Treatment FAQ

how can i get my goat to eat after goat polio treatment

by Elmo Fahey Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

If a goat is down, and not eating well, a “super nutrition smoothie” is a great way to support them. Carrots, celery, kelp, dark greens, alfalfa, parsley, and wheatgrass with molasses, and some water so you can drench it easily. Some garlic and Probios won’t hurt either!

Provide sufficient levels of roughage; pro- vide good quality pasture or hay as part of the diet. Monitor animals after you have adminis- tered antihelminths dewormers and/or amprolium (Corid®). Check sulfur content on water source and forages. Consult your local veterinarian for disease treatment and prevention.

Full Answer

How do you treat goat polio?

The best way to treat goat polio is to prevent it from happening in the first place. There are a few steps that you can take to keep your goats healthy and to ensure that they don’t have to deal with the effects of goat polio. Save me for later! Change diets very slowly.

What is the best way to feed a goat?

Forage-based feeding (leaves and weeds) and "horse-quality" soft-stem grass hay are vital to the goat's ability to digest its feed and keep its body warm. Sacked feed is appropriate if not over-fed and only once per day in the mornings (not evenings).

How long does it take for a sick goat to recover?

She was treated immediately, she was stronger in 10-15 minutes and fully recovered in about thirty minutes, but we did continue to watch her for 24 hours. Length of recovery will depend on how long the animal has been sick. If unsure, it is. better to treat the animal than risk losing the goat.

What are the causes of goat polio?

Other causes of goat polio include overfeeding of the grains, improper feeding, or anything that disrupts the health and well being of the bacteria in the rumen, such as acidosis or indigestion. What Causes Goat Polio? How to Test Polio in Goats? Is Goat Polio Contagious to Human?

How long does it take a goat to recover from polio?

Animals occasionally respond rapidly to the initial dose, although slow recovery to standing may take up to 5 days with full recovery evident after 2-3 weeks.

How long can a goat live with polio?

As the disease progresses, convulsions may occur, and if untreated, the animal generally dies within 24-72 hours.

Can goat polio spread to other goats?

Goat polio is a result of a vitamin deficiency, specifically thiamine, rather than bacteria, and as such is not contagious. It presents as uncoordinated staggering, excitability, stargazing, circling, diarrhea, tremors, head pressing, and apparent blindness.

How do I give my goat vitamin B?

When a goat goes off feed, B vitamins must be provided. Injectable Fortified Vitamin B Complex is a good way to add B vitamins. The word "fortified" in the name is crucial; "fortified" means that the vitamin complex contains 100 mg/mL of Vitamin B 1 (thiamine). This strength of thiamine is extremely important.

What does vitamin B do for goats?

Vitamin B12 is important for goats suffering from anemia. Because vitamin B12 aids in the formation of red blood cells, it can help jumpstart a goat when they are low. A deficiency of vitamin B12 causes pernicious anemia, so ruling out a deficiency can be a good step in your anemia protocol.

How long does it take a goat to recover from anemia?

The road to recovery takes weeks and possibly even a few months because red blood cells are produced slowly. If you act quickly, you can usually save your goat. The best treatment is prevention and early detection of anemia by knowing your goats and routinely checking them.

How do you prevent thiamine deficiency in goats?

Provide feed with thiamine levels of 1.5 – 4.5 mg/kg of feed. Provide sufficient levels of roughage; pro- vide good quality pasture or hay as part of the diet. Monitor animals after you have adminis- tered antihelminths dewormers and/or amprolium (Corid®). Check sulfur content on water source and forages.

How much vitamin B complex do you give a goat?

Dosage is 1 cc per 25 lbs. bodyweight given orally. Vitamin B-12 - Vet prescription. This red-colored injectable liquid is essential for use with goats who are anemic from worms or stressed from just about any illness.

What causes a goat to walk in circles?

Listeriosis causes encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and signs of the disease include depression and disorientation. Goats with the disease often will walk in circles. Prevention is simply to feed good quality silage or hay. Treatment is difficult and is not always effective.

Can you overdose a goat on vitamin B?

A goat will not overdose on an injection of B vitamins. The excess is expelled through urination. The administration of probiotics assists with proper micro-organism balance in the rumen.

Can you overdose a goat on vitamin B complex?

(Fortified is important because it ensures that thiamine levels are adequate.) Again, because excess B vitamins can be excreted, toxicity is extremely unlikely to be incurred.

Where do you inject b12 in goats?

