MASTER MEAT GOAT PRODUCERS HEALTH CHAPTER Dr. Janet Bailey UT-Martin Dr. Fred Hopkins UT-Knoxville Health Chapter Introduction/Biosecurity Identifying common diseases Parasites (internal and external) Prevention Problems during kidding Summary.
Download ReportTranscript MASTER MEAT GOAT PRODUCERS HEALTH CHAPTER Dr. Janet Bailey UT-Martin Dr. Fred Hopkins UT-Knoxville Health Chapter Introduction/Biosecurity Identifying common diseases Parasites (internal and external) Prevention Problems during kidding Summary.
MASTER MEAT GOAT PRODUCERS HEALTH CHAPTER Dr. Janet Bailey UT-Martin Dr. Fred Hopkins UT-Knoxville Health Chapter Introduction/Biosecurity Identifying common diseases Parasites (internal and external) Prevention Problems during kidding Summary Introduction and Biosecurity Health problems are an ongoing concern for the producer Prevention is generally more cost-effective than treatment after a problem occurs Biosecurity is the most cost effective form of disease prevention Health problems = economic loss Death of the animal is, of course, an economic loss Majority of diseases, however, cause the most economic loss through: Cost incurred by labor/medicine Less growth or milk production Animal that do not die, but never really recover Cost of constant/intermittent treatment Prematurely culled Spread disease to the rest of the herd Management program = herd health program = biosecuriy A healthy herd does not “just happen” from vaccinating and deworming, but results from a farm management program that makes disease LESS likely to become established and cause problems Biosecurity Management procedures to keep disease out of the herd and from Spreading within the herd External Biosecurity: Keeping diseases off the farm Internal biosecurity: Keeping diseases from spreading within the farm once the disease arrives External biosecurity MOST diseases are brought in by newly purchased animals BUT Disease can also be brought in by: PEOPLE Newly purchased animals should be: From a disease free herd with a good health program and records Isolated from the rest of the herd for 30 days Vaccinated so that they will have some immunity before entering the herd Tested for intestinal parasites through FEC/FAMACHA which we will talk about later Tested for other diseases by blood sampling People should be: Asked about where they were before they came to your farm because diseases can be carried on Clothes Footwear Truck/car tires. It is not wise to let other trucks/vehicles on your pastures Internal biosecurity Animals within the herd People and pests Equipment Nutrition Health products Animals within the herd Good idea to have a pasture or pen system that keeps young, weaned animals away from the adults Isolation pens should be available for sick and newly arrived animals People and pests People, mice, pigeons, etc. can spread disease from one group to another Pest control plus a secure feed room Caretakers should contact young animals first and sick animals last and use common sense about handling all animals Equipment Clean and disinfect reused syringes and needles Feeders and waterers used by sick animals should be disinfected before use by well animals Stock trailers should be cleaned out between uses Disinfect. Remember, equipment must be clean before it can be disinfected. Chlorahexidene or bleach solution (1:10 dilution) Nutrition Well nourished animals tend to be healthy animals, while poorly nourished ones are more likely to get sick and more difficult to treat successfully. Deficiencies or imbalances in dietary energy, protein, zinc, calcium, selenium, copper and others have all been associated with health problems. Health Products Watch extra-label use Watch expiration date Store vaccines correctly (36 to 42 F) Do you know the temperature of your refrigerator? Common goat diseases seen in TN Disease Clinical vs. Subclinical Some signs of disease or illness Coughing, sneezing, limping Not eating, breathing hard, etc. No appetite, may separate themselves from the herd Normal parameters Normal physical parameters of adult goats Temperature 102-104 degrees F Ruminations 1-2 per minute Pulse 70-90 beats per minute Respiration 15-30 breaths per minute Remember The normal values tend to be higher in kids Temperature can increase due to stress or environmental conditions Assess goat’s behavior when evaluating normals. For example, if he/she is breathing hard, coughing, and has a runny nose, and a temperature of 104 F on a cool day and other goat’s temps. are running around 102 F – you’ve got a problem. Common diseases Before discussing common diseases, some points to remember: Some diseases look very similar in their clinical presentation Some diseases are zoonotic a.k.a we can get them Some diseases may require “off-label” or extralabel drug