January 2025 Issue

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LISTERIOSIS OR GOAT POLIO?

Different Causes - Similar Symptoms and Treatment

Listeriosis and Goat Polio are two different diseases with very similar symptoms. Testing, if available, takes time that you cannot spare if you want to save the goat. As a general rule, young kids develop Goat Polio while adults tend to contract Listeriosis. Symptoms are similar and overlapping. I've had the best results treating both diseases identically.

Goat Polio is probably the most mis-diagnosed disease in goats. Goat raisers as well as many vets automatically think "Goat Polio" before they check for the problem underlying most goat illnesses, which is Haemonchus contortus (barberpole stomach worm) which so effectively compromises the goat's immune system that it contracts other diseases. The goat may well have Goat Polio or Listeriosis or Pneumonia or one of many other illnesses, but if it has stomach worms, it must be treated for them concurrent with treatment for any other disease if it is going to get well. I have received hundreds of calls over the past 35+ years from people asking for help with Goat Polio and after 20 minutes discussion I've determined that the problem is a very heavy stomach worm load.

WITH GOATS, THE PROBLEM IS USUALLY THE SIMPLEST THING. ALMOST EVERYTHING WITH GOATS STARTS AND ENDS WITH STOMACH WORMS. Check for the obvious problems first, then start looking at more exotic causes.

I've received calls from many goat raisers telling me that their vet medicated solely with injectable thiamin for Goat Polio and the goat continued to get worse, but when they (the goat raiser) added my procaine penicillin and dexamethasone protocol to thiamin administration, the goat's health improved.

My experience has been that the problem is usually Listeriosis rather than Goat Polio, which is another reason I treat both diseases identically. Goat Polio usually occurs in kids in over-managed and over-grained herds, especially show goat herds.

The information provided is how I treat Listeriosis and Goat Polio at Onion Creek Ranch in Texas. I am not a vet but I've been raising quality meat-goat breeding stock since 1990. Use this information at your own risk and with appropriate care.

LISTERIOSIS: Listeriosis is a brain-stem disease caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which is found in soil, water, plant litter, silage, and sometimes in the goat's digestive tract. The Listeria bacteria often infect stressed goats grazing on poor-quality pastures in the fall of the year, but isn't limited to fall infections. The bacteria usually enter the goat's body through the mouth and multiply rapidly.

There are two types of Listeriosis: one type 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). Listeriosis is most often seen in intensive management situations and is more common in adult goats than in kids. Listeriosis is not contagious from goat to goat. The bacteria is in the environment, waiting to infect a stressed goat. Listeriosis usually occurs in only one stressed goat in the herd. Oftentimes the stressor that pushes the goat into Listerosis is a heavy wormload.

Listeriosis can be brought on by feeding silage/haylage, sudden changes in type and kind of feed (grain or hay), parasites, dramatic weather changes, advanced stages of pregnancy, and heavy lactation while nursing kids. 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 and advanced dehydration), facial paralysis on one side, blindness, "slack jaw," and drooling. Diarrhea is present in the strain of Listeriosis which causes abortions and pregnancy toxemia. Listeriosis can be mistaken for rabies or other diseases.

Immediate treatment is critical. 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. Treatment can take days or even weeks, depending upon the severity of the illness and how quickly it is started.

TREATMENT involves administration of double the normal dosage of procaine penicillin (300,000 International Units of Pen G) every six hours on a 24-hour cycle. Ten (10) cc's per 100 lbs bodyweight of procaine penicillin is needed to cross the blood- brain barrier to maintain sufficiently high levels of penicillin in the blood stream to kill the bacteria. I give procaine penicillin SQ over the ribs with an 18 gauge needle. I give Vitamin B 1 (Thiamin) injections, dosing at 4 cc per 100 pounds liveweight for 100 mg/ml thiamin given SQ every 6 hours. The only injectable over-the-counter product with required 100 mg/ml of thiamine is Fortified Vitamin B Complex. Prescription thiamin (Vitamin B1) is available only from a vet.

Injections get the medications into the blood stream faster, and quick treatment is critical with this disease. It is critical to keep to this 24-hour cycle of medicating the goat.

Very Important: Continue procaine penicillin and thiamin injections for 24 hours AFTER the last symptom has disappeared to avoid a relapse.

Dexamethasone 2 mg/ml (prescription cortico-steroid) injections are used to reduce brain stem swelling. Dexamethasone will induce labor in pregnant does, but the doe is likely to abort anyhow, so ending the pregnancy will help save the sick doe. Dexamethasone dosage is 6 cc per 100 pounds bodyweight given IM and in decreasing amounts daily. Dexamethasone must be tapered off rather than stopped abruptly. I don't use Dexamethasone on young kids under six months of age except under the direction of my veterinarian. Steroids suppress the immune system, so they must be used only when necessary.

Dosing Dexamethasone to a 100 lb goat: 6 cc on Day 1, 5 cc on Day 2, 4 cc on Day 3, 3 cc on Day 4, 2 cc on Day 5, 1 cc on Day 6.

Unless the goat is able to eat and drink on its own, supportive care (stomach tubing electrolytes mixed with a protein source into the goat) is necessary until the goat is stabilized. For protein, I put eight (8) ounces of mixed goat milk replacer in every half gallon of electrolytes and tube feed a weight-appropriate amount divided into three or four tube feedings per day. For an adult goat, I will start tubing with no more than 16 ounces, but this must be adjusted based upon breed and age. See my articles on Stomach Tubing Goats on the Articles page at www.tennesseemeatgoats.com. If you've caught the disease and begun treatment early, the goat may be able to eat and drink on its own.

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Subscribe FREE now! Monthly issues with new articles and other educational information on meat goat health, nutrition, and management written by Suzanne W. Gasparotto of Onion Creek Ranch and Pat Cotten of Bending Tree Ranch. In all cases, it is your responsibility to obtain veterinary services and advice before using any of the information provided in these articles. Neither Suzanne Gasparotto nor Pat Cotten are veterinarians. None of the contributors to this website will be held responsible for the use of any information contained herein.

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