Knowing the most common diseases in goats lets you react quickly and keep minor issues from turning into emergencies. This guide reviews 10 essential conditions, their clinical signs and the first steps to take while you wait for the vet.
Goat herd in a barn: daily observation helps catch early warning signs — © Pexels
Reminder: This guide is for informational purposes. Any drug treatment must be prescribed by a licensed veterinarian. If in doubt, call your vet without delay — in goats, a condition can deteriorate very quickly.
1. Enterotoxemia (overeating disease)
Cause: overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens in the gut, triggered by a sudden diet change or excess concentrate feed.
Clinical signs: animal found dead or in shock, intense abdominal pain, convulsions, teeth grinding, death within hours.
Treatment: an absolute emergency — antitoxins, antispasmodics, fluid therapy. Prevention through vaccination (Bravoxin, Heptavac-P Plus) remains the only truly effective measure.
2. Listeriosis
Cause: Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium present in poorly fermented silage, damp bedding or contaminated feed.
Clinical signs: encephalitic form (circling, head pressing against a wall, facial paralysis) or septicemic form (fever, sudden depression, abortion). A potential zoonosis.
Treatment: intensive, high-dose antibiotics (penicillins) if started early. Guarded prognosis for the neurological form. Discard any suspect silage.
3. Mastitis
Cause: bacterial infection of the udder (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, coliforms), favored by milking injuries, soiled bedding or poor hygiene.
Clinical signs: hot, hard, painful udder; abnormal milk (clots, blood, watery discharge); fever; depression. The peracute form (gangrenous mastitis) can destroy an udder half within hours.
Treatment: local and/or systemic antibiotics depending on severity, plus anti-inflammatory treatment. Prevention: milking hygiene, teat disinfection, dry bedding.
4. Foot rot
Cause: Dichelobacter nodosus (and Fusobacterium necrophorum), anaerobic bacteria that attack the keratinized tissue between the claws, mainly in wet conditions.
Clinical signs: progressive lameness, walking on the knees, foul-smelling feet, maceration between the claws.
Treatment: hoof trimming, zinc sulfate footbaths, antibiotics in severe cases. An untreated animal remains a source of contamination for the whole herd.
5. Coccidiosis
Cause: intracellular parasites of the genus Eimeria, spread by the fecal-oral route in overcrowded or damp housing.
Clinical signs: yellow to greenish diarrhea, sometimes hemorrhagic, in doelings from 3 weeks to 2 months old; stunted growth; high mortality if untreated.
Treatment: toltrazuril (Baycox), diclazuril or sulfonamides as prescribed. Prevention: sensible stocking density, dry bedding, clean waterers.
6. Pneumonia
Cause: multifactorial — Mannheimia haemolytica, Mycoplasma, viruses (BRSV, PI3) — favored by drafts, stress, overcrowding or temperature swings.
Clinical signs: coughing, nasal discharge, rapid or labored breathing, fever, depression, progressive weight loss.
Treatment: antibiotics (guided by culture and sensitivity), NSAIDs, supportive care. Prevention: draft-free ventilation, pasteurellosis vaccination.
7. Hypocalcemia (milk fever)
Cause: a drop in blood calcium around kidding and the start of lactation, more common in high-yielding or older does.
Clinical signs: progressive muscle weakness, inability to stand, hypothermia, dilated pupils, lateral recumbency. Onset within 24–48 hours after kidding.
Treatment: IV or SC calcium injection (calcium borogluconate) — response is often dramatic within 15–20 minutes. Prevention: a balanced pre-kidding ration with the right Ca/P ratio.
8. Pregnancy toxemia
Cause: a severe energy deficit in late pregnancy (multiple fetuses, underfeeding), leading to ketosis and a build-up of toxic ketone bodies.
Clinical signs: depression, loss of appetite, acetone-smelling breath, weakness, recumbency, possible temporary blindness (3–4 weeks before kidding).
Treatment: IV glucose, oral propylene glycol, B1 vitamins, appetite stimulation. Prevention relies on an adequate energy ration in late pregnancy, especially for does carrying twins or triplets.
9. Contagious ecthyma (orf)
Cause: a Parapoxvirus (orf), highly resistant in the environment (can survive for years in wool or dry bedding).
Clinical signs: pustules and scabs on the lips, muzzle, nostrils and sometimes the udder; feeding difficulties in young animals. Lesions are painful but usually mild in immune adults.
Treatment: mainly symptomatic (local disinfection, antibiotics if secondary infection occurs). Always wear gloves: orf is transmissible to humans.
10. CAE (Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis)
Cause: a lentivirus (CAEV — Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus), transmitted mainly through colostrum and milk from an infected dam to her kid.
Clinical signs: in adults, progressive and painful swelling of the carpal joints (knees); in doelings under 6 months, an encephalitic form (paralysis, incoordination). No curative treatment.
Prevention: serological testing of breeding stock, colostrum management (pasteurization or replacement), a herd control plan developed with your vet.
Clinical observation: mucous membrane color, posture and overall attitude of the goat — © Pexels
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