Common Goat Health Conditions You Need to be Aware of
Owning goats is mostly fun, but there are some awful health conditions that you really need to be aware of before you get a herd of these intelligent creatures. In this article, we are going to go over five of the most common health conditions you need to be aware of.
In particular, we are going to cover Coccidiosis, Enterotoxemia, Johne’s Disease, Listeriosis, and Bacterial Mastitis. But there are a lot of other issues that can affect your herd, so make sure to do more research so that you can vaccinate and prevent any diseases from infiltrating your herd.
So without further ado, let’s dive right in and get starters!
1. Coccidiosis
This health condition is a parasitic livestock disease which largely affects goats and sheep. Thai disease can be life-threatening, and it is fairly expensive to eliminate from your herd and treat. What are the symptoms of this health condition? I have listed a few signs that your goat might have this condition:
- Diarrhoea is watery and sometimes has mucus or blood in the stool.
- They may also have no appetite while also running a fever.
- Your goat might also have dehydration as a result of the diarrhoea.
- Your animal may be experiencing weakness.
- This animal may also become emaciated as a result of weight loss.
- Your animal might even suddenly die as a result of this condition.
So, how can you prevent this health condition from afflicting your herd? I have listed a few prevention options below for you to consider:
- The area in which your goats live, eat, and drink should be kept clean and hygienic.
- Make the weaning process as calm and not stressful as possible.
- Your veterinarian might give you medicated feed to help prevent the condition.
- Keep your goats in an area that is well-ventilated, dry and with sunlight.
Prevention is obviously better than the cure. So take precautions to ensure that your goats do not get this disease because it can be deadly if left untreated for long enough.
2. Enterotoxemia
This condition is also known as the overeating disease and can be caused by the animal absorbing certain toxins. What are the symptoms of this health condition? I have listed a few signs that your goat might have this condition:
- Your goat may lose their appetite.
- The animal may have abdominal discomfort, you might see them kicking at their side.
- There may be signs of diarrhoea, sometimes with blood.
- The goat may have a fever.
- There may be signs of lethargy.
- Your goat can even die suddenly if they get this disease.
So how can you prevent this health condition from afflicting your herd? I have listed a few prevention options below for you to consider:
- You can give your goat C and D antitoxin as directed by your veterinarian.
- Penicillin can be given to your goat.
- The animal can be given an oral antacid.
- Anti-bloating medication can be administered.
It is wise to vaccinate your animals against this condition. This will reduce the risk of your goats getting this condition.
3. Johne’s Disease
There are no real initial symptoms of this disease, so a goat that is infected can contaminate the whole pasture without you even knowing that they have Johne’s Disease.
Once the disease progresses however there can be symptoms such as the following: loss of condition, decreased milk production, lethargy, enlargement of regional lymph nodes, bottle jaw, diarrhoea, and in extreme cases death.
There is no real treatment for this disease or nothing that is effective anyway. The best prevention is to test your herd regularly to ensure that no goats are infested. Sadly, those that are may have to be culled, so be careful when purchasing your animals from sources that are less than reputable.
4. Listeriosis
This disease actually has a high mortality rate, so it is not something you want to infiltrate your herd. The animals will start experiencing neuromuscular incoordination which can make them circle in the same direction, hence the other name for this condition, circling disease.
To treat this condition, your animals will need to be given anti-inflammatory medication, antibiotics, supportive therapy, and electrolytes intravenously.
Before your goats get this disease you should of course try to prevent it. You should get rid of your feed that has been spoiled. If you have does that are aborting, make sure they are isolated
5. Bacterial Mastitis
This is an inflammatory condition that affects the mammary glands. This can happen as a result of stress, bacterial infection, or even viral infection. What are the symptoms of this health condition? I have listed a few signs that your goat might have this condition:
- Your goat might have a fairly high fever.
- They may lose their appetite.
- The memory gland may become swollen.
- Your goat may show signs of depression.
So how can you prevent this health condition from afflicting your herd? I have listed a few prevention options below for you to consider:
- Your goat should have been given Glucocorticoids in the early stages.
- Call out your local veterinarian to assess and treat your goats.
This is a very serious disease and one you should prevent. So make sure that you use proper milking practices and keep everything clean to reduce the risk of infection.
Final Thoughts
I hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about these common goat health conditions. They are not always going to afflict your herd. Just make sure to keep everything clean, and hygienic to help reduce the risk of your herd getting infected.
If you have enjoyed reading this article, make sure to check out some of our other articles. We cover a range of fascinating topics such as how to care for goats, what kind of pasta can you make at home, and more.
Thanks for reading!