1. Goat Health and Care Small Scale Goat Dairying Central Point, OR April 5, 2008 Charles Estill, OSU Extension Veterinarian

2. Biosecurity Security from transmission of infectious diseases, parasites, and pests  Buy from reputable breeders.  Know the health status of the animals you are purchasing.  Maintain a closed herd.  Limit showing/ exhibiting.  Isolate new animals for at least 30 days.

3. Biosecurity Reduce transmission of infectious diseases, parasites, and pests  Don’t loan or share or bucks.*  Don’t breed does for other producers.*  Do not mix your animals with other people’s animals.*  Don’t share equipment unless it is disinfected after each use.  Limit access to your farm/animals.  Control cat, dog, bird, and rodent populations. *Unless the other farm/animals have equal health status.

4. Health problems of goats  Udder disorders  Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis  Caseous Lymphadenitis  Floppy Kid Syndrome  Johne’s Disease

5. Mastitis  What is a normal udder? Uniformly soft and symmetric Temperature is same as rest of body No swelling or pain Teats are thin and uniform, milk easily  Examine milk for: Color Consistency Clots, flakes

6. Diagnosis of mastitis  Physical signs Uneven udder Udder is hot, swollen, or painful Sick, off feed, fever Reduced milk production May be no outward signs

7. General types of mastitis  Acute  Bluebag  Sub-clinical  Chronic

8. Acute mastitis  Udder is hot, swollen, painful  Udder may be hard  Milk is abnormal (clots, flakes, watery)  Reduced milk production  Goat may be sick and have a fever  May have a stiff gait  Can be fatal

9. Blue bag  Mastitis caused by Staph. aureus or Pasteurella  Up to 80% die  Udder is initially red and hot then turns blue and cold  Milk is watery, brown  May slough ½ of udder

10. Sub-clinical mastitis  Very common  May be difficult to detect without CMT  Udder may be firm  May be occasional clots, flakes  Reduced milk production

11. Chronic mastitis  It is 15 to 40 times more prevalent than the clinical form.  It usually precedes the clinical form.  It is of long duration.  It is difficult to detect.  It reduces milk production.  It adversely affects milk quality. Firm, non- painful udder  Career counseling

12. Diagnosis of mastitis  Testing California mastitis test  pH  Cells  0, Trace or 1+ is normal  Compare halves of udder Somatic cell count (inaccurate)  <500,000 is normal (1M reg. limit)  Much higher at end of lactation Milk culture  Technique  Staph. epidermidis most common

13. California Mastitis Test

14. Treatment of mastitis  Frequent stripping out  Oxytocin  Antibiotics Intramammary (1/2 tube)  Today  Spectromast  Pirsue

15. Treatment of mastitis  Sick goats need systemic treatment! Systemic antibiotics  Penicillin G, Naxcel, LA-200, Gallimycin Anti-inflammatory therapy Fluids

16. Mastitis prevention  Hygiene Clean, dry, comfortable environment  Maintain milking equipment Avoid excessive vacuum Properly working pulsators Properly fitting liners  Proper milking routine (teat dip)  Good nutrition  Clip udder hair  CMT monthly  Treat ALL does at dry-off

17. Caseous lymphadenitis (CL or CLA) cheesy gland, boils, abscesses  Usually external abscesses in skin or lymph nodes.  Pus in external abscess is initially pale green.  Usually affects animals > 6 months of age.  Lives in soil for >1year Caused by Corynbacterium (Actinomyces) pseudotuberculosis Zoonotic potential - ???

18. Caseous lymphadenitis  Diagnosis Culture of organism Necropsy Blood test  Treatment Complete surgical excision is best Isolate for treatment-do not open in environment of other goats If draining- flush with Nolvasan or iodine Cull

19. Caseous lymphadenitis (CL or CLA) cheesy gland, abscesses, boils  Controlling/eradicating CLA Identify and cull affected animals Avoid skin injuries Practice good hygiene. Purchase from CLA-free flocks/herds. Vaccination can reduce severity of disease.  Do not vaccinate naïve herds Caused by bacteria Corynbacterium pseudotuberculosis

20. Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE)  Retroviral infection Only 25% will ever show signs (38- 81% positive)  Joint swelling/arthritis in goats >6 mo.  Encephalitis in 2-4 mo. kids  Pneumonia and mastitis in adults

21. Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE)  CAE virus is primarily transmitted to kids through colostrum and milk.  Contact transmission is rare, but possible.  Diagnosis- blood test after 6 months of age  No treatment or vaccine is available.

22. Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE)  Prevention and control Pasteurize colostrum (133 F for 60 min) Feed pasteurized milk (165 F for 15 sec)  Milk positive does last  Quarantine and test new additions w/i 60 days  Disinfect equipment  Cannot eradicate w/o culling positives

23. Johne’s Disease paratuberculosis  Cattle, sheep, and goat strains  Fecal-oral transmission  Young animals most susceptible  Symptoms Only 5% show signs within a herd at a given time No signs until 2-7 years old Animals w/o signs are still a source of infection Chronic weight loss Precipitated by stress Profuse, watery diarrhea in terminal stages Caused by bacteria Mycobacterium anium spp. paratuberculosis Victoria, Australia Small intestine Ohio State Universitywww.johnes.org

24. Johne’s Disease  Difficult to diagnose Fecal culture (40-60%) Blood test-good when clinical signs present  No treatment.  Difficult to control.  Prevention Maintain a closed flock/herd Cull offspring of infected animals Sanitation Be careful with cow colostrum Test annually Theoretical link to Crohn’s disease in people. Ohio State Univ. Small intestine

25. Floppy kid syndrome First documented in 1987  Affects kids between 3 and 10 days of age (normal at birth)  Most common late in kidding season.  Causes muscle weakness, ataxia.  Cause unknown, but suspected to be gastro- intestinal, a metabolic acidosis.  Treat with sodium bicarbonate and supportive therapy.

26. Questions, comments Questions????