List of seven common diseases seen in goat:- 1. Mastitis 2. Foot Rot 3. Brucellosis 4. Internal Parasites 5. External Parasites 6. Poisoning 7. Bloat.
Disease # 1. Mastitis:
Enlarged, hot, painful udder. Fever. Milk watery with flakes of blood.
Prevention and Treatment:
Improve hygiene. Application of antibiotics.
Disease # 2. Foot Rot:
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Lameness. Hoof will look as if it is rotten and with foul smell. Signs of pain is seen, if pressed.
Prevention and Treatment:
Trimming of hooves, and soaking of feet in a bath of water with CuSO4.
Disease # 3. Brucellosis:
Abortion in late pregnancy. Retention of placenta and metritis. In bucks, infertility, orchitis and swollen joints are seen.
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Prevention and Treatment:
Isolation of infected animals. Vaccination, blood testing and culling of positive animals.
Disease # 4. Internal Parasites:
Loss of weight. Reduction in milk yield. Diarrhoea and anaemia.
Prevention and Treatment:
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Good quality food and clean water. Proper medication.
Disease # 5. External Parasites:
Restlessness, scratching, loss of weight, reduction in milk yield.
Prevention and Treatment:
Application of proper medicine as a dust, spray, or a dip.
Disease # 6. Poisoning:
Unsteadiness followed by dullness and unconsciousness. Great pain and vomiting. Convulsion and eventual death.
Prevention and Treatment:
Keeping goats away from poisonous plants and chemicals. Immediate treatment is needed in such cases.
Disease # 7. Bloat:
Distended abdomen on left side, respiratory difficulty, restlessness.
Prevention and Treatment:
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Too much fresh green grass should be avoided. A cup of mineral oil may bring relief. In acute cases, removal of gas by making puncture is needed.
Common Preventive Measures:
A. Vaccinations:
1. Kids should be given a first dose of Enterotoxaemia and Tetanus vaccination of 8 weeks of age and again at 12 weeks of age.
2. Dose should be given Enterotoxaemia and Tetanus vaccination at 4-6 weeks before breeding season and 4-6 weeks before kidding.
3. Bucks should be vaccinated with Enterotoxaemia and Tetanus once in a year.
B. Deworming:
1. Before breeding the doe should be dewormed. Those goats affected with worm infestation are lean and dull.
2. Kids should be dewormed at one month of age. The life cycle of worms is three weeks, so deworming again at two months of age is recommended.
3. Pregnant does should not be dewormed 2-3 weeks before kidding.
4. Does in early pregnancy (up to 2 months), should not be dewormed to avoid abortion.