Disease / Condition Symptom Treatment

Abortions See details

Acidosis occurs after
accidentally taking in large
quantities of concentrate
foodstuffs
Depressed, hangs its head,
drunken behavior, muscle
twitching, bloat tends to occur,
swelling on left flank, may grind
teeth
Stop access to food. Drench goat with something alkaline such as bicarbonate
of soda. 2-3 ounces will help neutralize acid. alking goat has some value.
!ontact veterinary as needed.
"nemic -
Blackleg (Clostridial Myositis
! caused by t"e soil!borne
bacterium# Clostridium
c"au$ei% T"e disease de$elops
rapidly in affected animals and
often deat"s occur before t"e
o&ner "as noticed any
sickness in t"e "erd%
#ften no symptoms are
observed$ "t other
times, high fever, lack of appetite,
depression, lameness, swelled
head, and swellings that appear
in the muscles on various parts of
the body. Sometimes the leg
muscles are involved, or the
muscles in the
region of the back, hip, flank,
chest or shoulder. %n the latter
stage of the disease, these
swellings spread and become
&uite
mushy, producing a characteristic
crackling sound when pressed
with the hand.
'ay respond to immediate treatment with penicillin or other antibiotics in large
doses. %n swelled head, need to have vet aid in draining of affected area.
Bloat gorging on anyt"ing
unsuitable suc" as &et grass
pastures or after raiding food
bin
(ightly inflated flanks, misery,
collapse
Drench with 'ineral oil )*-+ fl oz, for an adult, )2- fl oz, for kids. alk goat
about, massage flanks.
./iving mineral oil is very effective in getting a goat that has over eaten grain to
speed that grain on it0s way. 1egetable oil will add to the digestive load, and can
cause more harm than good. 'ineral oil is not digestible, and % have used it with
no problems at all. 2eed that is overeaten ferments, causes gas, and acidosis
to occur, which can lead to death. (he ob3ect is to speed it out of there without
adding to the digestive load.. by !oni 4oss.
Treatment' Act rig"t a&ay% Bloat can kill $ery quickly%
Free gas bloat can be relieved by passing a stomach tube.
Frothy bloat: you must break the froth down first and then pass the stomach
tube. Break do&n foam by giving cooking oil or mineral oil )566 cc. adult and
+ cc. to a young kid,, or 7loat /uard. 8ass the feeding tube or use a calf bag
and put the tip down the esophagus. For the calf feeding bag: %f you are in
the right place, you will not be able to see the tube on the outside of the throat.
%f the calf feeder bag tube is in the wrong place )may be in the trachea or
windpipe by mistake,, you will hear air movement and you can see the tube
bulge out on the outside of the neck. %f you are in the wrong place, remove it
and try again. With the regular feeding tube, you should hear gurgling sounds
if you are in the stomach, and breathing )air, movements if you are in the lung.
%f you are in the lung, remove the tube and reinsert it. make sure you are in the
stomach before releasing the li&uid. %f li&uid is released into the lung, it may
cause pneumonia or drowning.. )See tube feeding instructions in the 'edical
section, hatever tube you use, when the tube enters the stomach area, you
should hear a big release of gas.

(f t"e goat is not better in t&enty minutes, put the oil directly into the rumen
by introducing an 5+ gauge needle into the left paralumbar fossa. )see diagram
on the left., 8lace your fingertips on the goat' s left side )9ote: if you are facing
her, it is your right side,, halfway between the ribs and hips, and about 5;< of
the way down from the top line. (his soft, hollow area high on either side below
the loin is the paralumbar fossa. =ou should feel a hard mass. (his is the
rumen contents. )>inne ? 9ote: this procedure may cause peritonitis and rumen
dysfunction so try everything else first. %f you must do it, then give 3-@ days of
broad spectrum antibiotics afterward.

Alternati$e treatment from )mma )&ing# D*M'
(+id 2( baking soda in the same amount of warm water they are getting in
their bottle, and a dash of dish soap.
(Adult 5;< c. backing soda, 2 cups water and a s&uirt of dish soap.
%f no relief in 26 minutes. then puncture as directed above with 5+ gauge
needles and in3ect +cc, of cooking oil or mineral oil for a kid, or 566 cc. for an
adult..