use to treat effectively Work with your veterinarian in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease Common diseases Bloat Caprine Arthritis – Encephalitis Contagious Ecthyma Footrot, Foot scald Listeriosis Overeating Disease Pneumonia Polioenceph. Founder and Scrapie included in chapter, but not in lecture Parasites Bloat symptoms Abdominal distension, usu. on left side, but depending on severity, can be on both sides Colic signs Anxiety Stomping their feet Urinating frequently Respiratory distress Recumbency Death Bloat treatments Gas bloat: passage of a stomach tube USING SOME TYPE OF GUARD OR SPECULUM into the rumen and relieving the gas Frothy bloat: cooking oil or mineral oil at a dose of 100cc to 200cc OR one ounce of dioctyl sodium sulfosucinnate Problems that may occur if treatment is initiated by an inexperienced individual Prevention Caprine Arthritis – Encephalitis general information Viral infection May affect joints, lungs, brain, and mammary glands Most efficient way of transmission is through kid ingesting dam’s colostrum Once a goat has CAE, it always has CAE Signs of infection may not be visible for months to years Arthritic/Neurological/Other Forms (chapter goes in detail about each form) CAE treatment No specific treatment For arthritic form, the treatment goal is to lesson the animal’s discomfort Regular/proper foot trimming Pain relievers Good bedding and pasture management REMEMBER, the goat you are treating is a source of infection to all other goats in your herd Prevention/Eradication Prevention is complicated Eradication is labor intensive Prevention Try to purchase goats from known CAEnegative herds Isolate new animals Testing and culling of all positive animals should eradicate the virus from the herd Caseous Lymphadenitis Swelling and abscessation of the superficial lymph nodes Cheesy, pasty substance in abscess which may have draining tracts Most animals will act completely normal in every other way If abscessation occurs in internal lymph nodes, one may see pneumonia and/or chronic weight loss CL treatment Drain or surgically remove abscess nodes Three important points to remember The material from the abscess can survive in the environment for a long time and is infective to other goats so make sure pus is disposed of correctly This disease is zoonotic meaning the material contains bacteria which may also infect people so make sure you wear gloves Culling the animal may be the easiest/smartest way to go. Contagious Ecthyma Sore, scabby mouth,Orf Small papules that progress to crusty scabs Scabs may be seen on lips (most common), face, coronary band, teats, scrotum, vulva, and ears Lesions usually go away on their own in two to four weeks Young goats may acquire a secondary bacterial infection which may cause sufficient pain to cease nursing. Also watch adult females nursing young. If lesions are located on teats and sore, she may not let the young nurse Treatment Depends on severity of the lesions, degree of secondary bacterial infection and location of the lesions This is a ZOONOTIC disease – WEAR GLOVES Antibiotic treatment for secondary bacterial treatment, if needed Udder salves Watch for mastitis (rare) Not routinely treated because lesions regress, zoonotic potential, most animals recover quickly Prevention Foot rot and foot scald general information Contagious, bacterial infection of the soft tissue between the toes of the hoof Foot scald is a milder form of the disease that often precedes foot rot Common in Tennessee because of climate and weather Usually more common in the spring and early summer, but may occur any time of the year Symptoms Depending on severity of infection, a goat my have a slight limp to a pronounced lameness to refusing to walk at all Swelling, redness and pus are seen in the interdigital space It is not uncommon for more than one foot to be infected Treatment Antibiotics: systemic, topical applications, footbaths (goats don’t appreciate footbaths) Proper care and trimming of the hoof: 1)removes dead tissue allowing penetration of antibiotic preparation 2)correct any overgrowth or abnormalities causing extra pressure on the interdigital space or predisposing to injury Treatment (cont.) Environmental control: Once treated, animals should not be kept in a wet or muddy environment Re-check animals and re-treat, if necessary Prevention: buy disease free animals, regular foot care, vaccination Listeriosis/ general information Bacterial disease that my infect several species, including humans Organism can survive for years in the environment May be shed from apparently healthy goats Most commonly seen when feeding silage and/or round bales, but can occur in goats on pasture Listeriosis symptoms Most common in animals 6 months of age or older Variety of signs Simple