# emergancy....nursing momma goat falling leaning to the right



## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

Does anyone know why? What does she need?


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## babsbag (May 11, 2012)

I think you need to give a little more info. Is it the baby or the doe that is sick? 

If it is the kid, how old are they? If it is the doe, how long ago did she kid?

Any fevers? What do you feed?


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## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

The mom is sick and she kidded on the 3rd of April. She had bose on the 6th of april and cdt on the 17th of april. She eats hay and goat chow/alfalfa.


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## elevan (May 11, 2012)

Have you taken her temp?

Any other symptoms?

When you say "falling leaning to the right", do you mean that she is falling to the ground? or stumbling?  Please clarify.


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## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

Mostly stumbling but she has no control she pretty much falls half way usually into the fence. Her nose keeps turning into the right.


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## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

She was just down back end totally...I just seen her get up.


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## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

I just gave her a sub q of 1.5 ml of fortified vitamin b complex. Not sure if will help but I dont think it will hurt.


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## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

Fever 104.1


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## babsbag (May 11, 2012)

These are the 2 things that come to my  mind. I hope I am wrong.

http://www.goatworld.com/articles/listeriosis_gwmf.shtml

http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/listeriosis.html  (gives the dosage for the penicillin)

Listeriosis - caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, found in soil, water, plant litter, silage and goat's digestive tract. Brought on by feeding silage, sudden changes in kind of feed, parasitism, dramatic weather changes and advanced stages of pregnancy. 

Symptoms - Depression, decreased appetite, fever, leaning or stumbling or moving in one direction only, head pulled to flank with rigid neck, facial paralysis on one side, slack jaw, and drooling, abortions. 

Treatment - Administration of Procaine penicillin every six hours for three to five days, then daily for an additional seven days. 

Polioencephalomalcia (Goat Polio) - a Thiamine (Vitamin B 1) deficiency. From improper feeding, particularly feeding too much grain and too little roughage. Symptoms - Excitability, "stargazing", uncoordinated staggering and/or weaving, drunkenness, circling, diarrhea, muscle tremor, head against wall, and apparent blindness. As it progresses, convulsions and high fever may occur, and if untreated, the animal generally dies within 24-72 hours. 

Treatment - Thiamine is the only effective therapy, and treatment can result in improvement in as little as two hours, if the disease is caught early enough. Dosage is related to body weight: Daily treatment for 5 days and then weekly as required. 

I was told once that Vit. B complex does not have enough thiamine it it to help if that is the problem. You would need to find thiamin (B1). I believe it is Rx


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## elevan (May 11, 2012)

I would start pumping the Penicillin into her now.  I'd pull the kids and start bottle feeding too, she doesn't need the added stress of trying to care for them when she's not well enough to do so.


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## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

How many cc penicillin and how often?

I gave her 3cc of penicillin, vit b complex, and 50 cc cal/mag....she seems a tad better. Still won't eat or drink. 

I should probably get some liquid in her too right?


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## elevan (May 11, 2012)

babsbag said:
			
		

> http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/listeriosis.html *(gives the dosage for the penicillin)
> *


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## elevan (May 11, 2012)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> Still won't eat or drink.
> 
> I should probably get some liquid in her too right?


Yes, she needs fluids.  You'll either need to drench (force feed) her with fluids or give SubQ fluids.


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## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

Her flank areas are really really caved in? Why is this?

I gave her 3cc penicillin earlier today.


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## Roll farms (May 11, 2012)

Listeriosis causes partial (one side) paralysis, hence the sunken in sides (can't eat well) and staggering.  
She could also appear 'blind' on the affected side, but that's b/c she can't blink.  Watch to see if the eye gets dried out / ulcerated b/c she can't blink.  Apply antibiotic ointment 2x a day if that happens, and you can flush w/ contact solution to moisten it.

We chopped alfalfa cubes and mixed it w/ oatmeal and molasses and enough water to make it runny to form a slurry and fed it w/ a drenching syringe 3x a day.  You *have* to keep fiber in or the rumen can shut down due to the antibiotics and lack of 'working' on anything to chew up.

Give her 6-8 cc of B vitamin NOW, and again in the morning. 

She will need the Pen G 4x a day (every 6 hrs) for the first 3 days, then 2x a day for 5 more days (at minimum).

