Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Enterotoxemia (Overeating Disease):
Clostridium perfringens
(type C and type D) cause
this disease. Type C is seen primarily in young goats and causes a bloody diarrhea or sudden
death. Type D (also known as overeating disease) affects weaned goats that are being fed high
amounts of grains or that have an abrupt switch from a no- or low-grain diet to a high-grain
diet. Affected goats usually are found dead without other signs. Others will appear to have a
severe case of painful diarrhea. Treatment is with an antitoxin and supportive care. Prevention
is through vaccinating pregnant does before breeding and three to four weeks before delivery.
In adult animals, the symptoms are depression, intoxication, and poor coordination; in kids, it
often just manifests as sudden death.
Bloating:
Bloating occurs when a foreign object blocks the esophagus, and the goat cannot
burp up the digestive gases in its rumen or when rapid eating or overeating of concentrated
feed or damp green clover produces fermented foam in the rumen. Bloating in a kid is caused
by faulty milk digestion. The left side of the goat bulges out, and the goat is obviously in pain.
The expanding rumen restricts lung function and can cause respiratory failure. Bloat is poten-
tially fatal.
To treat for bloating, remove the blockage from the esophagus by locating it from the outside
and massaging it downwards. If the bloat appears to be the result of fermenting foam, instill a
foam-destroying preparation such as vegetable oil or silicone from the vet. You also can stim-
ulate the goat to produce and swallow more saliva by running a string gently back and forth
through its mouth. Saliva breaks down the foam. As a last resort, you can release pressure by
puncturing a hole in the rumen with a tool called a trochar or with a pen knife. However, this
will bring only minor relief for bloat caused by fermenting foam in the rumen. This only
should be done in emergencies when you cannot reach a veterinarian and the goat appears to
be in dire straits, as it can result in an infection.
Acid rumen:
Acid rumen occurs if a goat rapidly ingests a large quantity of sugar-rich food,
such as bread, sugar beets, or concentrated food. The goat seems apathetic, hangs its head,
and looks as though it is drunk. Bloating also can occur. To treat acid rumen, supply the goat
with plenty of water. If the goat cannot stand up, call the veterinarian immediately.
Store concentrated food where it is secure from goats, and feed sugar-rich foods to them in
gradually increasing quantities so they can become accustomed to it.
Foot scald:
Foot scald is a moist, raw infection of the tissue between the toes. It is caused
when
Fusobacterium necrophorum
, a bacterium that thrives in soil and manure, invades a
