1. Parasite Management in Goats
Dr. Beth Walker
Missouri State University
& Dr. Dusty Nagy
University of Missouri Columbia

2. How do I know if I have worms?
Do you have goats/ sheep?

3. How do I know if I have a problem with worms?
Do you see animals with clinical signs consistent with worms?
Diarrhea?
Weight loss?
Exercise intolerance?
Pale mucus membranes?
Peripheral edema (bottle jaw)?
Poor rate of gain?
What is your death loss in the herd?
Do you know why animals die?

5. $ $ $

6. Overview Every parasite is not created equally Infestation  disease
Every parasite is not treated the same
On ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

7. Internal Parasites Greatest concern among producers
$$$$$$
Reproductive losses
Death
“Prevention rather than cure”
A. David Scarfe
“Cydectin should be kept in a glass box and labeled “Open only in case of WAR”
Dr. David Pugh

8. Management of Parasites
What are our best defenses?
1. Knowing our enemies
2. Knowing our weaknesses
3. Knowing our strengths
4. Proper Management

9. Factors influencing the potential for parasitism
Temperature
Humidity
Age of host
Seasonality and pregnancy status
Pasture management system
Anthelminthic resistance
Differences among dewormers

10. Temperature Worm eggs hatch between 45 and 100°F
Freezing kills worm larvae
Worm ova progress to infective larvae in 7-21 days
Maturation is faster at higher temperatures

11. Humidity Larvae are readily destroyed by drying
Parasitism is rare in arid climates
Pasture contamination is greatly reduced in July and August

12. Age of host
Acquired immunity
Young animals more susceptible

13. Pasture management systems
Traditional pasture strategies
Multiple small paddocks
Strip grazing
Strategic (pre-turn-out) deworming
Forage harvesting strategies

14. Pasture management systems
Traditional pasture strategies
Multiple small paddocks
Strip grazing
Strategic (pre-turn-out) deworming
Forage harvesting strategies

15. Anthelminthics Available products Resistance Use of fecal examinations
Benzimidazole
Avermectins
Others – levamisole
Resistance
Use of fecal examinations
When?
FAMACHA

16. Control strategies and principals
Deworming is most beneficial in neonates
Pastures are less contaminated in early spring and mid-summer
Strategic deworming will limit pasture contamination
Spring deworming limits pasture contamination
Pasture rotation will limit exposure to parasite ova

17. Food for thought
What is the single most important tool in small ruminant medicine?

18. Common Problems
Stocking density
True number
Actual

19. Common Problems
Feed
Availability
Delivery system

20. Our Enemies: Major Internal Parasites
Haemonchus contortus
Coccidia (protozoan)
Nematodes (round worms)
Cestodes (tapeworms)
Trematodes (flukes)

21. # 1 on the Most Unwanted List:
Haemonchus contortus – barber pole worm
Major cause of anemia, bottle jaw, death
Thrives in warm, humid conditions
Larvae will live on short grasses
Early to mid-morning
Will dry out but can survive until moist conditions return
10,000 adults can kill a sheep or goat

22. Haemonchus contortus

23. Haemonchus contortus

25. Haemonchus contortus
Stopped here.

26. Haemonchus contortus

27. Other Enemies: Common Parasites of Sheep & Goats
Coccidia
Generally host specific
Symptoms
Diarrhea - usually bloody
High percentage of young affected
High death loss if not treated
Rapid death loss if not treated

28. Coccidiosis
3 weeks-5 months
sporadic in older animals

29. Other Enemies: Common Parasites of Sheep & Goats
Treatment for Coccidia
Lasalocid (Bovatec) FDA approved Dosage: 20 gm/ton in feed or 90 gm/ton in salt
Monensin (Rumensin) Not FDA approved Dosage: 15 gm/ton of feed throughout feeding period Precautions:         May be toxic to sheep
Amprolium (Co Rid) Decoquinate Sulfa drugs Nitrofurazone

31. Other Enemies: Common Parasites of Sheep & Goats
Lungworm
feed on fluid in the lung
can damage lungs such to cause bacterial pneumonia
adult lives in lung, eggs laid in lung and coughed up then swallowed and hatch in gut
develop and grow and migrate via to lung via lymph

33. Other Enemies: Common Parasites of Sheep & Goats
Whipworms
Usually not a problem
Slow to develop (3 to 4 month life cycle)
Larvae are usually very resistant to environmental conditions
Feed on gut contents
Symptoms: 
Rectal prolapse 
Diarrhea
Loss of body condition