If it's listeriosis, the Pen G will help, if it's polio, the B will help, so DO NOT let up on either one.

One way I 'test' is to slowly 'poke' at the eye (both sides) to see if the goat can blink.  That's not fool proof, but it's one way I check them out when I find them staggery / circling.

I would also drench her w/ gatoraide or pedialyte a few times a day.  Keep her 'calm' and away from others (except her baby).  No stress.


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## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

Can I use alfalfa pellets? I can soak them in hot water. 

I dont have oatmeal on hand...not even sure if I have molasses but maybe. 

I just gave her another dose of penicillin but just 6cc. I will repeat with 8 cc in 6 hours. 

I gave her some gatorade and water mixed 50/50. 

I gave 1.5 cc of vitamin b complex earlier today. Your saying to give 6 cc again now again? The bottle says 1cc per 100lbs. 

I will check her eyes now.


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## arabianequine (May 11, 2012)

Oh yeah can you give penicillin sub q? I am confused cause I hear people say you can but then the bottle says IM only. I gave it today all IM but she will get sore there eventually.


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## elevan (May 11, 2012)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> Oh yeah can you give penicillin sub q? I am confused cause I hear people say you can but then the bottle says IM only. I gave it today all IM but she will get sore there eventually.


Yes, it can be given SQ.

Also ignore the dosage on the bottle and use what Roll Farms stated.  The dosage on the bottle is for cattle and goats metabolize differently.


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## arabianequine (May 12, 2012)

The right eye does seem weird. She can blink both eyes but the right one looks swollen on the under eyelid and just like a vacant stare kinda. 

She is not falling and convulsing or whatever she was doing earlier today but still slowly walking in circles....sometimes she will take a few straight steps and then to the right again is the way her circles go. Hard to see her like she was earlier seems a bit better but still not right. 

Still not eating or drinking. I gave her more gatorade and water now. 

I will get her some more vit b complex now and then again in the am. 

I am assuming she is like 125 in weight.


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## Roll farms (May 12, 2012)

Probios.  I knew I was forgetting something.  
Get as much 'fiber' in her as you can until she can eat on her own.  It's been a few years, but I seem to recall w/ treatment my doe was able to eat again w/ in a day or so.  KEEP FIBER IN HER.

Her milk may dry up between the lack of food / stress...keep an eye on the kids to make sure they're getting enough milk, you may have to supplement.

Good luck!


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## arabianequine (May 12, 2012)

A little late like an hour for her next dose of penicillin but she got it IM again 8cc. 

She was able to find her way to the dog house in there with her baby. 

Gave her probably 8 oz of gatorade/water mix. 

I will start the feed today....I lead her to the hay and she is not interested. 

She only has one kid....milk was there earlier last night. I will keep checking today. 

I am gonna give her more cal-mag today another 25 cc today and tomorrow per vet. 

She seems to be feeling a bit better. I dont notice loose stool at all. 

Oh yeah I can get probias in her....what dose? I usually do 10mg for adult goats.

So are either of these things she could have contagious? I read they are and even to humans


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## 20kidsonhill (May 12, 2012)

my only other suggestion would be if she is still off feed through today, I would get way more electrolytes into her and start making drenches for her that have more calories and energy. 

Mollasses
corn oil
corn syrup
Mix the above 3 items, 1 part each, and drench 6 to 8 ounces 2 or 3 times

Propylene glycol 

Nurtridrench

Put a salt lick in her pen, right next to her water. Sometimes this really encourages standing and drinking water. 


Make a slurry with creamed corn and drench.


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## arabianequine (May 12, 2012)

These 3 things together only? 

Mollasses
corn oil
corn syrup
Mix the above 3 items, 1 part each, and drench 6 to 8 ounces 2 or 3 times

or with all these too?

Propylene glycol....I dont know what this is exactly. I have heard if it before though. 

Nurtridrench

Make a slurry with creamed corn and drench


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## 20kidsonhill (May 12, 2012)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> These 3 things together only?
> 
> Mollasses
> corn oil
> ...


Really any of them in any combination is fine.  None of them will hurt her, they are all sources of energy.  

