Do any of your Dexters do this??

[threescompany1215]

New to the forum, hello to everyone. Hoping you can help. I was curious to know if any of your cattle ever make a kind of coughing noise, either just completely randomly, or following "mooing". Every one of ours(8) do this and you hear it on a daily basis. It doesn't happen often, like a coughing fit, more like a "huffing" noise as if they were almost clearing their throat. It doesn't seem to bother them, or cause them any issues, but it bothers me. I called the vet about it because it had me slightly concerned, and he told me he believed it was nothing to be concerned about. Does this sound familiar to any of you? As I said, they all do this, but they are all completely healthy animals in every other way. Thanks for the insight!

[copperhead]

They are probably just coughing up their cud. I wouldn't think there was anything wrong with them all.
P.J.

[Clive]

Mine have just had exactly the same thing and it was Lung Worm. It started with one or two huffing/coughing, then it slowly spread to whole groups. It was cured by administering a pour-on wormer that states it deals with the condition, and then took about 7-10 days to clear. Some didn't clear and had a second treatment. Anything that still doesn't clear up will have antibiotics.

I don't know whether you have lung worm in the US? Or you call it something else?

I understand it was picked up from the grazing and so re-infection will probably occur and I guess we'll need to repeat the treatment.

I'm surprised at the vet. Cattle coughing (too often) is not normal surely?

[Star Creek Dexters]

Mine cough here and there. It's never been so much to draw my attention, but I have heard it some. Clive, I've never heard of coughing worm here, but, threes..., if it's really bothering you, I would look into it. I find it's always better to be proactive on something that just doesn't feel right, than to push it aside and regret later. Again, though, I have never heard of anything like this here and my cows do cough sometimes.

[kansasdexters]

Lungworms (Dictyocaulus viviparus) do occur in the United States. Here is a helpful link on parasites in cattle and the symptoms that they cause:
cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1742/eb1742.html

Patti

[Clive]

We don't normally get lungworm either but this year it has been rife for some reason in many parts of the UK. It isn't so much a cough as huffing and you notice it because they cough/huff a lot more than normal coughing and also they do it after running.

The cough is not a throat cough, it's deep from the lungs/chest.

[threescompany1215]

Thank you all for the quick responses, impressive! Glad I joined. I'd have to say it's most likely not lung worm, because as I read about lung worm, my cows don't show any signs such as weight loss or heavy breathing. I never knew about "coughing up cud", as my husband and I are new to this cow raising thing(started about 2.5 years ago), though it does make sense that they would do that. Been learning as we go. We do deworm as well and I may be wrong, but I believe Ivomec Eprinex does cover lungworm...

But again, they don't exhibit any signs of being ill in any other way. I just was unsure if that was a possible symptom of illness.

Curious to know if any of you use diatomaceous earth with yours, either dusting them or leaving it out free choice. I just found out about the incredibly neat stuff, for use with my dog, but read it is supposed to be excellent for livestock as well. Any stories?

[wdd]

I eat dirt all the time especially if I fail to wash my foot before putting it in my mouth or not rinse the dried beans well enough before making chilli.

[marion]

Oct 12, 2010 14:24:53 GMT -5 @genebo said:

The most effective wormer for lungworm around here is Valbazen. It knocks it out of my goats quickly.

My goats get the cough, but it is cured before it has time to cause a noticeable weight loss. I give them Valbazen drench as soon as I hear the shallow coughs.

It's easy to give to my horned goats. It may be harder to give a drench to Dexters. I've never done that. Never had the need.

Diatomaceous earth is like apple cider vinegar, duct tape and WD-40. It's good for everything it's supposed to be good for, and bad for everything you want it to be bad for.

I used it in my swimming pool filter and had the clearest water in town.

For your cattle, make sure you get food grade diatomaceous earth. FOOD GRADE? Does that mean that people eat dirt?

