gave them 2 courses of Valbazen for lungworms..did no good.
Next was a course of antibiotics....every 3 days...3 times in all. It worked. No panting, no huffing. Obviously it was some kind of bronchial infection. It was a strong antibiotic, kicked that germs butt. So catch it now...dont let it get worse.


----------



## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Are you sure she's overweight? don't go by belly girth. That means nothing but a well functioning rumen in goats, which is a good thing. Feel for extra ''padding' on the hips, ribs, and the front chest bone. Compare one of your 'skinny' does to this one to see if she is truly overweight.  good luck.


----------



## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Yes being overweight will surely cause panting, let us all know how things turn out....


----------



## full sun (Aug 6, 2005)

Cheryl--I know, the last time she panted was when she was in labor last spring. So the pregancy thing does come to mind...She lives with her son, who was born in June and wethered in September (five months ago). BUT...she had a raging heat in December. I had a buck rag to tease another doe (that I am hoping is pregnant) and my ND doe went nuts for it! I have never seen her so fruity! So I figured that cleared her of any pregnancy suspicion. Other than the wether, I only have does.

She truly seems fat all over not just wide goat body. Her legs look positively stubby. I will take a picture for you...

It was a nice warm day, but not hot. But both times the panting/heavy breathing came after a certain amount of excitement and physical activity. SO maybe it is just her being too heavy. I am still looking into the lungworm. I have not wormed them because their fecals were negative last spring, summer and fall. But I had them in the horse pasture a few weeks ago.

I just hope she's not in pain. She's such a sweetie.

Jennifer


----------



## Jillis (Sep 11, 2005)

double post


----------



## Jillis (Sep 11, 2005)

full sun said:


> Cheryl--I know, the last time she panted was when she was in labor last spring. So the pregancy thing does come to mind...She lives with her son, who was born in June and wethered in September (five months ago). BUT...she had a raging heat in December. I had a buck rag to tease another doe (that I am hoping is pregnant) and my ND doe went nuts for it! I have never seen her so fruity! So I figured that cleared her of any pregnancy suspicion. Other than the wether, I only have does.


I wouldn't totally abandon the advanced pregnancy theory...my oldest ND doe acts like she is in heat whenever one of the other does goes into a real heat and stimulates the bucks to stink. And she is definitely pg, I have felt the babies moving this week...

And if her son was wethered in September...that certainly means he could have impregnated her about 5 months ago...you might find a surprise in a few days or so...


----------



## Rainbeau777 (May 21, 2003)

I just had a doe die and she had CL of the lungs. I had the vet out and after telling her the scenario and discussing the autopsy, she said she feels 99.9% that the goat had CL. My goat started panting and breathing heavy in the Fall. I did all the tricks of penicillin, antihistamines, lasix, etc. My goat was well filled out, but her rumen quit working. Watch your goat's rumen and girth and make sure she is moving her food through. I just thought she was fat and healthy, but I was wrong. My goat was almost 3 yrs old when she died. I agree that you should cull her if antibiotics don't help her breathing.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

What's her temp?


----------



## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

I have one who pants sometimes now - but we're pretty sure it's her pregnancy causing it. (112 days bred and huge)
BUT - I posted on another site about it (I was worried, too) and someone had an answer I will share with you... Her vet told her "ruminants are not atheletes" - which cracks me up, as it is so true with mine. In any case, your fat one may pant after exerting herself. If you notice it happening after running, I would be less worried.


----------



## full sun (Aug 6, 2005)

Well--She was still taking short, quick breaths this morning. And her pink nose looks grayish. So I took her to the vet. She's not pregnant. On the x-ray film, her lungs look bad. Her CBC indicates that it is an infection. She tested negative for TB in August. Now she's on an antibiotic. Hopefully, she'll be better soon. The poor thing.

Jennifer


----------



## pokyone42 (Mar 1, 2006)

Awww. I hope she recovers for you! Your story reminds me of what happened to us...We take our herd of goats hiking when the weather permits....

We rescued a Boer doe last September, and she loved to hike with us and the other goats, but for a long time we had to keep those hikes very short, until Gloria built up her strength enough to enjoy the longer hikes.... (leaving her in the pasture or barn was more stress for her than taking her on hikes, so we took her with us..) She would pant like crazy, even tho it was not hot, and we did not go far, because she just was not up to it... (Granted, she had an untreated broken leg which was "healed"as well as it ever would, and uses it some now) and she was kept in the basement of a barn and hardly fed at all for who knows how long...Now, after she got her strength back from her horrible past, she keeps right up with the other goats, and does not pant anymore, and even jumps and spins!  It amazes us! And, to top it all off, she gave us a GORGEOUS buckling a few weeks ago! It seems as though she is a different animal these days! She was so thin, and sooooo afraid of people when we got her... Now, she greets us, loves to be petted, and because of her leg, I just milk her wherever she happens to be, and she is fine with it! She has become one of our favorite does! Sorry to ramble... good luck with your girl!


----------