The first three ingredients are commonly mixed together and referred to as Magic drench.  I often alternate different drenches during the course of a treatment.  I will do the magic drench one time, and then 3 or 4 hours later, drench with a mixture of plain yogurt, raw egg, probiotics and water.  I am personally not a big fan of only drenching with electrolytes, especially if the animal isn't scouring and completely off feed. I think they need more sugars in their system and calories from the sugars.


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## autumnprairie (May 12, 2012)

update?
I hope she is doing well


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## Roll farms (May 12, 2012)

The energy is great, but please don't forget to put some LONG FIBER in her rumen.  Energy alone won't keep her alive if her rumen shuts down.

Oatmeal.  Alfalfa in some form.  Even watered goat feed....something that it needs to 'tear up'.  And the probios daily until she's eating well.


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## arabianequine (May 12, 2012)

I seen her drinking just a bit ago 2-3 times. Also sniffing at the hay. I think she maybe getting more interested in eating but she has not on her own yet.


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## autumnprairie (May 12, 2012)




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## arabianequine (May 12, 2012)

Should I continue to give the vit b complex every 6 hours also?


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## autumnprairie (May 12, 2012)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> Should I continue to give the vit b complex every 6 hours also?


yes


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## arabianequine (May 12, 2012)

She is eating hay now on her own


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## autumnprairie (May 12, 2012)




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## arabianequine (May 12, 2012)

Just a bit that I seen but better then nothing. I just remembered she was the only one we tried to let eat some weeds a few days ago but I also got new hay but so far all other goats are ok. Hard to say what caused this....but think it was the listeriosis....how terrible what it does to them


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## arabianequine (May 13, 2012)

I only did the 3 vit b shots and stopped...I asked if I should continue those no reply. I woke up today and she was walking funny again so I started them again and she seems better. I also gave her some corn syrup, molassas, and oil and she hates it not sure which made her feel better. She may have just been walking funny cause she is weak. She did eat a few handfuls of hay today. I separated her and her kid today....kid does not want to drink from a bottle. How do I wean the kid. Should I let the kid eat in pm and am and keep apart between those times?

I also gave momma some pro bias and nutri drench today and she did not like it too well either.


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## elevan (May 13, 2012)

You can actually repeat the Vitamin B shots daily if needed since it's a water soluble vitamin that the body needs to "restock" daily.  But...if you have to continue it for very long then you should know that you're likely just masking some other problem and really need to get to the heart of the matter as the vitamin B would just be a crutch.


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## arabianequine (May 13, 2012)

After rereading that site I understood to give the vit b complex every 6 hours and dont stop till all symptoms have gone away for 24 hours for the goat polio and same with the pen g for the lictorosis. The cal-mag the vet said do 50 ml first day and then 25 ml the next 2 days. 

She sure don't like being made to drink stuff nor the shots.

I have momma penned up separate from eveyone including her kid. The kid does not want to drink from the bottle....I have replacer in it. 

How do I wean her kid off of her? Should I let the kid drink am and pm for like 1 hour and keep separate in-between that time?


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## babsbag (May 14, 2012)

Wow, you have done a great job!!!!. 

These critters can be so trying on our patience and our nerves. Goats that can barely stand can run and hide when they see you coming, and drenching them can be a fight of wills to be sure. 

I hope she continues to improve. I buy hay every week and sometimes from different places and I always worry that I might get a bad batch. So far so good, but in the winter it can get wet just getting hauled to and from the hay yard, before I even get it. I worry about mold, and I sniff and stare at a lot of hay. I am a worry wart.

And just an FYI, if you can get thiamine instead of the B complex you won't have to give her massive doses. I have a doeling that we suspect has a thiamine defiency and it is the vit B1 in thiamine that they really need. The other B vitamains may help the appetite, but for what you are dealing with it is the B1 that they need. A good friend of mine that is a super "goat person" said that I would have to give my doeling something like 60cc of B complex in order for her to get the thiamine in the amounts she needs. And this is only for a 4 week kid. Thiamine is a prescription drug however. 

Maybe you are using thiamine, I don't remember what I read.

Good luck, and I hope for good results. You certainly have done your best.


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## 20kidsonhill (May 14, 2012)

If you aren't using a drenching syringe, it will help a lot with the liquid stuff.

