The following content is all about Goat Diseases and their control measures.
Introduction To Goat Diseases:- Goat farming business is an evergreen livestock business and commercially successful in most parts of the world. Goats are the best animals when it comes to disease resistance. However, one should be aware of these diseases before setting up a goat farm. Controlling various diseases is a major task in any livestock rearing business including goats. If the goat diseases outbreak on your farm, you are ending up with huge losses. Because of this reason and to be successful in the commercial goat farming business, one should be careful and take care of goats on the farm by controlling these diseases. There is more chance of getting or spreading goat diseases when we rear more goats in one place with an insufficiency of pasture facilities, and with an intensive goat farming system.
Health management should be practiced throughout the life cycle of goat farming. Worm load is the one you should be carrying as part of this. Baby goats or goat kids should be given deworming in the first month of birth and then once a month up to 6 months. Apart from this, eco to-parasites must be treated as this not only affect the growth of the animals and also affect the skin quality of goats. It is recommended to have a veterinary doctor handy who can visit your farm on weekly basis or whenever needed for finding any abnormalities and treating them on time as well as providing required vaccinations.
Goat Diseases and Control Measures:- There are mainly 4 types of goat diseases found in the goat rearing business.
Bacterial Diseases.
Viral Diseases.
Endo-parasitic diseases.
Ecto-parasitic diseases.
Let us discuss diseases and their symptoms along with control measures in the next section.
Goat Diseases – Bacterial:
Pneumonia in Goats: This disease has a lot of impact on goat health. The following are the symptoms and control measures of Pneumonia disease in goats.
Symptoms
Mucous discharge from nostril.
High fever.
Cough.
Respiratory distress.
Expect less feed intake.
Weight gain.
Control Measures
Ensure Good ventilation and airflow in the goat shed.
Provide clean water.
avoid any contaminated feed.
Anthrax in Goats:
Symptoms
Sudden high fever and death.
Dark color bloody discharge from the nose.
Control Measures
Vaccination once a year in the affected areas should be practiced.
Dispose of dead goat (carcass) either by burying or burning.
Don’t open the carcass as the germ spread through the air.
Brucellosis in Goats:
Symptoms
Possible abortions in goats during late pregnancy.
Infertility of goats.
Scrotal swelling in male goats.
Joint swelling of goats.
Control Measures
You should dispose of the dead fetus and placenta.
You must use gloves or any other hand protection while handling infected parts of animals as it may affect humans.
Haemorrhagic Septicemia in Goats:
Symptoms
Can cause a high fever.
Dysentery (Gastroenteritis that results in diarrhea with blood).
Swelling of lower mandible and death.
The possibility of occurrence is more in the rainy season.
Control Measures
Vaccination should be carried out once a year before the onset of monsoon (rainy season).
Enterotoxaemia in Goats:
Symptoms
May cause sudden death in young growing baby goats.
Mucous diarrhea may also be seen during the death of goats.
Control Measures
Must vaccinate the goats on the farm once a year before the onset of rains (usually in the last week or June first week).
Avoid any feeding of young green grass.
Mastitis in Goats:
Symptoms
Can cause swelling of the udder.
May cause change in milk.
Control Measures
Clean the goat house with a disinfectant solution.
Wash the udder with disinfectant solution.
Keep the shed floor always dry and clean.
Footrot in Goats:
Symptoms
This disease can cause wounds in the foot region.
Control Measures
As a preventive measure, make sure the goat shed is clean and dry.
Never keep the animals wet and they should be dry.
Goat Diseases – Viral:
PPR (Peste Des Petits Ruminants) in Goats: The disease is mainly caused by “Moribillivirus of Paramyxoviridae family”.
Symptoms
Can cause high fever in any stage of goats.
Can cause ocular and nasal mucous discharge.
Can cause mouth lesion.
Can cause respiratory distress.
Can cause pregnant goats to abort.
Control Measures
You must vaccinate all the animals in the shed once a year.