,re$ention'
- !ontrol intake of legume pasture and cereal crops in spring, by feeding hay
first, then putting on pasture, and gradually increasing time on pasture.
2, 'ake sure goats cant get into feed bin.
3, 2eed all grains whole, halved or &uartered. 9o finer than that.

Contagious To .umans' /o

Contagious to 0t"er 1oats' /o
Suggestion from $isitor to &eb site%
'iA some baking soda in with the goat0s feed they really en3oy it and it takes
away bloat.
Second Suggestion
5@cc 8epto-7ismol
@cc 8enicillin orally
@cc SB 8enicillin
@-Ccc !D antitoAin SB
(hen give another shot of !D "9(%(#D%9 and 8epto later that day as well to
make sure all is okay...52-2< hours later make sure you give the goat a
probiotic to put the live bacteria back into the rumen...=ou will need to
repopulate the gut once you clean it out
Bottle 2a& - Caused by animal
being infected &it" blood!
sucking &orms% 2luids are
leaking from blood vessels and
flow to the lower parts of the
body. "s the animal grazes during
the day, the fluids build up in the
head. #ver night the fluids may
partially drain away from the
head.
Eower face and 3aw will
dramatically swell especially
during the evening. /ums may
not have the normal color
because of being anemic.
=our worming medicine may not be effective or you may not have wormed
recently. (he animal needs to be wormed with a strong medication every 55
days for three times. %t may also be anemic and need iron and vitamins given.
(heir system will have difficulty fighting off problems so you should use an
antibiotic for several days to help.
Caprine Art"ritis )ncep"alitis
(CA) *irus% (nfectious to
ot"ers%
>nees becomes enlarges,
lameness, weight wasting, hard
udder. 8neumonia, chronic
cough.
%solate and remove animal from herd.
Caseous 3ymp"adenitis (C3
(nfectious% Bacteria enters
animal t"roug" break in skin or
mucous membranes and
locali4es in lymp" node
"bscesses of the lymph glands.
/0T A33 abscesses are C3%
5our $et can test t"e animals to
see if t"e abscess is C3 or not%
%solate and remove animal from herd. 'any breeders will get rid of animals with
!E. Some breeders treat and manage animals with !E. "bscesses can be
lanced, remove discharge, and treated with iodine for several times. ear
rubber gloves and destroy all discharge. Spread through the eruption of
abscess and discharge being eAposed to other animals. 1accine available at
8FE "ssociates, %nc.
Coccidiosis coccidia
parasites% A disease of young
or stressed animals%
#ff food, diarrhea, blood in
diarrhea, rapid weight loss,
dehydration, may show straining
in attempts to pass feces,
dehydration and fever
=ou can treat easily with 7iosol. Depending on weight. /ive 2-@cc to kids, and
C-56 cc to adults orally once a day for @-C days. "nother treatment is with !orid
li&uid. e miA half !orid and half water and drench with 5cc per < lbs for @
days. Do not miA more than you will use in 3 days.
Copper Deficiency 6 To7icity


C5ST(C 0*A8()S' !ontinues to come into heat
every <-@ days. She will fail to
come into a true, standing heat,
treat cystic ovaries &uite successfully with an in3ection of F!/ )Fuman
!horionic /onadotropin, an 4A, to correct the hormonal imbalance. (hat is
followed about G-56 days later by an in3ection of Eutalyse
and she will act HbuckyI
Diarr"ea (see article
)nteroto7aemia (o$ereaters
disease Clostridium
perfringens type D bacteria
produce t"e poisons
responsible# &"en conditions
in t"e digesti$e tract depri$e
t"em of o7ygen%
Sudden loss of appetite.
Depression and a drunken
appearance. "s it progresses the
animal becomes unable to stand
and lies on side making paddling
movements. Figh temperature.
1ery watery diarrhea
(he prognosis for recovery is guarded in caprine enterotoAemia, even with
treatment. 2luid therapy
providing miAed electrolyte solution with bicarbonate are indicate in acute cases
to counter shock, dehydration an acidosis.
!ommercially available type ! and D antitoAins should be administered.