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/feeding-syringes/camid/LIV/cp/0026479/


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## arabianequine (May 14, 2012)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> If you aren't using a drenching syringe, it will help a lot with the liquid stuff.
> 
> http://www.jefferslivestock.com/feeding-syringes/camid/LIV/cp/0026479/


Yes  I am but she still rears like and keeps whipping her head around etc. 

She has been eating more hay....I just put some out and she started eating it again.

It still seems like she is not with it visual like she should be. 

Her and kid are still separated. Not sure what to do for the kid if she wont take the bottle. She keeps crying out. She will be 6 weeks this tues. 

Thank you babsbag, I try! Sad to watch her be like that. I am just using vit b complex. 

Thank you all for all the help, it does seem to be working!


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## 20kidsonhill (May 14, 2012)

arabianequine said:
			
		

> 20kidsonhill said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


does the kid eat grain?  Hay?  have any alfalfa hay for the kid?  at 6 weeks if he/she is used to grain I would just wean. Or just put with mom one time a day for 10 minutes or so.


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## arabianequine (May 14, 2012)

The baby has been eating goat chow and alfalfa pellets with the moms. I will let her in there with mom for a few mins today. I did not give yesterday. There is one momma goat that is huge and she don't need it lol looks like she is pregnant again! She has not been with a buck however. Mine passed away in Jan. 

I can tie her up I guess.


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## arabianequine (May 18, 2012)

I stopped all meds yesterday and fri, sat, and sun 4 times a day, monday and tues just x2 a day she seems fine now  thank you for all the help! She is eating great again  

Not walking funny no more.


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## arabianequine (May 18, 2012)

Oh yeah and baby doe is still on her...I let them back together then next day.


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## Roll farms (May 18, 2012)

I'm glad she's doing better, but if it was listeriosis, you *need* to treat for 10 days w/ the Pen G.  She could very well relapse w/ only 5 days of treatment.


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## elevan (May 18, 2012)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> I'm glad she's doing better, but if it was listeriosis, you *need* to treat for 10 days w/ the Pen G.  She could very well relapse w/ only 5 days of treatment.


x2

Always finish the full course of treatment even if the animal starts to feel better / act normal.  Because relapses can be much worse than the original illness.


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## arabianequine (May 20, 2012)

I was just following this site from the Tennessee one since it gave doses for the penicillin. I did not see anything about giving meds for 10 days just till symptoms are all gone and give another 24 hours on both counts. 

She still seems to be doing great....not sure where I would pick up now...she hated me for sure though at the time. She was a pin cushion. 

I sure hope she does not get it again. 

GOAT POLIO OR LISTERIOSIS?
Different Causes, Similar Symptoms, Similar Treatments

Goat Polio (Polioencephalomalacia) is a metabolic disease with symptoms that often mimic or overlap those of the brain-stem disease Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes). In most cases, both of these diseases are seen in goats raised under intensive management conditions. Improper feeding, particularly feeding too much grain and too little roughage (hay and forage) is a significant factor in both diseases. Producers pushing the animal to gain weight too fast can induce these potentially fatal diseases in their goats. Sudden changes in feed can also cause the onset of these diseases.

Polioencephalomalacia (also known as Cerebrocortical Necrosis) is basically thiamine (Vitamin B 1) deficiency. Any change in the rumen's environment that suppresses normal bacterial activity can interfere with thiamine production. Too much grain decreases the pH of the rumen, predisposing the animal to Goat Polio. Glucose cannot be metabolized without thiamine. If thiamine is either not present or exists in an altered form (thiaminase), then brain cells die and severe neurological symptoms appear.

Causes of thiamine deficiency include feeding moldy hay or grain, using amprollium which is a thiamine inhibitor (brand name CoRid) when treating coccodiosis, feeding molasses-based grains which are prone to mold (horse & mule feeds), eating some species of ferns, sudden changes in diet, the dietary stress of weaning, and reactions to the de-wormers thiabendazole and levamisole. Each of these conditions can suppress Vitamin B1 production. The usage of antibiotics destroys flora in the rumen and can cause thiamine deficiency. It is important to repopulate the gut with live bacteria after using antibiotics or diarrhea (scour) medications.

