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  PNEUMONIA  IN  GOATS
Usually  But Not Always  A Summer  Disease

Pneumonia is probably  the second biggest cause of goat deaths.  Pneumonia is life threatening to goats because their lungs are smaller in relation to their body size relative  to other species of ruminants. This is why goats  are sprinters and not long-distance runners and also why they are so  susceptible to predators.

A heavy stomach worm infestation is the biggest overall cause of  death, because it  compromises the goat's immune system, predisposing the animal  to other illnesses like  pneumonia and listeriosis.   Prime times for pneumonia in goats are spring and summer,  although it can be a year-round killer of both kids and adults.

Wide swings of temperature and changes in climatic conditions, such as wet weather,  high daytime temperatures, high humidity, and much lower evening temperatures, predispose them to developing  pneumonia. Goats in general but kids in particular have trouble controlling body temperature under such wide swings of temperature.

Interstitial pneumonia is the most common  form of pneumonia in goats and its only symptom  can easily be missed.   No snotty nose, no coughing, oftentimes no congestion.   Interstitial pneumonia has only one symptom: rapid onset of very high fever (as high as 108*F+), followed by a  quick drop in  body temperature which, when it falls below 100*F, the goat's lungs are filling up with fluids and  dying. The goat can appear  fine at night  and be dead by morning. Death can occur in  four hours.  Interstitial pneumonia is not contagious within a goat herd.

If you aren't aware of your goats' normal behaviors, you can easily miss the onset of Interstitial pneumonia. And if you do catch it and don't have appropriate prescription  medications on hand, the goat is probably  going to die.

TREATMENT PROTOCOL:  Take the sick goat's rectal temperature. Body temperature tells you which way to proceed treatment-wise. Fever indicates infection or inflammation.    Without taking rectal temperature, you can  misinterpret visual symptoms, wrongly diagnose the cause of the problem, and medicate the goat incorrectly, resulting in the goat's death.      For example:  A newborn with "weak-kid syndrome" will have sub-normal body temperature that requires a different treatment regimen from a kid running a fever caused by an infection.  See my article entitled Diagnosing Illnesses in Goats on www.tennesseemeatgoats.com on the Articles page or in MeatGoatMania.

If high fever is present, it must be brought down quickly. Fever-reducing medication and appropriate antibiotics  must be started immediately.

If the illness has progressed far enough, the goat may  try to sit down, moan with discomfort, and immediately stand up, because fluid has begun to accumulate in the lungs and abdomen and its kidneys are shutting down.   A goat that wants to live can overcome seemingly impossible  obstacles. However, when  the lungs fill with fluid, survival is unlikely. If the goat cannot be saved, then humanely euthanize it.

Banamine or generic equivalent (veterinary prescription) lowers fever and helps alleviate pain and inflammation. Banamine should be used once every 12 hours for no more than two or three days until fever goes down.    Administer Banamine IM or SQ,  dosing 1cc per 100 lbs. body weight.   If Banamine is not available, 81 mg (baby) aspirin can be used. Treat medium-to-large breed adult goats  with at least three baby aspirin. Do not use other pain relievers, such as Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, etc. --- only baby aspirin.   Baby aspirin is *NOT* an equivalent  medication to Banamine, so buy a bottle of generic Banamine (flunixin meglumine) from your vet.

Keep a supply of prescription medications on hand for emergencies. Nuflor or Nuflor Gold and  Excenel RTU are excellent antibiotics for respiratory illnesses and do not require refrigeration. These thick liquids must be administered IM or SQ using an 18-gauge needle.  For maximum benefit in goats, Nuflor should be injected daily for five consecutive days at a dosage of 6 cc's per 100 pounds bodyweight. Nuflor Gold, which provides some protection against mycoplasma that Nuflor does not have, should be dosed at 6 cc's per 100 pounds bodyweight for five consecutive days.   Nuflor Gold is my antibiotic of choice for adult goats with respiratory illnesses. Because goats have a very fast metabolism, all  antibiotics  must be dosed for five consecutive days.  One-time or every-other-day injections are not as effective.

Excenel RTU is a ready-to-use shelf-stable form of Naxcel that requires no mixing and no refrigeration. These advantages make it more convenient to use and store than Naxcel. Excenel RTU is dosed at 6 cc's per 100 pounds bodyweight for five consecutive days either IM or SQ using  an 18-gauge needle.  Minimum dosage for a  newborn kid is 1/2 cc.  During the first 24 hours,    give two injections 12 hours apart, then daily for the next four days.    I prefer to use  Excenel RTU with newborns and young kids rather than Nuflor or Nuflor Gold.