depression and a failure to eat Progresses to dropped jaw, inability to retract tongue and eat Move in one direction continuously (circling) Recumbency +/- Fever Discoloration and problems with eyes (nystagmus) Treatment/Prevention – It’s zoonotic Overeating disease/general information Caused by bacterium Clostridium perfringes Bacteria live in soil and intestinal tract These bacteria can cause disease when 1) conditions are right for their multiplication and 2) the normal movement of the intestines slow down, allowing foodstuff to pass through slowly Conditions that favor disease Goats that have not been acclimated to green pastures are allowed in lush, fast-growing pastures or cereal crops Heavy grain feeding or heavy milk access Any illness that actually slows down the intestinal tract Symptoms In kids, one may see death with no signs of sickness before hand One may also see: High temperatures, signs of colic, watery diarrhea Ataxia (wobbly, acting drunk) Recumbancy Convulsions/comas Symptoms As animals become older, signs are not as severe. Animals may be sick for several days to several weeks. These animals are often off feed with severe diarrhea that comes and goes Treatment Antibiotics Antitoxin Supportive care Prevention VACCINATE Good feeding practices. Always change diet slowly Pneumonia/general information Caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, etc. Management practices that predispose goats to pneumonia Clinical signs Treatment Prevention Polioencephalomalacia Result of low thiamine levels in the body Rumen bacteria usually produce enough thiamine for the body, but under certain conditions, the environment of the rumen is altered and the production of thiamine decreases, as does uptake of thiamine by the body. Certain conditions that cause decrease thiamine production/uptake Sudden changes in the feed Moldy feeds and use of feeds high in molasses Excessive concentrate feeding Stress of weaning High dietary sulfur content Overdosing of certain drugs PE symptoms Weanlings and young adults appear more susceptible Elevation of the head while standing Staring off into space or blindness, circling Excitability and wandering aimlessly If not treated, goats usually die in 24-72 hours PE treatment Thiamine If treatment is not initiate in time, goats may have residual blindness, decreased mental capacity, and residual neurological signs Supportive care PE Prevention Avoid factors that cause PE Avoid sudden dietary changes and moldy feeds Do not use feeds high in molasses Increased roughage and decreased concentrate feeding Good quality, free-choice mineral Free access to good quality forage Supplementation of the grain ration with thiamine or brewer’s yeast Prevention (cont) If weanlings are involved, make sure they are consuming sufficient roughage before weaning so that normal rumen flora development occurs. Parasites Barber pole worm and Brown Stomach worm Meningeal worm Coccidia Lice and Mites Ringworm “Barber Pole Worm” and “Brown Stomach Worm” One of most important problems facing TN goat producers Barber Pole Worm is a leading cause of death in goat herd. Brown Stomach worm mostly causes loss of production Resistance to common dewormers becoming more and more frequent Life Cycle Female worms inside the goat lay eggs. Eggs are passed in goats’ stool onto pasture Eggs can hatch in as little as one day or as long as more than a month depending on the weather Once egg hatches, larva begins to mature. This may take a few days to a week. Arrested development may occur depending on weather conditions Life Cycle (cont.) When conditions are right, larva will leave manure and climb up nearby blades of grass Larva will travel no more than 12” from the manure to the blade of grass. Larvae can live up to 6 months Will climb less than 4” up that blade of grass When goat eats larva, larva travels to goat’s digestive system and begins to reproduce Complete life cycle may be repeated in as little as 17 to 21 days What are some common signs that you may have these worms? Decreased appetite Diarrhea Weight loss Can also see bottle jaw Pale mucus membranes Dead goats Risk factors for both worms Overcrowding of pastures Inadequate nutrition Favorable weather conditions (for the worms) Kidding Younger goats Unhealthy goats Remember Goats are stoic animals that don’t necessarily show signs of sickness until it may be too late. Goats can go from appearing normal to being near death very quickly. The most common result of worm infestation is loss of productivity including milk production and growth. Some guidelines to decrease parasite burden Isolation/previous history Nutrition Pasture rotation Stocking density Judicial use of dewormers Know when it’s time to cull Health chapter goes in much more detail Points to remember