Goat Polio generally occurs in weanlings and very young goats, while Listeriosis most frequently affects adult goats. An increase in Goat Polio occurs in North America during winter when the availability of forage and quality hay is low and producers start feeding increased amounts of grain or expect goats to survive on very poor pasture.

Symptoms of Polioencephalomalacia can be any combination of or all of the following: excitability, "stargazing," uncoordinated staggering and/or weaving (ataxia), circling, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and blindness. Initial symptoms can look like Entertoxemia (overeating disease). There is a component of "overeating" involved in that the rumen flora has been compromised. As the disease progresses, convulsions and high fever occur, and if untreated, the goat generally dies within 24-72 hours. Diagnosis is available via laboratory tests, but the producer does not have the luxury of the time that such tests take.

Thiamine is the only effective therapy, and treatment can result in improvement within a few hours if the disease is caught early enough. Thiamine is an inexpensive veterinary prescription. Producers should always keep thiamine on hand; the most commonly available strength is 100 mg/ml. *Dosage is based on the goat's weight (4-1/2 cc per 100 pounds liveweight for 100 mg/ml thiamine) and must be given every six hours on a 24-hour cycle until all symptoms have disappeared completely to avoid relapse. *Thiamine, like all B vitamins, is water soluable, so the goat eliminates daily what it doesn't utilize in the rumen. A sick goat's rumen doesn't produce B vitamins, hence the importance of adding them to the goat each day until it gets well. Initially thiamine should be given IM (into the muscle) but can be given SQ (subcutaneously) or even orally after several days of treatment. Some thiamine comes in 500 mg/ml strength, making the required dosage 1 cc per 100 pounds bodyweight. If thiamine is unavailable but the producer has injectable multiple B vitamins, check the label for how much thiamine (Vitamin B1) is present. Fortified Vitamin B Complex contains 100 mg/ml of thiamine, so the 4-1/2 cc per 100 pounds bodyweight dosage is appropriate. Injectable multiple B vitamins containing only 25mg/ml of thiamine require four times the 100mg/ml dosage (18-1/2 cc) per 100 pounds bodyweight, so the producer can quickly see the importance of obtaining the proper strength of injectable B vitamins. The key to overcoming Goat Polio is early diagnosis and treatment. Complete recovery is possible under such circumstances.

Since symptoms of Goat Polio can easily look like Listeriosis, this writer recommends that procaine pencillin also be used. Better to cover both possible illnesses with appropriate treatments when symptoms are so similar than risk the goat's dying. Administer high doses of procaine penicillin (300,000 International Unit strength) every six hours on a 24-hour basis until all symptoms have disappeared and another 24 hours have passed. Higher-than-normal dosage of procaine penicillin is needed to cross the blood brain barrier to put sufficient amounts of the antibiotic into the tissue of the goat's central nervous system. A chart of dosage by bodyweight accompanies this article. Give this medication SQ over the ribs with an 18 gauge needle so that the goat doesn't become a pin cushion of holes from repeated injections. *Very Important: Continue all treatment until 24 hours *after* the last symptom has disappeared to avoid a relapse.*

Summary: To try to avoid this disease, decrease grain, increase roughage, avoid moldy hay and grain, and don't use feed that is susceptible to mold (molasses-based/textured feeds). Complete avoidance of Goat Polio is impossible. After doing everything "right," producers can still have a goat contract Goat Polio occasionally.

Listeriosis is a brain-stem disease caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which is found in soil, water, plant litter, silage, and even in the goat's digestive tract. The bacterium generally enters the goat's body through the mouth and multiplies rapidly in cold temperatures. There are two forms of Listeriosis: one form results in abortions, while the other causes encephalitis. Both types are seldom seen at the same time in the same herd. The organism can be shed in the milk of both carrier and sick goats. Listeriosis is potentially zoonotic (able to be transmitted to humans.) Like Goat Polio, Listeriosis is most often seen in intensive management situations. Unlike Goat Polio, Listeriosis is more common in adult animals than in kids. Because some goats are carriers who never display any symptoms, it is possible to buy infected animals and introduce this disease into a previously uninfected herd.