"ntibiotic therapy may be helpful in reducing bacterial
proliferation. #ral sulfas have been used successfully
(see personal recommendation for treatment
9loppy +id Syndrome !Some
people belie$e it is caused by
too muc" ric" milk and ot"ers
belie$e t"at it is associated
&it" e!coli%
9ewborn kids seem to do well for
a few days after birth then start to
show depression and weakness
of limbs that progress to flaccid
paralysis. Drunken appearance.
9o signs of diarrhea or elevated
temperature. 8ossible distension
of the abdomen.
8emo$e kid from source of Milk immediately for :; to <= "ours. Dissolve a
teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in a glass of water. ith a syringe administer
between 26 and @6 cc of the solution orally. Do it slowly so the kid has time to
swallow. 4epeat the treatment at 5, 3, *, 52 hours from initial treatment. 2eed
electrolytes as alternative until returned to milk. "lso administer a wide
spectrum antibiotic to prevent secondary bacterial infections.
A/0T.)8 ,0SS(B3) S03>T(0/ (reatment is one-half tsp baking soda,
miAed with electrolytes and one-half teaspoon 8epto-7ismol.
4epeat in *-52 hours. 9ot re&uired to pull from mother0s milk from this
solution0s perspective
T"ird Solution - %f the kid can still walk but is wobbly then give 2cc long-acting
penicillin orally and @66'/ thiamin. (he (hiamin is miAed with the penicillin,
and is imperative to recovery (his should work in * hours. %f the kid is
comatose, give @!! J@6 deAtrose orally and keep warm. /ive the pen and
thiamin for 3 days once a day.
9oot 6 Mout" Disease ! $iral
disease of clo$en!"oofed
animals%
7listers or vesicles form in any of
the following places: lips, tongue,
teats, or the coronary band of the
hoof. (end to become lame and
possibly salivate eAcessively.
'ust be controlled from occurring. "nimals eAposed to the disease are
destroyed.
9oot 8ot 9usiformis nodosus
infection enters t"e "oof and
causes inflammation of t"e
sensiti$e laminae%
Eameness, mild to severe. (here
is a foul smell associated with it.
"nimals are reluctant to walk.
Foof paring in order to remove the underrun hoof. "pply antiseptic agents in
order to remove any infection.
1astro!intestinal round&orms
infest stomac" and intestines
sucking blood or reducing t"e
absorption of digested food
materials from t"e gut
Diarrhea and weight loss,
anaemia
Drench with dewormer medicine such as Ivomec, Cydectin. Make sure the
worms are not resistant to your wormer.
(1oat ,olio ! a T"iamine
(*itamin B - deficiency% 9rom
improper feeding# particularly
feeding too muc" grain and too
little roug"age%
KAcitability, .stargazing., muscle
rigidity, uncoordinated staggering
and;or weaving, drunkenness,
circling, diarrhea, muscle tremor,
head against wall, and apparent
blindness. " rapid, involuntary,
oscillatory motion of the eyeball.
"s it progresses, convulsions and
high fever may occur, and if
untreated, the animal generally
dies within 2<-C2 hours.
(hiamine is the only effective therapy, and treatment can result in improvement
in as little as two hours, if the disease is caught early enough. Dosage is related
to body weight:
Lse @66mg;ml (hiamin. Start with a gram )5,666 mg, %' the first dose, then at
least @66mg per day for as long as it takes for complete recovery. /ive 56cc
8enicillin orally, and 56cc SB at first treatment. 8olio can be caused by plant
thiaminase, or bacteria that either inhibit production of thiamin in the goat0s gut,
or consume the thiamin. Since we don0t know what the origin is, %t is preferred to
sterilize the gut, and start over. So, the oral penicillin will kill the bacteria if that
is the cause. #n the morning of day 2, calf pac the goat, and give @66mg
(hiamin orally, and @66mg SB. Do not repeat any of the penicillin. %f the goat
will eat, feed her. %f she can0t eat, tube her or drench her with 566cc of 4evive,
566cc of water several times a day until she can eat.
(ndigestion ! ! failure of normal
rumenal mo$ement% Associated
&it" "ig" intake of concentrate
foodstuffs%
#ff of food, slightly dull /enerally recovers within two days. Sodium bicarbonate given by mouth may
be of some use if there is a tendency to acid conditions in the rumen. #ffer
animal a &uart of salt water with 2@ g of sodium bicarbonate dissolved in it.