in isolation Make sure you check the goat over when it arrives. Isolate from herd at least 4 weeks Look for lumps, bumps, pale gums, soremouth or any abnormalities. Perform a fecal egg count and deworm, if needed. Perform a fecal egg count again in 7 to 10 days to make sure your dewormer did the job. The count should have decreased by 90%. If this goat has resistant worms, contact your veterinarian to help you with different types of dewormers and dosages. Check goats regularly for any signs of disease and keep isolation pens as clean as possible and soiled bedding removed At the end of the isolation period, if the goat has shown no signs of disease, we have successfully dewormed the animal, we turn it out with our herd. It wouldn’t hurt to do one last fecal egg count. Isolation pen/pens where goat/goats were kept should be cleaned and disinfected with all bedding removed and placed away from further animal contact. Nutrition: common sense Pasture rotation: refer to various chapters in MGP handbook Stocking density: experts have said anywhere to two to six goats per acre in TN Dewormers: also check with FEC and/or FAMACHA Cull goats that are continuously “wormy.” Fecal Egg Counting (FEC) Relatively simply, relatively accurate lab test Makes parasite control decisions easier When to deworm Whether parasite resistance to dewormers exist Which animals are more susceptible to worms How Many to Sample? If less than 8 in the herd, do all If 8 to 50, do at least 8 and 10 is better If more than 50, do 10% or at least 15 FEC is often used with FAMACHA testing Taking Samples Manure samples should be less than 24 hours old, from a known animal and put in a marked ziplock bag. It is best to take the sample from the goat’s rectum. Sample should be refrigerated (less than 7 days) and not frozen until they can be tested At least 4 pellets per sample Procedure for FEC Mix 28 cc of FEC solution with enough pellets to make 30 cc total Mix and Strain Solution Fill McMaster Slide Chambers Completely.Avoid Bubbles Count all the Eggs in Both Sides of the Slide Interpretation Multiply eggs counted by 50. Consider deworming if counts are above 1000 in the spring and summer or 2000 in the fall and winter Resample 7 to 10 days after deworming later. If the dewormer is effective counts should be reduced by at least 90 % Animals with persistently high counts should be culled Using the FAMACHA System What is FAMACHA? The FAMACHA system involves regularly checking the mucous membranes around to goat’s eye for paleness associated with anemia due to blood loss to determine which goat needs deworming when. A minority of goats are a majority of the problem Advantages of FAMACHA Goats most susceptible to worms can be identified and culled Less dewormer is used and so dewormer resistance develops slower Less resistant goats pass most of the worm eggs on the pasture. Deworming these goats is almost as effective as deworming all. With good records, problem pastures and situations can be identified. Disadvantages of FAMACHA Requires purchase of a card, some training, attention to detail and good records Is only useful for H. contortus infestations and not other worms or other causes of anemia You must know for sure which dewormers are effective in the herd. You must have an effective herd and pasture management plan in effect. Using the FAMACHA System Use the modified McMaster or similar system, determine which wormers work well Examine goats every 2 to 3 weeks in the spring and summer and every 4 to 6 weeks in the fall and winter. Examine the young and heavily pregnant does more often. Push up on upper eyelid and down on lower one to expose mucous membranes Compare what you see to the FAMACHA chart Record the goat’s identification and FAMACHA Score , Deworm the 4’s and 5’s if the goats are otherwise healthy. Deworm 3’s if more than 10% of herd is usually dewormed, the goat has other problems, is heavily pregnant or less than 6 months of age. Meningeal worm Commonly found in whitetail deer Deer passes immature form of parasite in their manure manure eaten by snails and slugs goats accidentally eat snail or slug larvae migrates through body of the goat and arrives at spinal cord presence of parasite irritates the covering of the spinal cord clinical signs of disease Clinical signs Early stages: goat is bright, alert, and eating well Signs include itching, weakness, staggering, paralysis, blindness, and death Treatment Subcutaneous injection of ivermectin given at the rate of 2.5cc per 100lbs of body weight once, followed by 1cc once a day for five days Fenbendazole given orally at the rate of 7cc per 100 lbs of body weight Coccidiosis Protozoan parasite If you have goats, you probably have some coccidia Usually occurs in goats at least one month of age Younger kids are