Dont forget though Gene, Valbazen must be used with caution, not just whenever you hear coughing, and not used at all in early pregnancy. Food grade diatomaceous earth is put in with stored grains and beans to prevent insect infestations. Not sure I'd want to eat it, but like Gary I do eat dirt quite regularly. My Nan (and probably everyone else's), used to say often, "eat a peck of dirt before you die". Nothing like some good ol' dirt to perk up the immune system, as long as it's nice clean country stuff..marion

[threescompany1215]

Well I've read countless accounts of people taking it as a supplement daily(food-grade, of course), and it's supposed to be a great detox for one's body-heavy metals, toxins of all kinds, parasites, etc. I will say I have been taking a tablespoon every night in some water, and have had no bad effects. Don't feel any differently, other than it seems I have a bit more energy during the days lately. I read somewhere also that it's added to things like Bisquick because it's an anti-caking agent. Don't know the legitimacy of the source however. Either way, it seems it's only been proven to be harmful to insects and parasites, no known danger to other forms of life. Lesley

[Star Creek Dexters]

I, too, am a firm believer in eating dirt....my children ate enough while babies to keep them for the rest of their lives! My city friends think I'm crazy to let my children eat garden dirt and run around barefoot, when, God forbid!, they could step in a cow pie! But my children are rarely sick and have only been on antibiotics less than five times with all three of them put together! So, I just smile and let them think I'm crazy

Patti, thank you for the link. I love learning these things before I actually need to know them. Knowledge is a great thing.

We use agricultural grade Diatomaceous earth here. It's great for everything. We love to fill the fly tube dusters, (that you hang over a gate and the cattle walk under), with it instead of chemicals. We dust our chicken house with it. Use it on ant beds and around the border of the house to keep ants away during the summer heat. I have a back at the house and a bag at the barn, we use it all the time. I don't use it to worm, not because I don't have faith that it would work, but because we use a herbal wormer that we have had great results with.

Really gross story ahead:

When I was a kid, my sister, who is 5 years younger than I, was toddling around on the porch and found my dads pig boots. She ate all the mud off the bottom, before my Mom caught her and realized what was going on. A while went by and....dun, dun,, dun....my sister started passing these horrible long worms in her diaper. My Mom freaked out, but remembered that we used Diatomaceous earth on our animals to worm and that it was supposed to be fine for people to use as well. She took a big tablespoon of it and and waited a couple days to make sure she didn't die. She never had any problems, so she gave some to my sister in her bottle. Never saw another worm to this day....true story....

[Clive]

Oct 12, 2010 12:57:24 GMT -5 threescompany1215 said:

I'd have to say it's most likely not lung worm, because as I read about lung worm, my cows don't show any signs such as weight loss or heavy breathing.

That comes later I guess, my cattle just huffed and coughed. Only had a slight sign of weight loss in one cow who was the worst one and coughing a few times every minute.

[threescompany1215]

If they do this even after they've been dewormed with the Eprinex, and the "coughing/huffing" is only very occasional(plus, they've done this ever since we've had them, so going on a couple of years), would it be a logical conclusion that it really may just be coughing up cud? I would think that lung worm should only be a possibility if I was never deworming, right or wrong?

What is the herbal wormer that you use Kimberly?

[Star Creek Dexters]

I use Molly's herbals.
www.fiascofarm.com/herbs/mollysherbals.php/categories/herbal-wormer
I have been using these products on my goats, cows and chickens + cats and dogs for a year+ now. I do fecals twice a year and they have all come back clean since I started using them. Love Molly's.

[Clive]

Oct 13, 2010 12:01:07 GMT -5 threescompany1215 said:

If they do this even after they've been dewormed with the Eprinex, and the "coughing/huffing" is only very occasional(plus, they've done this ever since we've had them, so going on a couple of years), would it be a logical conclusion that it really may just be coughing up cud? I would think that lung worm should only be a possibility if I was never deworming, right or wrong?

If it was lungworm, even in the early stages, you would not be able to ignore it. The coughing would stand out and would get worse over the days and weeks. There are wormers that deal with lungworm and ones that don't.