Goat Health and Care
Small Scale Goat Dairying
Central Point, OR
April 5, 2008
Charles Estill, OSU Extension Veterinarian
Biosecurity
Security from transmission of infectious diseases, parasites, and pests
 Buy from reputable
breeders.
 Know the health
status of the animals
you are purchasing.
 Maintain a closed
herd.
 Limit showing/
exhibiting.
 Isolate new animals
for at least 30 days.
Biosecurity
Reduce transmission of infectious diseases, parasites, and pests
 Don’t loan or share or
bucks.*
 Don’t breed does for
other producers.*
 Do not mix your animals
with other people’s
animals.*
 Don’t share equipment
unless it is disinfected
after each use.
 Limit access to your
farm/animals.
 Control cat, dog, bird,
and rodent populations.
*Unless the other farm/animals have equal health status.
Health problems of goats
 Udder disorders
 Caprine Arthritis
Encephalitis
 Caseous Lymphadenitis
 Floppy Kid Syndrome
 Johne’s Disease
Mastitis
 What is a normal udder?
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Uniformly soft and symmetric
Temperature is same as rest of body
No swelling or pain
Teats are thin and uniform, milk easily
 Examine milk for:
 Color
 Consistency
 Clots, flakes
Diagnosis of mastitis
 Physical signs
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Uneven udder
Udder is hot, swollen, or painful
Sick, off feed, fever
Reduced milk production
May be no outward signs
General types of mastitis
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Acute
Bluebag
Sub-clinical
Chronic
Acute mastitis
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Udder is hot, swollen, painful
Udder may be hard
Milk is abnormal (clots, flakes, watery)
Reduced milk production
Goat may be sick and have a fever
May have a stiff gait
Can be fatal
Blue bag
 Mastitis caused by
Staph. aureus or
Pasteurella
 Up to 80% die
 Udder is initially
red and hot then
turns blue and cold
 Milk is watery,
brown
 May slough ½ of
udder
Sub-clinical mastitis
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Very common
May be difficult to detect without CMT
Udder may be firm
May be occasional clots, flakes
Reduced milk production
Chronic mastitis
 It is 15 to 40 times more prevalent than the
clinical form.
 It usually precedes the clinical form.
 It is of long duration.
 It is difficult to detect.
 It reduces milk production.
 It adversely affects milk quality. Firm, nonpainful udder
 Career counseling
Diagnosis of mastitis
 Testing
 California mastitis test
 pH
 Cells
 0, Trace or 1+ is normal
 Compare halves of udder
 Somatic cell count (inaccurate)
 <500,000 is normal (1M reg. limit)
 Much higher at end of lactation
 Milk culture
 Technique
 Staph. epidermidis most common
California Mastitis Test
Treatment of mastitis
 Frequent stripping out
 Oxytocin
 Antibiotics
 Intramammary (1/2 tube)
 Today
 Spectromast
 Pirsue
Treatment of mastitis
 Sick goats need systemic treatment!
 Systemic antibiotics
 Penicillin G, Naxcel, LA-200, Gallimycin
 Anti-inflammatory therapy
 Fluids
Mastitis prevention
 Hygiene
 Clean, dry, comfortable environment
 Maintain milking equipment
 Avoid excessive vacuum
 Properly working pulsators
 Properly fitting liners
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Proper milking routine (teat dip)
Good nutrition
Clip udder hair
CMT monthly
Treat ALL does at dry-off
Caseous lymphadenitis (CL or CLA)
cheesy gland, boils, abscesses
Caused by Corynbacterium (Actinomyces) pseudotuberculosis
 Usually external
abscesses in skin or
lymph nodes.
 Pus in external abscess is
initially pale green.
 Usually affects animals >
6 months of age.
 Lives in soil for >1year
Zoonotic potential - ???
Caseous lymphadenitis
 Diagnosis
 Culture of organism
 Necropsy
 Blood test
 Treatment
 Complete surgical excision is best
 Isolate for treatment-do not open in
environment of other goats
 If draining- flush with Nolvasan or iodine
 Cull
Caseous lymphadenitis (CL or CLA)
cheesy gland, abscesses, boils
Caused by bacteria Corynbacterium pseudotuberculosis
 Controlling/eradicating
CLA
 Identify and cull affected
animals
 Avoid skin injuries
 Practice good hygiene.
 Purchase from CLA-free
flocks/herds.
 Vaccination can reduce
severity of disease.
 Do not vaccinate naïve
herds
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE)
 Retroviral infection
 Only 25% will ever
show signs (3881% positive)
 Joint
swelling/arthritis in
goats >6 mo.
 Encephalitis in 2-4
mo. kids
 Pneumonia and
mastitis in adults
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE)
 CAE virus is primarily
transmitted to kids
through colostrum
and milk.
 Contact transmission
is rare, but possible.
 Diagnosis- blood test
after 6 months of age
 No treatment or
vaccine is available.
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE)
 Prevention and control
 Pasteurize colostrum(133 F for 60 min)
 Feed pasteurized milk(165 F for 15 sec)
 Milk positive does last
 Quarantine and test new additions w/i
60 days
 Disinfect equipment
 Cannot eradicate w/o culling positives
Johne’s Disease
paratuberculosis
Caused by bacteria Mycobacterium anium spp. paratuberculosis
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Victoria, Australia
Cattle, sheep, and goat strains
Fecal-oral transmission
Young animals most susceptible
Symptoms
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Only 5% show signs within a
herd at a given time
No signs until 2-7 years old
Animals w/o signs are still a
source of infection
Chronic weight loss
Precipitated by stress
Profuse, watery diarrhea in
terminal stages
Small intestine
Ohio
www.johnes.org
State University
Johne’s Disease
Small intestine
 Difficult to diagnose
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Ohio State Univ.
Fecal culture (40-60%)
Blood test-good when
clinical signs present
 No treatment.
 Difficult to control.
 Prevention
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Maintain a closed flock/herd
Cull offspring of infected
animals
Sanitation
Be careful with cow colostrum
Test annually
 Theoretical link to
Crohn’s disease in
people.
Floppy kid syndrome
First documented in 1987
 Affects kids between 3
and 10 days of age
(normal at birth)
 Most common late in
kidding season.
 Causes muscle
weakness, ataxia.
 Cause unknown, but
suspected to be gastrointestinal, a metabolic
acidosis.
 Treat with sodium
bicarbonate and
supportive therapy.
Questions????
Questions, comments