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INTERNAL PARASITES
WORMS
Worming your goat should be a regular part of
your management plan. Goats, by nature, will
tend to pick up parasites while they graze and go
about their daily routines. The best way to know
if your goat has worms is to look at the feces.
Sometimes you can see the worms without the
help of a microscope. If you suspect your goat has
a severe worm problem, collect a sample of fresh
goat manure and take it to your veterinarian. The
vet will be able to identify the worms you are
dealing with and give you a list of dewormers to
use. You get the best results from your dewormer
if you rotate brands after using one brand for two
or three doses. How often you deworm your goat
will depend on your management as well as how
much pen space your goat has. Goats in tight
confinement systems will need to be dewormed
more often than goats that can rotate through
different pastures. Some commonly used com
mercial goat deworming products are Thiabenda
zole (TBZ), Levamisole (Tramisol), Fenbendazole
(Safeguard, Panacur), Ivermectin (Ivomec—use
the cattle or sheep product; avoid the Ivermec
Plus), and Albendazole (Valbazen). Goats have a
different metabolism than other livestock species,
so you should administer 50 percent more
dewormer per 100 pounds of body weight than
would be recommended for other species.
FOOT ROT
This is one health problem you may be able to
smell before you see. Foot rot is caused by a
bacterial infection of the soft hoof tissue. It causes
lameness, followed by swelling of the foot and
flesh above the foot. There will be a smelly, gray,
cheesy discharge coming from the foot and it will
be very tender. Foot rot can be prevented by
keeping pens clean and dry. Keep your goats'
feet trimmed so that bacteria can not collect in
folded hoof material. You can treat foot rot by
cutting away the dead hoof tissue and then
soaking the foot in a solution using copper sulfate
(1/2 pound per gallon of water) for 1 to 2 minutes
per foot.
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CASEOUS LYMPHADENITIS
This disease is caused by bacteria that can live in
the soil for a very long time. Until recently it was
believed that the disease could only be contracted
by an open wound coming in contact with the
open pustule of the infected animal. It has now
been found that the bacteria can enter the animal
through an open wound exposed to the bacteria
on wood, in soil, or in a variety of other barnyard
situations. The disease produces small abscesses
just under the skin around the jaw, shoulder, or
sometimes in the flank area. The abscesses grow
and eventually open, exposing other animals to
the bacteria. The abscesses appear to be painless,
but are filled with a thick, foul-smelling pus.
Caseous lymphadenitis is a lymphatic disease.
That means it travels along the system of lymph
glands located throughout the body. This makes
it very hard to treat. It has responded to penicillin
in many cases, but because it can be controlled in
one lymph gland and then move on to another
gland and reoccur, it is usually thought to be
untreatable. Most slaughter plants will condemn
a carcass that shows abscesses; therefore, this
disease can be very costly to a market goat
producer.
PNEUMONIA
Pneumonia can be caused by either a virus or
bacteria. The goat will usually develop a cough
and have a discharge from the eyes and nose,
fever, lack of appetite, and increased respiration
rate (rapid breathing or "pumping"). Most pneu
monia occurs when animals are exposed to drafts
and damp stalls. There is a difference between
good ventilation and a cold draft. Your barn does
not need to be closed up tight in the winter, but
you need to make sure the air can move into the
barn, and be heated by warmer air before it
reaches your goat. Most pneumonia will not kill
your animal if treated quickly with antibiotics.
However, pneumonia can be a deadly disease if it
is not treated, or if the conditions that caused it
are allowed to continue.
Keeping Goats Healthy
37
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