Isolate the infected goats from the flock until it has been treated.
This disease may spread in a flock through newly purchased sick animals from the market. So never mix the new animals with already existing goats in the shed.
Goats should not be allowed for grazing.
Goat pox in Goats:
Symptoms
Can cause fever in animals.
Can cause Ocular and nasal mucous discharge.
Can cause respiratory distress.
Can cause pox lesion in un hairy parts. (like lips, thigh udder).
Control Measures
Provide goat pox vaccination once a year on all animals in the shed.
Isolate infected herds and sick goats for at least 30 to 45 days after recovery.
Keep the goat house clean and dry and make sure to provide fresh and clean water daily.
Contact your veterinary doctor for possible treatment.
FMD in Goats (Foot and Mouth Disease):
Symptoms
Can cause a high fever.
Can cause wound lesion in the mouth and foot.
Can cause excess salivary secretion.
Expect difficulty in walking of goat.
Control Measures
As a preventive measure, 1st vaccination should be given at the third month and then once in 5 to 6 months intervals.
Goat Diseases – Endo-parasitic:
Tapeworm in Goats:
Symptoms
Can result in reduced growth.
Can cause fever.
Can result in goat kid mortality.
Control Measures
It is recommended to Deworm all the goats periodically.
Roundworm in Goats:
Symptoms
Can cause high fever in animals.
Can cause anemia in goats.
Can cause edema in the lower jaw.
Expect reduced growth.
Control Measures
Should carry out deworming in all the goats periodically.
Coccidiosis in Goats:
Symptoms
Can cause bloody tinged brownish diarrhea.
Can cause anemia.
Can expect goat kids mortality.
Control Measures
Make sure to clean the shed and keep it dry.
Spraying of 10% ammonia solution is recommended.
Administration of anticoccidial drugs is recommended.
Separate the sick goats from the group.
Fluke Infection in Goats:
Symptoms
Can cause emaciation.
Can cause anemia.
Can cause edema in the lower jaws of goats.
Control Measures
As a preventive measure control of snails.
Should avoid grazing in the early morning and late evening.
Deworming of all the goats in the shed should be carried out periodically.
Goat Diseases – Ecto-parasitic infestations:
Tick and lice in Goats:
Symptoms
Can cause reduced growth.
Can cause skin allergy and wounds.
Control Measures
Keep the goat house clean and dry.
Goat Diseases – Other Problems in Goats:
Bloating and Indigestion: Usually, bloating in goats occurs when they consume young leaves, grasses or shrubs, rotten fruits and vegetables (like potatoes, brinjal, etc..), some cereals feed. Bloating in goats can cause diarrhea and dysentery which can lead to animal death. As first aid, you can carefully administer the vegetable oil of 50 to 75 ml orally to control this. You must seed veterinary doctor help immediately. Mainly providing low-quality feed, fungal contaminated feed to the goats causes indigestion. However, change of feed may also cause indigestion.
Other General Preventive Measures of Goat Diseases:
Proper drainage in the goat should is required.
Should sprinkle copper sulfate near water bodies to control fluke infection.
It is always recommended to avoid the early morning and late evening grazing methods.
Make sure clean and fresh water is available 24×7.
Isolate the infected goats from healthy ones until they got treated.
Never mix newly bought goats with old goats in the shed.
In case of any death of a goat, proper disposal should be done.
Rotational grazing should be carried out to control any infections
Other things to Consider in Goat Diseases Control:
You must follow the recommended vaccination schedule. You can get this from your vet.
If you find any reduced feed intake, fever, abnormal discharge, or unusual behavior, immediately contact a veterinary professional for help.
You must carry out the De-worming process regularly.
More attention should be given to pregnant goats and newborn goat kids.
Breeding male goats should also be protected from these diseases.
Avoid overcrowd of goats and make sure they have enough and comfortable space to move around for feed and water.
Never allow goats to feed on other goat leftovers.
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