more susceptible because of immature immune system Older goats, under stress, are also acceptable Clinical signs Diarrhea Weight loss Poor hair coat Decreased appetite Diarrhea may progress to watery, bloody diarrhea and dehydration Treatment Depends on several factors: Number of animals affected Severity of disease Previous history of the farm Results of previous treatments, if applicable Prevention Sanitation Keep barns clean and free of old bedding Feed off the ground Clean feed troughs Adequate drainage Feed additives Lice and Mites External parasite that live on the goat Both can cause “itchy” goats Can be treated with insecticides or miticides Refer to health chapter for specifics on treatment and prevention Ringworm Fungal infection Usually seen on the face, ears, neck or legs, but may be present anywhere on the body Crusty scabs with hair loss and redness of skin Will heal without treatment in about two months, but because of the unsightly appearance and contamination to both the environment and other herd mates, we treat. It is contagious to humans Fungicide (betadiene, chlorahexidene, etc.) for relatively long periods of time. Prevention Sanitation Keep barns clean and free of old bedding Feed off the ground Clean feed troughs Adequate drainage Feed additives Kidding and Difficult birth in Goats Stages of labor and possible problems in kidding Stage 1 labor: not noticed in some does, but may appear restless and urinate and defecate frequently Stage 2 labor: she is straining. Kidding needs to be completed within 2 hours from the start of straining. Stage 3 labor: passing of the afterbirth. Needs to be passed 6 hours after last kid. If she hasn’t passed it by 12 hrs, she needs to be examined. When do we need to be worried? Reasons: Stage 1 has lasted longer than 12 hours stage 2 has lasted longer than 2 hours Afterbirth is retained Foul odor from vulva Other Examining the doe The vulva should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water and dried Small hands and arms are a definite plus both to the examiner and the doe Use lots of obstetrical lube Avoid movements and manipulations that would cause injury to the doe – be gentle. Birthing difficulties Abnormal presentation of one or more offspring Determine how the kid/s are positioned and try to correct to normal presentation Some helpful hints Raise the rear end of the doe. This allows the kid to move back into the abdomen where there is more room and many problems can be corrected more easily Helpful hints (cont) If head is turned to side: gently pull the mouth to the side and back. This will often straighten out the head Some sort of snare may be used to place in the mouth and the head pulled back Helpful hints (cont.) If leg/s are bent, grab the leg below the first joint you find and move the leg to the outside and then to the back to straighten Make sure that the head and limbs you are working on belong to the SAME kid Once delivery is complete, leave doe and kid/s alone to bond and nurse Prevention of common diseases and summary Principles of prevention Isolation – principles covered in biosecurity and internal parasites Sanitation Nutrition Selective breeding Vaccination Sanitation Keep facilities, watering troughs, feed troughs, etc. as clean and dry as possible Sanitation and disinfection go a long way in helping prevent disease and disease outbreaks Examples of diseases/organisms that thrive in dark, damp places: Listeria, coccidia, foot rot, caseous lymphadenitis (stays in environment for long time) Nutrition An animal that is well nourished will have a stronger immune system and will handle stress better Examples of diseases that are caused by problems with nutrition: Polioencephalomalacia, founder, “overeating disease”, bloat Genetics Healthy goats have healthy goats Just like with parasites, goats that continuously get sick and/or need to be treated need to be culled from the herd. Vaccination Depending on the herd’s history and management practices, this can vary greatly. Example for Clostridial diseases: Vaccinate pregnant does in last month of pregnancy. Bucks and yearlings may be vaccinated at this time, too. Kids (from vaccinated does) need to be vaccinated at 4-6 wks of age and boostered in 3-4 weeks Kids (from unvaccinated does) need to be vaccinated between 1-3 wks of age and then boostered every 2-3 wks for two boosters Summary Hopefully, this section has provided you with useful information in principles of herd health, biosecurity, and common diseases seen in goats and the treatment and prevention of these diseases. Please remember the concepts of isolation, commingling, sanitation, disinfection, nutrition, and vaccination in the prevention of disease. If these concepts are followed, one should see a more profitable and productive herd