2o"ne?s Disease c"ronic
incurable infection of t"e
intestines by Mycobacterium
@o"nei bacterium% Causes a
t"ickening of t"e intestine
Eoss of condition, occasional
scouring, becoming more
fre&uent with bubbles of gas in
the droppings. eakness. (hirst
may increase.
9one. Slaughter animal as soon as possible to prevent spread to other animals.
+etosis 3actating doe is
unable to obtain large amounts
of energy feed and +etones
accumulate in t"e blood
/oes off food. 'ilk yield falls.
Sweet smell in the goatIs breath
" glucose or treacle drench may be given. !orticosteroid drug and oral
propylene glycol.
3ice parasite %ntense irritation, rubbing, bald
patches and itching, usually
during the winter months
Eouse powder will normally control the problem. %nsecticides for spray or dip
repeated.
3aminitis - inflammation of t"e
skin layers around t"e "oof%
Eameness and warm feet. 'oves
with a stiff gait, prefers to lay
8lace on a reduced protein;energy diet such as hay with a very reduced or not
concentrate ration and soft bed for lying down. 8ain relief with a 9on-steroidal
0ften caused by consumption
of a "ig"ly concentrated or
lus" forage diet% (t may also be
associated &it" sicknesses
suc" as pneumonia# mastitis#
and metritis%
down or stay on knees. 'ay also
show signs of bloat, diarrhea and
toAemia
anti-inflammatory drug such as 8henylbutazone is essential. !hronis cases
need careful foot trimming to relieve pain by reducing pressure on the sensitive
areas.
3isteriosis ! caused by t"e
bacteria 3isteria
monocytogenes# found in soil#
&ater# plant litter# silage and
goatAs digesti$e tract% Broug"t
on by feeding silage# sudden
c"anges in kind of feed#
parasitism# dramatic &eat"er
c"anges and ad$anced stages
of pregnancy%
Depression, decreased appetite,
fever, leaning or stumbling or
moving in one direction only,
head pulled to flank with rigid
neck, facial paralysis on one side,
slack 3aw, and drooling, abortions.
"dministration of 8rocaine penicillin every siA hours for three to five days, then
daily for an additional seven days.
3ung&orms &orms in"abit
t"e air passages and cause
inflammation (parasite
pneumonia
!hronic cough Drench with dewormer such as Ivomec
Mange# C"orioptic
C"orioptes caprae infest t"e
skin of t"e lo&er leg
%tchiness may be noticed and
there may be small crusty scabs.

Mange# Demodectic Demode7
caprae in$ade t"e "air follicles
and sebaceous glands of t"e
skin
Small lumps are noticed in the
skin. (hey may be like a cyst or
bag of fluid.
4esponse to treatment is generally poor. Discuss with your veterinary.
Mange# ,soroptic ,soroptes
caprae &"ic" infests t"e ears
'ay cause head-shaking and
scratching.
/amma benzene heAachloride and gammeAane can be used
Mange# Sarcoptic Saroptes
scabei burro& in t"e skin and
lay t"eir eggs in tunnels
(errible itching, Skin becomes
raised, red and hairless round the
eyes, ears and nose.
%nfestation can be passed to other goats. 1eterinary treatment is re&uired.
Mastitis ! inflammation of t"e
udder# almost al&ays
associated &it" germs
'isery, udder hot, hard and very
tender, appetite lost, pupils of
eyes narrowed to slits
"ntibiotics, and supportive therapy
Mastitis (gangrene - bruised looking udder. Doe show
!D antitoAin -Ccc SB
inflammation of the udder, almost
always associated with germs
signs of generalized illness:
depression, fever or loss of
appetite. /angrene mastitis
should be suspect if the udder is
cold, swollen with an eAcessive
accumulation of fluid and the
milk is watery or bloody.

8oly Serum - 56cc SB
56cc 8enicillin SB M @cc %',
7anamine - 5cc;566lbs %'
follow with 56cc 8enicillin SB per day for @ more days.
%f you have 9uflor, give her *cc;566lbs SB first day, and 3cc;566 for at
least @ days more
. % know thisseems eAcessive, but this type of 'astitis is a true emergency. =ou
can spray the udder with Scarlet oil as it sloughs, and it will clean up all by it0s
self. % have had does loose half of the udder, and never stop eating with this
treatment. %f you catch it fast enough, you may actually save the udder.