Listeriosis is brought on by feeding silage, suddenly changing type and kind of feed (grain or hay), parasitism, dramatic weather changes, and advanced stages of pregnancy. The encephalitic form is most common, causing inflammation of the nerves in the goat's brain stem. Symptoms include some or all of the following: depression, decreased appetite, fever, leaning or stumbling or moving in one direction only, head pulled to flank with rigid neck (similar to symptoms of tetanus), facial paralysis on one side, blindness, slack jaw, and drooling. Diarrhea is present only in the strain of Listeriosis which causes abortions and pregnancy toxemia. Listeriosis can be mistaken for rabies. Immediate treatment is critical. There is no time to waste with Listeriosis. Recovery is more difficult and time-consuming than Goat Polio. A goat can go blind and completely recover its eyesight and overall health if proper treatment is provided; such treatment can take days or even weeks, depending upon the severity of the illness and how quickly treatment was begun.

*Treatment involves administration of high doses of procaine penicillin (300,000 International Unit strength) every six hours on a 24-hour cycle up to and through 24 hours after the last symptom has disappeared to avoid relapse. * Higher-than-normal dosage of procaine penicillin is needed to cross the blood brain barrier to put sufficient amounts of the antibiotic into the tissue of the goat's central nervous system. A chart of dosage by bodyweight accompanies this article. Very Important: Continue all treatment until 24 hours *after* the last symptom has disappeared to avoid a relapse. Give the procaine pencillin SQ over the ribs with an 18 gauge needle so the goat doesn't become a pin cushion of holes from repeated injections during this intensive treatment. This author also uses Vitamin B 1 (Thiamine) along with the penicillin treatment. Thiamine is an appropriate addition to treatment of any sick goat. Dosage is outlined above in the Goat Polio section of this article. Dexamethasone ( cortico-steroid) injections can be used to reduce brain stem swelling. Dexamethasone will induce labor in pregnant does, but the doe is likely to abort anyhow as a result of this infection, so producers might be wise to abort the pregnancy if they wish to save the sick doe. Dexamethasone dosage is 5 to 6 cc per 100 pounds bodyweight given IM in decreasing amounts daily. Example: Goat is 100 pounds liveweight. Dosage is 6 cc into the muscle on Day One, 5 cc on Day Two, 4 cc on Day Three, 3 cc on Day Four, 2 cc on Day Five, one cc on Day Six, nothing on Day Seven. If the goat is over 100 pounds, drop dosages daily in increments of two or three cc's. Example: Dose a 200 pound goat at 12 cc on Day One, 10 cc on Day Two, 8 cc on Day Three, 6 cc on Day Four, 4 cc on Day Five, 2 cc on Day Six, nothing on Day Seven. Dexamethasone should be tapered off rather than quit abruptly. This writer would be reluctant to use Dexamethasone on young kids six months of age or less except under the direction of my veterinarian.

Prevention: Feed your goats properly. No silage; the possibility of mold is too great. No moldy feed or hay. Clean pens. No sudden changes in types of feed (grain or hay). Lots of free-choice quality roughage, particularly in the latter stages of pregnancy. And don't overfeed on grain.

NOTE ON HYDRATION/NUTRITION: Do not fail to keep the sick goat hydrated and fed. With Goat Polio and Listeriosis, a goat is usually totally off feed and water. This means that the producer must stomach tube nutrients (electrolytes, energy, protein) into the goat. A 100 pound goat needs one gallon of fluids daily. That is 3,840 cc's. No producer can syringe 3,840 cc's of fluids daily into a goat without stressing both the goat and the caregiver. All of the proper medications won't save a goat if that animal dies of dehydration/starvation. Entrolyte (oral calf nutrient powder containing electrolytes and 13% protein) or comparable product should always be kept on hand for these situations. Do not offer grain to a sick goat but instead provide easy-to-digest forage plants (weeds & leaves) and grass hay.

Alert to Goat Show Participants: The manner in which many of you are taught to raise your animals often results in Goat Polio, Urinary Calculi, Laminitis/Founder, and other metabolic and nutritionally-related diseases. Particularly in 4H and FFA shows, many are beginners and rely upon the information and training being provided by ag teachers, county agents, and judges. Goats are ruminants, and ruminants are pot-bellied animals. A large rumen is an excellent digestive factory. Proper hydration -- the rumen must be 90% water to function correctly -- and nutrition is critical to the goat's overall health and growth.

www.tennesseemeatgoats.com


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