34. Other Enemies: Common Parasites of Sheep & Goats
Flat worms
Control the vector = control the problem
Tapeworm feed on gut contents
Proglottids (egg containers) - break open and release eggs
Eggs eaten by soil mites and hatch in soil mite
Goat eat mites on grass larvae develops in intestine
Symptoms
Diarrhea
Straining to defecate
Segments in feces

35. Tapeworm

36. Tapeworm

37. Other Enemies: Common Parasites of Sheep & Goats
Flat worms
Control the vector (SNAIL) = control the problem
Liver fluke
cause severe damage during migration        - bacteria can invade migration path causing Blacks disease        - Lifecycle - (~4 months) - within the snail
Symptoms - 
Jaundice
Enlarged Painful Abdomen
Bottle Jaw
Anemia
Poor body condition

40. Other Enemies: Common Parasites of Sheep & Goats
Nose Bots

41. Other Enemies: Common Parasites of Sheep & Goats
Lice
Flies
Stopped

43. # 2 Our Weaknesses - Poor Management
Overgrazing
Keep their heads up
Poor nutrition
Can’t fight parasite infestation without any energy
We haven’t been culling
Get rid of the goats that harbor worms
Some are genetically more prone to infestations
We haven’t been smart dewormers
Manage correctly to decrease deworming

44. #3: Our Strengths – Ammunition
Knowledge
Research
Deworming Programs
Chemical Anthelmintics
Novel Anthelmintics

45. #3: Our Strengths – Ammunition
Knowledge
Egg counts
Spring
500 / gram = treat
Fall
200 / gram = treat

47. McMaster Egg counts Most common technique used
Relies on the use of a floatation fluid in which eggs float and heavier debris in feces sinks
Common floatation media are various salt solutions including
Saturated common salt (NaCl)
Sodium nitrate
Sugar

48. McMaster Egg counts
Fill each chamber of the counting slide separately going back and refilling the pipette each time.

49. FAMACHA Based upon the color of the membranes around/near the eye
If paler than the skin under your thumbnail, consider deworming

51. #3: Our Strengths – Ammunition
Deworming Programs
“Deworming is the worst way to control parasites” but….
D.G. Pugh
Different Strategies
Deworm every 3 weeks
Cost $$$$$
Time
? Utilizing hosts defenses ?
Eventually leads to resistance

52. #3: Our Strengths – Ammunition
Different Strategies
Rotate Dewormers
No longer recommended
Can cause resistance to multiple dewormers

53. #3: Our Strengths – Ammunition
Different Strategies
Strategic Deworming
Immediately prior to or after parturition
Do not deworm and immediately turn into clean pasture
Hold hours
Timed Deworming
Hold off feed 12 hours – deworm
Limit feed additional 12 hours either turn into clean pasture or deworm again
Deworm with multiple classes of dewormes at the same time
Stopped here.

54. #3: Our Strengths – Ammunition
Chemical Anthelmintics
Benzimidazoles (white)
SafeguardTM
ValbazenTM
Imidazothiazoles (yellow)
LevamisoleTM
Avermectins (clear/purple)
IvermectinTM
CidectinTM

55. #3: Our Strengths – Ammunition
Novel Anthelmintics
Diatomaceous earth
Cutting edges said to cut the parasites
What is it doing to the gut???
“If you mentions DE in New Zealand or Australia, they laugh at you” Dr. Rich Machen TAMU
“Feel good stuff” Bill Kruesi-Vermont Sheep farmer and Vet student
Some animals may appear healthier but that is probably due to management or minerals in the DE

56. #3: Our Strengths – Ammunition
Novel Anthelmintics
Tannins
Sericea Lespedeza
Chickory
Birdsfoot trefoil

57. #4: Proper Management
Manage our…
Pastures
Species
Herd
Budget

58. Browse
Forb
Goats
Sheep
Cattle
Grass

60. #4: Proper Management
Manage our…
Herd

61. #4: Proper Management Manage our… Budget
We are in this to make $ or at least not lose any $, if you aren’t then don’t ruin it for the rest of us
We all need to work together

62. Internal Parasites Do my goats have internal parasites?
YES!
Is this a bad thing?
Not necessarily
Are some breeds more prone than others?
Yes
Are some individual goats within my heard more susceptible to worms than others?
Definitely!!!
What can I do?
Manage Properly and Deworm as Correctly!

63. Call 1-800-346-9140 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST Monday - Friday
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
Funded by USDA Rural Business Cooperative
Call :00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST Monday - Friday
ATTRA is a project of the National Center for Appropriate Technology, with offices in Montana, California, and Arkansas to better serve you.
Linda Coffey, sheep and goat specialist