Mycoto7in - .'yco means
fungus and toAin means poison. -
a poisoning of an animal from a
fungus growth normally in old hay
or feed.
KAcessive salavation, depression,
anoreAia, convulsions, arched
back
1aries according to the source of problem. 4emove the .bad. feed or hay from
the animals immediately. "dministration of activated charcoal may inhibit
additional uptake of toAin from the gut. 'ineral oil may help.
/a$el (ll dirty en$ironments
infecting t"e na$el cord after
birt"
=oung kid with swollen, painful
navel which may look red
"ntibiotic in3ections. "rea around the navel should be cleaned with antiseptic
iodine, crusty scabs removed by soaking and any pockets of pus drained.
,inkeye infection of t"e eye
spread by agents suc" as flies#
dust and long grass
" watery eye with eAcess tears
spilling over on to the skin. 'ay
be reddening and cornea
becomes cloudy. "nimal sensitive
to the light.
2lush eyes with 5 cc of penicillin or #Aytetracycline for several days. %solate
animal from others to keep it from spreading.
,neumonia infection of t"e
lung
4efuses food, stands around
hanging head down, sounds
congested, elevated temperature,
and coughs and breathes rapidly
or with difficulty.
"ntibacterial drugs such as #Aytetracycline. 'ay re&uire veterinary-only drugs if
severe.
,regnancy To7emia ! a
metabolic disease of does in
late pregnancy% Most of t"e
nutrition is going to t"e kids%
Similar to +etosis% +etosis is
after birt"ing%
Eethargy and losses of appetite
over one to two weeks, generally
in very late pregnancy. Eimping or
swelling of feet. Eaying around
not wanting to get up. Sweet-
smelling )ketotic, breath. >etosis
strips can be used to identify if
/ive doe propylene glycol twice a day. e give *6cc drench in am and pm. e
also create a miAture of sodium bicarbonate with water and give 36cc drench
am and pm. Felp get the doe up and moving around during the day and offering
food.
Anot"er Solution /ive her 3 (bs !alf 8ac miAed with 566cc 4evive and
566cc water. /ive the doe 266cc of 4evive every 2 hours, with !alf 8ac in it.
the doe is ketotic
"lso, once you get the doe awake, always give alfalfa, and corn with the sweet
feed. /ive her at least *-+ oz. 'agic at night to hold them.
8ing&orms 9ungal condition /rey-white crusty appearance on
small areas of skin. Skin is
usually thickened and the hairs
thin or absent. /enerally no
itching or evidence of irritation.
Knlargement of affected areas
occurs.
2ungicidal preparations applied as a li&uid dressing. "ny of the following daily
for five days and then weekly:
6.@J Eime sulphur
5:56 bleach
5:366 !aptan
5J 7etadine
(Sore Mout" ! .ig"ly
infectious $iral disease to
animals and "umans% 089 is
t"e name for t"is in "umans%
8imples about the nose, mouth,
eyes, anus and hoofs. (urning to
watery blisters, then to sticky and
encrusted scabs. Swelling of
mouth and gums. ill run a
course of around three weeks.
"nimals can die if they are unable
to eat or nurse because of the
sore mouth.
Difficult. Dress with antibiotic spray or ointment. %solate infected animals. (here
is a #vine Kcthyma 1accine against sore mouth infection to all animals. 1accine
to infected animals may reduce the time to recover. Be do not recommend
$accinating. e let the soremouth run its course of 3 weeks and doctor
severe cases. e use medication with !ephapirin 7enzathine in it. (wo brands
are !efa-Dri and (omorrow. !FD-/uard E" gel antibacterial agent adheres to
the gums of infected animals.
Tape&orms in"abit t"e small
intestine
KAamination of the goatIs
droppings. =oung goats will pass
tapeworm segments in their feces
during the summer months.
"n anthelmintic such as albendazole can be used. #ral niclosamide is highly
effective.
Tetanus ! (nfection of open
&ounds by t"e bacterium
Clostridium tetani results in
tetanus (lock@a&
" general increase in muscle
stiffness is seen, causing an
unsteady gait. Kyelid begins to
eAtend over the eye and animal
looks .anAious.. (he symptoms
get progressively worse and
convulsions may occur. (he goat
dies because it is unable to
breathe.
