16/17: Goat medicine Flashcards
What substitute is there for goat’s milk?
None
What are most goat diets like?
Complete and use maize silage
What must goats also have access to?
Long fibre
Why is it not common to graze goats?
Parasites
How do you feed milking goats?
Like dairy cows
How do you feed not milking goats?
Like sheep
Why do you need a stable or slab yard for the winter?
Need to keep feet dry
Can you give goats cattle feed?
Yes - more tolerant of copper than sheep
Can you give goats sheep feed?
Not if it doesn’t have any copper
What happens if you over-feed pig rations?
Toxicity
What are two main problems seen in pet goats?
Over-fed or poor foot care
What are the consequences of obesity?
Arthritis and laminitis
What is prognosis following entero-toxaemia or peri-parturient toxicosis?
Poor
What is prognosis following dorsal uterine tear?
Can survive and kid again
Do goats browse or graze?
Browse
What is mineral and protein like in goat diet?
Most things they eat are higher than grass
Why do goats have no immunity to parasites?
Won’t eat anything contaminated with faeces
What kind of feed to goats have higher tolerance to?
Bitter - but still fussy eaters
How do kids behave compared to lambs?
Don’t follow mothers, instead they hide and huddle
How do goats show dominance?
Have hierarchy and use mounting and headbutting
What causes teat-biting?
Overcrowding and boredom , esp if in season but not mated
What is hepatic drug metabolism like compared to sheep?
About half
What is the significance of slow drug metabolism?
Antibiotic residues
Which drugs do pygmy goats metabolise faster?
Sulphonamides, chloramphenicol, and others done by hepatic microsomal enzymes
How many licensed drugs are there?
None
What are milk and meat withdrawals?
7 days and 28 days
Why is lameness common after tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones?
Small muscle mass
How can you prevent hindlimb muscle damage?
SC instead of IM
Why is fluid therapy important in goats?
React badly to shock
What is oestrus cycle like?
Seasonally polyoestrus in temperate regions
What happens to oestrus cycle between March and August?
Totally anoestrus
What initiates breeding season in the male and female?
Decreasing day length
What is maintenance of pregnancy?
CL
How can you terminate pregnancy?
PGs or induce parturition
How long after injection does parturition occur?
36 hours
What else can you use PGs for?
Synchronise oestrus
How long after sponging do they show oestrus?
30-36
How long after sponge removal do you do fixed AI?
36-40 hours
How do you induce oestrus using light?
20 hours of light for 60 days, then suddenly introduce males and oestrus occurs 7-10 weeks later
What kidding rates do you get when inducing oestrus using light?
50-60%
What do goats need before they respond to melatonin?
Artificial light
What 3 conditions must PD distinguish between?
Pregnant, false pregnancy, not cycling
What should you NOT use for PD in goats?
Non-return, mammary development, abdominal distention
How accurate is low progesterone for non-pregnancy?
100%
How accurate is high progesterone in determining pregnancy?
85-90%
What are two causes of high progesterone other than pregnancy?
Hydrometra or normal oestrus cycle
What are freemartins like in goats?
Normal
What can happen to kid udders in Summer?
Show udder development and milk production
How do you treat milk production in kids?
Only milk if uncomfortable, feed may control, drugs to inhibit prolactin aren’t effective
In old does, what is the usual cause of vaginal bleeding?
Uterine tumours
How common are urinary tumours?
Not
What is the only clostridial disease goats get?
Perfringens type D (enterotoxaemia)
Should you use combined clostridial and pasteurella vaccine?
No
What can happen to kids in converted buildings?
Resp disease
What does “pasteurellosis” in goats involve?
Viruses or other bacteria
Is there a pasteurella vaccine in goats?
None licensed, none meets strain requirements
What are goat feet like compared to sheep?
More affected by wet
How often do you trim goat feet?
Every 6 weeks - not possible commercially
When should you only use anthelmintics in goats?
If they actually need worming
What must you do in goats with a worm burden?
Improve nutrition so they can maintain condition
What do you do to goats on arrival?
Deworm
How much higher than sheep rate do you give anthelmintics?
1.5-2x sheep rate
How can you increase anthelmintic efficacy?
Withold food, but not in dairy or pregnant animals
What is thymus like in kids?
Enlarged - increases from 1 week to 4 months then regresess by 6-9 months
Which kind of cysts are common in some breeds?
Salivary
Which ectoparasite drugs are licensed?
None
Why do you use sheep rather than cattle ectoparasiticides?
Parasite species similar, but goat hair and skin in more like cattle
What is the advantage of shearing and shampooing goats?
Remove eggs and adult lice
What can kill kids during disbudding?
Xylazine overdose, or meningo-encephalitis
What is a better anaesthetic for goat disbudding?
Gaseous, and no need to restrict milk
How old should kids be at disbudding?
2-4 days
What should you do if the kid’s horn buds are too large?
Wait and use a wire
What should you also remember to give at disbudding?
Tetanus antitoxin
What can you remove at the same time as disbudding?
Scent glands
Over what age must kids be castrates by a vet?
2 months
At what age are kids sexually mature?
3 months
Up to what age can you use rubber ring or Burdizzo?
1 week
