# meningeal worms



## ChksontheRun (Nov 25, 2011)

Just wondering if any of you all have had success treating Meningeal worms in your goats.  I noticed one of our goats acting a little bit lame last week after hoof trimming.  I just watched it and it didnt seem to get much worse.  This past week has been very busy at work and I really did not see the goats in daylight.  Today, I took thanksgiving visitors to the barn to feed the goats and our poor Amber was very weak in her hind end.  She does not seem in pain, and has a good appetite, she is just very weak.  I called the vet who believes it is meningeal worms.  She gave me banamine, and a dose of Bose just in case.  Then I gave a good strong dose of Ivermectin and Panacure which she says is very effective here for them.  This is our best milker, and a very sweet goat.  I am so worried about her and just hope she pulls through.  I would love to hear about anyone elses experience with this parasite as many of the web sites are very discouraging.  I believe she is bred, and wonder if she is going to loose the kid(s).  And if she does pull through, will she always be weak, in otherwords, will she be able to deliver....... UGH.


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## elevan (Nov 25, 2011)

I've never had to deal with it.  I'm very sorry that you have to.  My thoughts are with you and Amber.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 25, 2011)

Unfortunately, your best chance was when you first saw her lame. But you can certainly try. Do Panacur at 1cc per 7lbs for 5 days. Depending on how fast you treat depends on how well they recover. Only time will tell. I hope your girl pulls through.


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## ChksontheRun (Nov 25, 2011)

She is still up walking and eating.  Seems ever so slightly better, probably due to the Banamine.  Is there anything else that I should be thinking of.  We poured concrete in the milking area of the barn today so the barn will actually be a little warmer tonight due to the curing of the concrete.  They are all tucked in for the night.  Guess I will see what tomorrow brings.  So my question now is, if we are successful in treating the worms, will I see her improve, or will that take time.  How will I know we are successful......  Please, any experiences would be an encouragement.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 25, 2011)

It takes a long time for improvement. My experience is with alpacas but I would think I would see the same thing in a goat. You know you are successful if she lives. Only time will tell what damage has been done.


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## Roll farms (Nov 25, 2011)

We had a doe w/ meningeal worm.  Even though I'd dealt w/ it in a llama, I (stupidly) didn't realize that was her problem until she'd gotten in pretty bad shape.  
She couldn't walk at all at the end (if we stood her back end up, it just fell back over) and despite treatment for a few weeks, she didn't improve.  
We put Hillary down last winter.  Diagnosis was confirmed by the vet w/ a post.
That's not much encouragement, but it's all I've got.

Every goat will respond differently to treatment, and it certainly won't hurt to try, as KSal said.  It sounds like your vet is on the ball and has prescribed a good course of treatment.  Good luck.


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## autumnprairie (Nov 26, 2011)

Hope you get a quick recovery


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## ChksontheRun (Nov 27, 2011)

So far so good.  She has not gone down completely yet we even had difficulty catching her yesterday which I take as a good sign.  She does not enjoy getting her medicine...  She is definitely weak in her hind quarters, but still walking and running when she needs to.  The LGD's are taking very good care of her and were even unhappy with me when I had to catch her yesterday.  Her best buddy Uhoh will not leave her side and keeps rubbing up against her.  It is very sweet, and I know Uhoh will be devastated if she goes as they are VERY bonded.  

Very interesting when a goat in the little herd is ill, they all seem to rally around.(Of course I am inluding the LGDs in the "herd"


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## SheepGirl (Nov 27, 2011)

We had two ewes get meningeal worms. Both did not survive.

I am sorry you have to deal with it with your doe.


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## honeyb12 (Nov 27, 2011)

What are the symptoms of these worms.. And what can be done to prevent them..?


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## that's*satyrical (Nov 27, 2011)

I know slugs are carriers. You are supposed to try to keep your water bins from overflowing to help prevent slugs. All the horror stories I've read I'm about to toss my chickens into the goat pens to eat all the slugs...Thinking of salting the goat pens after all this rain lol.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Nov 27, 2011)

Meningeal worms suck big time. 

 We have had 1 goat with them and a friend had one of her does catch it. 


Ours was treated and we thought she was ok but in May she went down hard and fast and we had her put down.   I would not consider your girl out of the woods for at least a full year and would consider retreating in 2-3 months just in case.


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## Stacykins (Nov 27, 2011)

that's*satyrical said:
			
		

> I know slugs are carriers. You are supposed to try to keep your water bins from overflowing to help prevent slugs. All the horror stories I've read I'm about to toss my chickens into the goat pens to eat all the slugs...Thinking of salting the goat pens after all this rain lol.


Actually, I think you're on to something with the chickens. When I got my chickens, letting them free range actually really helped with the tick population here (meaning I wasn't pulling ticks off myself or the dogs (frontlined to boot) huge decrease in tick numbers). And I know they adore they're squishy slug snacks when they find them. Though I bet the downside is chicken poop in the goat pens, which can help spread coccidosis, I think.


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## that's*satyrical (Nov 27, 2011)

I think cocci are breed specific. So chickens don't carry the kind that infect goats. They may carry other parasites though, I don't know.


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## autumnprairie (Nov 27, 2011)

I believe cocci is animal specific but you need to feed chickens away from goats as laying pellets have urea in it and it is toxic to goats.
My goats love my chickens but Molly LGD is to young and likes to play with the chickens.   I would put them back together again.


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## poorboys (Nov 30, 2011)

i think i have one with it, she hadn't look like herself for a few days, this moring when i went out to feed she was down, i had to drag her in a stall, she could't get up on back legs. gave her ivermec, probios and vit b shot. but just overnite she looks like a skelton and she was weighing 165. i'm at a lost here.


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## ksalvagno (Nov 30, 2011)

If your goat has meningeal worm, then they also need Safeguard/Panacur dosed at 1cc per 7 lbs given for 5 days. There is something about the safeguard working better when a goat actually has meningeal worm. Ivomec is the prevention but you should also give them a shot when they have it. I would also give them a dose of Banamine once a day for 3 days.

Unfortunately with Meningeal Worm, you have to catch it early. You get a better prognosis if you catch it when they are limping or back end looks a little weak. When they are down and are having trouble using their back end, it has progressed pretty far and there is spinal cord damage. While you can possibly have a good outcome, the permanent damage really depends on how fast you treated. Learned years ago from a fellow alpaca breeder that if you see any type of limping on the back end and don't know why, treat for meningeal worm. She lost an alpaca because they were treating for an injury and by the time they figured out it was M Worm, treatment didn't work.

Slugs and snails are carriers. I know I don't have to worry in my barn but they are all over your pastures. If your goats are out in pasture, then that is probably where they are picking it up. If your shelters are out in the pasture, then you probably do have to worry about it in the shelter area. M Worm is mainly seen in the fall/ early winter but can be seen any time of the year. Prevention is Ivomec given by injection every 30 days. If you want to just give it during peak infection time, then do it September through December or January. I'm sure chickens can help but all you need is one slug or snail that is a carrier that the goat happens to ingest while grazing.


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