/oats can be treated with antibiotics such as penicillin and antisera, but
response is poor. (he site of bacterial proliferation should be searched for and
whenever possible, the wound or infection site should be opened to the air,
debrided, flushed with hydrogen peroAide and infiltrated with penicillin. (he area
be infiltrated with tetanus antitoAin before the wound cleaning process is begun
to reduce the chance that more pre-eAisting toAin will b absorbed during tissue
manipulations.
Urinary Calcul i ! A "ard mass
of mineral salts in t"e urinary
tract caused by a dietary
4estlessness, straining to urinate,
pawing the ground, recurrent
looking at its own abdomen, vocal
'ost treatment must be done by veterinarians. #ften re&uiring the removal of
the tip of the penis. Eook at the details in the article on Lrinary !alculi
mineral imbalance# usually in
bucks
signs of pain
B"ite Muscle Disease !
deficiency of *itamin ) and
Selenium
Stiffness, weakness and
trembling. 7ack legs become stiff
and unable to use. !an result in
death
"dministration of selenium, together with vitamin K.
Eink to a map showing counties Selenium levels
"ttp'//tin%er%usgs%go$/geoc"em/doc/a$erages/se/usa%"tml
Abortions
"bortions are most commonly seen during the final : mont"s of pregnancy. Does are normally very fertile animals but may have a higher incidence of abortion
compared to other farm animals. "bortion rates of @J are common and rates below that are considered good. 'any infectious agents, events causing stress,
drugs, nutritional deficiencies and toAic plants may be the cause of a Doe aborting. %nfectious causes may be the common reason for a Doe aborting and should
be considered the most likely cause if a herd has an abortion outbreak. %n an infectious abortion, it is most often a placental disease.
C"lamydia
!hlamydial abortion is one of the most common causes of infectious abortion in goats. 8igeons and sparrows may be the carrier of the organism that
causes !hlamydia and ticks or insects may play a role in the transmission. 9on-pregnant Does may become infected but the organism can stay
dormant creating little or no immune response. (he organism may stay dormant until the Doe becomes pregnant resulting in both an abortion and the
immune response. %nflammations of the placenta caused by the infection prevent the normal transfer of nutrients across the placenta and that results
in the fetal death and it0s abortion. "fter a Doe aborts, she will normally develop a good immune response that eliminates the !hlamydia from her
uterus normally within 3 months of the abortion. (he infectious organism does not proliferate and attack the placenta until around G6 days after
breeding. !hlamydia has been found in a buck0s semen 2G days after being eAperimentally infected however the primary modes of transmission are
from vaginal or uterine secretions of aborting Does and Does shedding the organism the following year. During future breeding seasons, the Does
normally show no signs of infertility and the natural immunity following an abortion lasts around 3 years.
%n newly infected herds, 2@J to *6J of the Does may abort. %n herds that have been eAposed to the infection, abortion rates drop to between 5J to
5@J and the new abortions generally are in new animals to the herd. (he abortions generally occur in the last month of the pregnancy but may happen
as early as day 566 of pregnancy. Does may show loss of appetite, run fever and show a bloody vaginal discharge 2-3 days before aborting.
Treatment
%f chlamydial is confirmed or highly likely to be present, it is common to treat all Does remaining at risk of aborting.(reat with long-acting oAytetracycline
)26 mg;kg %' or S!,. 7io 'ycin 266 is one antibiotic that can be used. Some have given the drug twice a week during the final <-* weeks of
pregnancy. Fowever because of the management difficulties, the most effective process seems to be one in3ection every three days for three times
before kidding followed by an in3ection 3 weeks after kidding. "borting females should be removed from the herd for at least 3 weeks, and fetuses and
placentas should be burned or buried.
To7oplasmosis - #ne of the most common parasitic infections in goats. (his is associated with a coccidium of cats. !ats become infected by
consuming uncooked meat scraps, placentas, and small rodents. /oats become infected by eating grass, hay or garin contaminated by cat feces.%t
can result in abortion, stillbirths and weak kids. Fowever, reducing eAposure to cat may help but in may lead to an increase in rats that carry other
diseases. "nimals remain infected for life and may abort in future pregnancies so you may want to cull infected Does. 2eeding deco&uinate or
monensin throughout pregnancy may reduce the incidence of abortion. (hese are often used in goat medicated feed.
