Goat Herd Health Issues and Concerns. Michelle Bilderback, DVM Ruminant Extension Veterinarian University of Kentucky

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1 Goat Herd Health Issues and Concerns Michelle Bilderback, DVM Ruminant Extension Veterinarian University of Kentucky

2 Goat Health Management

3 Preventative Health Care Biosecurity Vaccination program Parasite control program Good nutrition and feeding management Predator management Hoof care

4 Good Biosecurity Start with healthy stock Buy from reputable breeders Isolate new animals for at least 30 days Maintain a closed herd if possible

5 Biosecurity for Goat Farms Don t mix your goats with other goats (or sheep). Don t loan goats. Don t board goats. Don t loan equipment. Limit access to your farm and animals. Control dog, cat, rodent, fly, and bird populations.

6 Basic Herd Health Supplies Thermometer Record book Alcohol Balling gun for oral dosing of bolus medication Syringes and needles of various sizes and gauges Sharp's container for used needles (old soda bottle) Ear tagger and tags Wound dressing Deworming or drench gun

7 Basic Herd Health Supplies Dewormers (anthelmintics) Antibacterials/antibiotics (penicillin and tetracycline are most commonly used)-not for organic production Biologicals (Tetanus antitoxin, Tetanus toxoid, C. perfringens toxoid) Injectables (vitamin A, D, & E, vitamin B complex, BoSe)

8 Health Program for Goats A veterinarian should be consulted to tailor a health program for your specific herd. Very important since many products are not labeled for goats.

9 Essential Vaccines Clostridial diseases (CD-T) Clostridium perfringens type C affects kids < 1 month type D affects kids > 1 month Most critical for farms which feed a lot of grain or allow instant access to lush pasture Overeating Disease Clostridium tetani tetanus

10 Vaccination Program for Goats Combination Products: Labeled for Goats: Essential 3+T (Colorado Serum Co) Vision CD/T (Intervet) Labeled for sheep/cattle: Bar Vac CD/T (Boehringer Ingelheim)

11 Other Vaccines * Consult your Vet! Soremouth (live)- ONLY in infected herds Pneumonia Footrot Chlamydia or Campylobacter (vibrio)- in infected herds Rabies Caseous lymphadenitis beware of CaseBac in pregnant does Autogenous vaccine made from bacteria isolated on a specific farm. * not labeled for goats

Health Program-Does Good nutrition- Body Condition Score of 3-3.

12 Health Program-Does Good nutrition- Body Condition Score of prior to kidding Deworm based on FEC or FAMACHA Check udder, teats, teeth, feetcull for chronic disease

13 Vaccination Program for Mature Goats Does Vaccinate 1 to 2 months prior to kidding for Clostridium perfringens type C & D plus Tetanus toxoid. Two shots are necessary the first time an animal is vaccinated. Selenium 1 month prior to kidding in deficient areas Bucks Vaccinate annually

14 Health Program-Kids Colostrum!! Observe daily for signs of diarrhea or respiratory disease Castrate males before 3 months of age (market?)

15 Vaccination Program for Kids Kids Vaccinate at approximately 4-6 weeks of age Booster in 3-4 weeks Vaccinate earlier if dams were not vaccinated Use tetanus antitoxin at the time of castration or disbudding if dam was not vaccinated

16 Site of Administration

17 Subcutaneous Injections Meat goats Prefer injections in neck Breeders Prefer the axilla area (behind the elbow) Nodular mass not as visible Not readily mistaken for caseous lymphadenitis

18 Handling Livestock Safely Small animal chute, minimum bending

19 Incoming Program Unknown History -Individually catch, identify and examine for health problems -Set up a separate isolation area for sick goats (Take temperature/record) -Fecal sampling of at least 10% of animals to know where the group is relative to parasites -Isolate from other animals and pasture for 1 month

20 Incoming Program -Observe for well being at least twice a day. Wear coveralls, rubber boots and gloves. These animals should be handled last. -Vaccinate against tetanus and Clostridium perfringens C & D (overeating disease) -Deworm and Trim Feet -Clean and disinfect pens when goats leave

21 Goat Health Management Know how they look and behave normally

22 Normal Range for Goat Physiological Parameters Temperature, rectal F Heart rate beats per minute Respiration per minute Rumen movements 1 2 per minute Puberty 4 10 months Estrous cycle 21 days Estrus (standing heat) hours Gestation 150 days

23 Common Health Problems Internal parasites Digestive/Nutritional Respiratory complex Reproductive Hoof Skin May not show signs of illness.

24 Top 5 Causes of Death in Goats-LDDC 2009 Haemonchosis Parasitism Coccidiosis Pneumonia Coccidiosis (Eimeria)

contortus Barber pole worm Ostertagia Trichostrongyles

25 Gastro-intestinal parasites #1 health problem affecting small ruminants Round worms Haemonchus contortus Barber pole worm Ostertagia Trichostrongyles Lungworms Parelaphostrongylus tenuis Meningeal (deer) worm Coccidia

26 Barber pole Worm Haemonchus contortus Female has a red and white stripe spiraling down its body, like a barber pole The red stripe is the worm s intestine full of blood and the white stripe is the uterus full of eggs Adult worms attach to lining of goat s stomach, bore into stomach wall and suck blood

27 Barber Pole Worm Goats can lose up to 10% of their blood volume a day and death can quickly result ( Anemia ) Individual female worms can produce 5000 eggs/day If one goat has 500 female worms, then that animal can generate 2.5 million eggs per day and a herd of 50 goats can produce 1 billion eggs per week! Eggs hatch at temperatures above 50 F and best between degrees F

28 Life Cycle of H.contortus Eggs pass to outside in manure within a few days. Eggs hatch then the larva (baby worm) eats bacteria in the manure, matures, then climbs up (<6 inches) nearby blades of grass and waits to be eaten by a goat Larvae are swallowed, go into stomach, mature into adults and attach to lining. Entire process can take 17 days

29 Life Cycle of H. contortus u/pubs/sheep/ /figure1.html Image courtesy of Biozetica

30 The Bad News Intensive use and total reliance on anthelmintics (dewormers) has led to drug resistant populations of worms This is the single greatest threat to grazing goats worldwide.

31 Classes of Dewormers Trade Names Drug Class Benzimidazole Safeguard/ Panacur Synathic/ Benzelmin Valbazen* Imidazole/ Pyrimidine Levasole/ Tramisol** Rumatel StrongidT Macrolide Ivomec Dectomax Eprinex Cydectin *Do not use in first trimester pregnancy ** Do not use in last month of pregnancy

Small Ruminant Health Basics

Small Ruminant Health Basics Patty Scharko, DVM, MPH, DACPM Field and Extension Veterinarian Livestock Poultry Health Clemson University Columbia, SC Farm Resources Land 3 4 ewes or does per acre Depends