Samuel Glickman
April 23rd 2014
Markhor Goats (Capra falconeri)
•Common name: Screw-horned
goat
•Range includes India, Afghanistan,
Uzbekistan and Pakistan
•Primarily live in mountainous
terrain (altitudes of 600-3600
meters)
•Largest member of the goat family
(weigh 32-110 kgs, stand 65-115 cm)
•Sexually dimorphic
Unexpected
 3 year old FI Markhor goat found dead on exhibit by
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


keepers
From herd of 5 adults and two kids
Days prior to discovery she appeared lethargic with
swelling on lower jaw and around eyes
Previous history of Eimeria and some strongyles:
treated with levamisole and pyrantel
Submitted for necropsy
Differentials
 Degenerative
 Anomalous, Autoimmune
 Metabolic
 Neoplasia, Nutritional
 Infectious, Inflammatory
 Toxin , Traumatic
 Vascular
Necropsy
 Diffuse submucosal edema with abundant
intraluminal nematode parasites
 Abdominal, thoracic and pericardial cavities:
moderate serous effusions
 Subcutis: Diffuse moderate edema
 Diagnosis: Severe haemonchosis with
hypoproteinemia and anemia
Barber pole worm (Haemonchus
contortus)
•Clinical signs include: anemia, weakness
hypoproteinemia (bottle jaw), emaciation and sudden
death
•Parasite of goats, sheep, cervids, new world camelids
•Female can produce approximately 5,000 eggs per
day
•Cycle of infection-pasture contamination-reinfection
can make control difficult
Haemonchus contortus
Diagnosis
 Based on clinical signs
 Gross lesions: presence of worms in the abomasum,
 Fecal floatation – cannot distinguish from other
strongyle eggs
 Larval cultures (10 -14 days)
 Fluorescein staining of egg shells
FAMACHA
•Selective treatment based on
severity of affected animal
•Combat resistance by treating
only affected animals (remove low
level selective pressure)
•Combat resistance –
•Quarantine new additions to the
herd
•Rotate anthelmintics
•Multidrug protocols
•Treat severely affected
•Pasture management
Treatment
 Antihelmintics:
 Levamisole – 7.5 mg/kg
 Fenbendazole – 5 mg/kg
 Ivermectin - 0.2 mg/kg
 Moxidectin – 0.2-0.4 mg/kg
 Supportive care
 Continued monitoring of individual animals and the
herd
Initial Treatment (Adults)
 Caught each adult in chute
 Examined MM, collected blood for PCV and TS
 Individual fecal samples collected for quantitative egg
analysis
 Started on two day course of oral fenbendazole (10 mg/kg)
 Adults recaptured 2 days later:
 BoSe (0.06 mg/kg) SQ
 Moxidectin (0.4 mg/kg) SQ
 Collected blood for CBC/Chem
Treatment (kids)
 Manual restraint of kids on same day as adults
 MM examined and blood collected for CBC/Chem
 MM were paler than adult with regenerative anemia
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(22%, 16% anisocytosis, polychromasia)
Iron (10 mg/kg) IM
Discussion about transfusion
Major and minor crossmatch performed – no
agglutination or hemolysis
Donor blood(mL) = 80 x BW(kg)x (Desired PCVRecipient PCV)/ (PCV of transfused blood)
Transfusion
 Collected 1 unit of blood (500 mL) in CPDA-1 bag
 Manual restraint – placed 16G jugular catheter
 Administer blood via a filtration system
 Serial weighing of bag to deliver desired amount of
blood (1.06 g/mL blood)
 Monitored respiratory and heart rate
 Administered oral fenbendazole (10 mg/kg)
 Recheck PCV two days later (38%, 27%) and SQ
moxidectin (0.4 mg/kg)
Challenges
 Zoological settings – often mixed species enclosures
 Limited space
 Balance stress of capture and diagnosis/treatment of
disease
 Individual dosing and assessment
Control Program
 Removal of animals from exhibit area
 Decontamination –removal of plant material and feces
 Individual quantitative fecal egg counts
 If egg count >500 eggs/gram – fenbendazole (10
mg/kg) for 2 days and one dose of moxidectin (0.4
mg/kg)
 Once egg counts are reduced by 90% - return to
exhibit
References
 Getachew, T., P. Dorchies, and P. Jacquiet. “Trends and Challenges in
the Effective and Sustainable Control of Haemonchus contortus
Infection in Sheep. Review.” 2007. Parasite 14: 3-14.
 Hoberg, E.P., A.A. Kocan, and L.G. Rickard. “Gastrointestinal
Strongyles in Wild Ruminant” 2001. Faculty Publications from the
Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology. Paper 623.
 Kaplan, R.M. “Responding to the Emergence of Multiple-Dru g
Resistant Haemonchus contortus: Smart Drenching and FAMACHA.”
Proceedings of the Kentukcy Veterinary Medical Association 2005
Morehead Clinic Days Conference, June 4-5, 2005.
References
 Nowak, R. “Walker’s Mammals of the World, 6th ed.” Baltimore: John
Hopkins University Press, 1999.
 Van Wyk, J.A. and G.F. Bath. “The FAMACHA system for managing
haemonchosis in sheep and goats by clinically identifying individual
animals for treatment.” 2002. Vet Res. 33: 509-529.
 Vokral, I, et al. “The Metabolism of flubendazole and the activities of
selected biotransformation enzymes in Haemonchus contortus strains
susceptible and resistant to anthelmintics.” 2012. Parasitology 139: 13091316.
 Young, K.E., M.S. James, J.M. Jensen, and T.M. Craig. “Evaluation of
Anthelmintic Activity in Captive Wild Ruminants by Fecal Egg
Reduction Tests and a Larval Development Assay. ” 2000. Journal of
Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 31(3): 348-352.
Thanks
 Dr. Kollias
 Dr. Cushing
 Dr. Abou-Madi
 Dr. Mary Smith
 Staff of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
Questions?