Naxcel is a good antibiotic but is inconvenient to use because even the unmixed ingredients must be refrigerated and the mixed bottle must be used in its entirety within seven days or  the remaining medication must be drawn into syringes and frozen.   Naxcel must be given to goats in dosages stronger than indicated on the label. A newborn kid must receive at least 1/2 cc per day  IM or SQ for five consecutive days to be effective. A one-hundred pound goat needs   4  cc's per dosage for five consecutive days.   Always complete the five consecutive days of treatment even if the animal is looking better. Relapses are likely. Consult your goat veterinarian, establish a working relationship, and use these medications under vet supervision.

If you can only obtain penicillin or oxytetracycline 200 mg/ml (LA200 or generic equivalent), then dosing is as follows:  Both Penicillin and oxytetracyline 200 mg/ml should be dosed at 5 cc's per 100 pounds body weight given SQ   for five consecutive days, using an  18-gauge needle.   Both medications now require a prescription.

Use  prescription  antibiotics to treat pneumonia in goats.   Nuflor or Nuflor Gold   and Excenel Ready To Use (RTU)   are far superior to any over-the-counter products that might be available and are worth the extra expense. Single-shot antibiotics  do *NOT* work well due to  goats' very  fast metabolism.

If the goat is displaying respiratory distress,   an oral expectorant/antihistamine/decongestant should be given twice daily, dosing at   6 cc's per 100 pounds bodyweight.    Children's liquid oral antihistamine/decongestant/expectorant syrups (Robitussin DM) may have to be used since Expectahist is no longer available unless your vet will have a compounding pharmacist make it for you.  Don't discount the importance of these oral medications.

Keep the sick goat in a shaded, dry, free-from-draft location with plenty of fresh water, electrolytes, free-choice grass hay, and green leaves. A sick goat is not likely to eat  sacked feed. If the animal is not drinking water, orally drench with electrolytes (Bounce Back or ReSorb). A 100 pound goat needs one gallon of fluids in small amounts over a 24 hour period. If dehydration is severe, sub-cutaneous (SQ) delivery of Lactated Ringers Solution (vet prescription) is necessary. Refer to my articles about (a) dehydration and (b) how to stomach tube a sick goat on the Articles page at www.tennesseemeatgoats.com.

Never forget the beneficial effect of green leaves (the goat's natural food).  Oak, elm, and hackberry are favorites.   Do *not*  feed cherry leaves;  they are toxic to goats. Fresh green leaves from most trees (but not ornamentals  like lantana, rhododendrin, azaleas) are easily digestible. Don't try to force  grain concentrates on  a very sick goat. The rumen is not functioning properly and cannot easily digest processed grains. If the goat is off feed, give Vitamin B-1 (thiamin) injections every 12 hours dosing SQ at 4 cc per 100 pounds bodyweight. Brain function depends upon  thiamin, and it takes a healthy rumen to produce it.

Follow up all antibiotic treatments with an oral probiotic, but use it after  the antibiotic regimen has been completed. Jeffers at 1-800-533-3377 or www.jefferslivestock.com carries a variety of  probiotics,  Presponse HM pneumonia vaccine, antibiotics,  CD/T vaccine, C&D Anti-Toxin, electrolytes, fortified vitamin B complex, and almost anything you need for goats.  Jeffers can now provide prescription medications if you furnish a written script from a vet.

White or clear nasal discharge is usually allergy-related, but if fever is present, then infection or inflammation exists and must be treated.

Presponse HM is the  pneumonia vaccine to use.   Vaccinating against pneumonia is as important as using the CD/T vaccine for  overeating disease and tetanus protection.  See my article on Deworming & Vaccination Schedule at Onion Creek Ranch in Texas.

Goats raised primarily on forage/browse or under free-range conditions are less likely to have as many health problems as goats raised under intense management. Sound practices that include good shelter,  clean pens, fresh water, good nutrition, and no crowding help prevent  many goat health problems. Those of you who must raise goats under less-than-ideal conditions must be aware of these facts and be prepared.

Properly-fed  and properly dewormed goats can ward off illnesses that poorly-fed goats cannot overcome. Good nutrition, worm control,  no overcrowding, and vaccinations are cheap protection against animal loss.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, Texas     2.1.25