How To Handle Lameness In Goats

Regular inspection of the feet especially when farming Boer goats.

• Provide a foot bath at the entrance of the night shed. Use either formalin or copper sulphate solution. Always remember that goats will try to jump over the baths as long as possible to ensure goats step there.
• When buying in – goats, you should inspect their feet.

Respiratory disorders in goats

CCPP

• Caused by bacteria mycoplasima capri, can kill goats in big numbers especially when under stress due to transit or change in management and overcrowding.
• Improve on hygiene, ventilation and reduce overcrowding.
• Trylosin and ocytetracycline, plust Gentamycin.
• Control – vaccinate goats annually.
• PPR- Pestes de Petit ruminantes caused by a virus.
• Causes pneumonia and diarrhea and high mortalities especially in kids.
• Abortions are common with retained placenta, rough hair coat, and crusts on the hair coat, especially around the muzzle.

Pasturellosis

• Caused by bacteria – Pasteurella multocida and causes severe losses especially to stressed goats or animals on transit and unhygienic conditions.
• Treatment – oxytetracylines and penistrep.
• Control – improve on animal welfare condition.

Abscesses

• These are swellings filled with pus.
• Cause – Poor hygiene and poor disposal of pus discharges from drained abscesses. Bacteria e.g. staph, corynebacteria, strep to coccocal abscesses.
• Control – Improve on hygiene drain abscesses and bury the discharges.
• Treat with antibiotics e.g. penistrep, sulfur drugs, oxytetracyclines.

Mange

• This is a skin condition caused by mites that causes the hair to fall off and crusts. It can be fatal in kids by causing anaemia and secondary bacterial infections.
• Control – Avoid overcrowding, spray goats regularly using amidine acaricides, injectable ivermectin e.g. Noromectin can kill the parasites.

Footrot

• Is the rotting of the feet mostly caused by bacteria? Goats with overgrown hooves are more susceptible and the aged.
• Control – Hygiene use 5% formalin, copper sulfate, or Zinc sulfate in footbaths.

Eye problems

• This condition is more common in overcrowded goat houses and poor hygiene.
• Ammonia gas produced irritates the mucous membranes predisposing goats to secondary bacterial conditions.
• Control – Improve on hygiene and spacing.
• Treatment – Use eye ointments or iodine spray.

Abortions in goats

• This is the pre-term termination of pregnancy.
• Causes
• Nutritional – starvation or deficiency of some nutrients e.g. iodine.

Brucellosis

• Can cause 90% of abortions in the flock with retained placenta usually after 3 months of pregnancy.
• Control – Treatment is complicated and some goats carry the bacteria for life.
• Vaccinate goats against the disease with the Brucella melitensis vaccine either as injectable or eye drop preferably from 2 – 8 months.

Others include Enzootic abortion (Chlamydophila) bacteria, Leptospirosis, Toxoplasma, Salmonellosis, Campylobacter, Tick-Borne fever, PPR, Listeria, and some toxins like Clostridial toxins and aflatoxins.