C 9e$er - a bacterial disease capable of being transmitted from animals to people caused by !oAiella burnetii, a rickettsial organism. !. burnetii may
be found in sheep, cattle, goats, cats, dogs, some wild animals )including many wild rodents,, birds, and ticks. "nimals shed the organism in their
urine, feces, milk, and especially in their birth products. "bortion or stillbirths occur in late pregnancy, but only when the placenta has been severely
damaged.
Treatment
(reat with long-acting oAytetracycline )26 mg;kg %' or S!,. 7io 'ycin 266 is one antibiotic that can be used. #ne in3ection every three days for three
times before kidding followed by an in3ection 3 weeks after kidding. 8lacentas and aborted fetuses shoud be destroyed by burning. "fter a Doe is
infected, she can carry the organism indefinitely, shedding it in milk and at kidding.
3isteriosis - caused by listeria monocytogenes an ubi&uitous organism that may be found in soil, water, plant litter and digestive tract of ruminants.
"bortions occur in the last 2 months. "bortions have been attributed to the feeding of contaminated silage. /razing on boggy, high-pF soils can also
cause the infection.
Treatment
7io 'ycin 266 is one antibiotic that can be used. #ne in3ection every three days for three times before kidding followed by an in3ection 3 weeks after
kidding. (he addition of chlortetracycline to the feed has been reported to stop abortions during a listeriosis outbreak.
Acidosis
%ntroduction
(he rumen microflora can only handle gradual changes in forage:grain ratio. %f the proportion, absolute amount or type of grain changes too &uickly, then lactic
acidosis will develop. 2eeding order )i.e. grain before forage, also can cause lactic acidosis. (he type of rumen bacteria change to gram positive from gram
negative and lactic acid is produced. (his lowers the pF of the rumen. #nce below @.@, protozoa and bacteria start to die. (he acid gets absorbed into the body
creating general acidosis. %f the pF is low enough, the rumen gets .burned. and, if the goat survives, it often gets secondary rumen and liver infections from
bacteria or fungi. 2ibre )e.g. hay or silage, is important in the diet as well as it stimulates the goat to chew, thus producing alkaline saliva which serves to buffer the
rumen. Diets with little fibre or chopped too finely are more at risk of lactic acidosis.
!linical 8icture:
Simple indigestion may be the first indication of a feeding problem. (he goat backs off her feed, usually only for one feeding. %f longer than 2< hrs then something
else is wrong. !hronic feeding problems will manifest as variable appetite, depressed milk fat and chronic laminitis. "cute laminitis shows up as painful feet. hat
is more common is the chronic form in which the toes grow abnormally fast with .rings.. (he &uality of the horn is poor and flaky. /oats may be lame and prone to
foot abscesses. 'ilk fat is depressed because fibre is necessary for the rumen flora to produce the correct volatile fatty acid to make milk fat )acetate,. ith more
severe lactic acidosis, the protozoa die, the rumen becomes static and the goat becomes depressed and dehydrated. (he rumen is fluid filled and .sloshy..
Diarrhea smells acidic and is yellow in colour. %n very severe cases, there is no diarrhea because of total gut stasis. (he goat may appear .drunk. and ataAic. She
will go down and will look very similar to milk fever, i.e. cold with dilated pupils. 4umen eAamination )pF and eAamination of flora, need to be done to confirm a
diagnosis.
(reatment:
%n severe cases, treatment is heroic and may involve a rumenotomy in which the rumen is surgically emptied out. Supportive therapy includes iv fluids, rumen
transfaunation )rumen 3uice from a healthy animal,, alkalinizing solutions for the rumen )only done with caution,, antibiotics and nursing care.
8revention:
4ations should be formulated and balanced correctly for the correct production group. 2orage should be fed before grain and the daily amount divided into at least
3 separate feedings. " total miAed ration )('4, helps keep the rumen flora happy by not overwhelming them with carbohydrate at any one time. 2eed changes all
need to be made gradually over several days so the flora have time to adapt. 2or small holders with a few goats, grain security is an important issue.