6.2.1: Minor farm species - Goats

Question 1

You are called to examine a 6 month old castrated male goat owned by a smallholder client. He is off-food, more vocal than normal and uncomfortable. On clinical exam he shows signs of abdominal discomfort and dysuria. He is standing with a wide-based stance as below. What is your diagnosis and what treatment options are available?

Answer 1

Obstructive urolithiasis
Treatment options:
* Euthanasia - due to guarded prognosis and expensive surgery
* Treat conservatively with buscopan, IVFT, broad spectrum antibiotics and NSAIDs - unlikely to work unless it is a single calculi around which there is spasm
* Urethrotomy - could be worth a try although likely to become blocked again
* Perineal urethrostomy - considered as a salvage procedure because 80% will reoccur within 12 months
* Tube cystotomy is the treatment of choice in valuable animals and those where a ruptured bladder is suspected

Question 2

Normal goat heart rate

Answer 2

70-90 bpm

Question 3

1

Answer 3

Psoroptic mange

Question 4

2

Answer 4

Sarcoptic mange

Question 5

3

Answer 5

Demodectic mange

Question 6

4

Answer 6

Chorioptic mange

Question 7

True/false: pseudopregnancy (a.k.a. pseudocyesis, hydrometra) is extremely rare in goats.

Answer 7

False
* Quite common in goats
* Must always be considered in animals presented for pregnancy diagnosis/ for investigation of abdominal enlargment
* Up to 30% does affected during their lifetimes
* Incidence increases with age

Question 8

True/false: coughing in goats at or recently brought in from pasture can be caused by lungworms including Dictyocaulus viviparus

Answer 8

False
* Most common lungworms affecting goats = Dictyocaulus filaria, Muellerius capillaris

Question 9

True/false: psoroptic mange is chiefly found on the caudal surface of the lower parts of the legs.

Answer 9

False
Psoroptic mange is found on the inner surface of the pinnae of the infested goats.

Question 10

Which artery do you normally palpate to measure the heart rate?

Answer 10

Femoral artery

Question 11

True/false: stargazing (looking upwards and then rotating their heads through an angle of >180 degrees) is considered normal in goats.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

True/false: joint enlargment in goats, especially those over 1 year of age, can be a feature of caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) infection.

Answer 12

True
* It could also be caused by septic arthritis in kids
* In older goats, could be caused by osteoarthritis

Question 13

True/false: intersex goats are rare.

Answer 13

False
* Quite common to have intersex goats
* Most affected animals are male pseudohermaphrodites -> genetically female with an XX karyotype but have a variety of phenotypic appearances

Question 14

Where are common sites for uroliths in goats?

Answer 14

• Urethral process
• Sigmoid flexure of the penis

Question 15

What are some possible causes of abdominal discomfort and dysuria in the goat?

Answer 15

• Ulcerative balantitis
• Trauma
• Urolithiasis
• Spinal cord injury
• Sacral fracture
• Actinomyces
• Cystitis

Question 16

Prevention of urolithiasis in goats

Answer 16

• Reduce concentrate feeding
• Reduce phosphorus in diet
• Reduce magnesium in diet
• Introduce ammonium chloride into the diet
• Offer the goats salt licks
• Offer more forage