Sub-Q injection site. To give a SQ injection: Select or prepare a clean area of the skin. Common sites for subcutaneous injections are the extra skin under the foreleg area or behind the elbow, over the shoulder blade, in the flank area, and on the side of the neck.

How does a goat get polio?

Adults and young animals are equally at high risk for developing the disorder. Goat polio is usually seen in animals that are under a high nutritional management condition such as feedlots, or animals on lush pasturage fed with highly concentrated rations.

What causes a goat to walk in circles?

Listeriosis causes encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and signs of the disease include depression and disorientation. Goats with the disease often will walk in circles. Prevention is simply to feed good quality silage or hay. Treatment is difficult and is not always effective.

How much vitamin B complex do you give a goat?

Dosage is 1 cc per 25 lbs. bodyweight given orally. Vitamin B-12 - Vet prescription. This red-colored injectable liquid is essential for use with goats who are anemic from worms or stressed from just about any illness.

What causes paralysis in goats?

Following diseases cause Paralysis, Stiffness and Lameness in animals are described below: Foot and Mouth Diseases (FMD) in of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs and buffalo. Foot Rot in cattle, sheep and goats.

What is polio in goats?

Goat polio is a nutritional and metabolic disease that mainly affects the ruminants, including goats. This disease is more common in the areas where there are intensive management conditions and goats fed on more concentrated feed to make the goat overgrow.

How long does it take for a goat to recover from a syringe?

If the therapy gets delayed, then it is quite challenging to have a full clinical recover goat. The recovery signs may appear within 24 hours of the treatment or sooner.

Is goat polio a nutritional deficiency?

It should be noted that Goat Polio is a nutritional deficiency, and has nothing in common with the disease polio in humans. The primary issue of this disease is either the deficiency of thiamine (Vitamin B1) or sulfur toxicity. The reduction in the activity of thiamine causes the death of the brain cells, and there will be an accumulation ...

Do goats have transketolase?

The activity level of transketolase is usually lower in the goats that get the polio disease. These are all enzymes that are required by the goats for metabolism. The polio is goats should have a differential diagnosis (eradicate chances of other diseases).

Why do goats need thiamine?

Goats and other ruminants are dependent on Thiamine in the rumen which metabolizes glucose into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are necessary to maintain healthy brain cells. When something occurs to disrupt the pH balance in the rumen, “friendly” Thiamine producing organisms can’t function causing a failure in the cascade causing brain cell death.

Do goats get sick?

Goats never get sick when the vet is in. You can always call the vet in the morning to follow-up, but TREAT ASAP. Information provided is general in nature and is provided without guarantee as to results. The information is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal advice.

Do goats stare past us?

Our goats are very attentive, when one stares past us, into space or ignores us (when not preoccupied) it is time for concern. Remember, anything that negatively affects the rumen environment can disrupt the “good” microorganisms, Bacillus sp., Clostridium Sporogenes, and B.aneurolyticus and hinder their Thiamine.

How to prevent polio in goats?

Try to avoid this disease by decreasing high grain intake, increasing quality roughage, avoiding moldy hay and grain, and not using feed that is susceptible to mold (molasses-based/textured feeds). Goat Polio is almost always caused by improper feeding. PREVENTION OF BOTH DISEASES: Feed your goats properly.

How does Listeriosis affect goats?

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.

What causes listeriosis in goats?

Listeriosis can be brought on by feeding silage/haylage, suddenly changing 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.

Can goats eat on their own?

If you've caught the disease and begun treatment early, the goat may be able to eat and drink on its own. GOAT POLIO: Polioencephalomalacia is a metabolic disease with symptoms that are very similar to those of the brain-stem disease Listeriosis (Listeria monocytogenes).

Can a goat go blind?

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.

Can you syringe milk into goats?

You cannot syringe 3,840 cc's of fluids daily into a goat without stressing both the goat and yourself. Medications won't help a goat if it dies of dehydration or starvation. Use the kid milk replacer & electrolytes formula in the Listeriosis section of this article to feed a goat that isn't eating on its own.

Can goats take thiamine?

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) injections are critical and, if the problem is Goat Polio, can result in rapid improvement if begun early. Thiamine, like all B vitamins, is water soluble, so the goat eliminates daily what it doesn't utilize in the rumen, making it difficult to overdose thiamine.

What Exactly is Polio for a Goat

For goats, polio is a deadly disease. It is a when there is a pH imbalance in a goat’s rumen, which then causes the vitamin Thiamine to stop producing, then leading to sudden brain cell death.

How Does Goat Polio Differ from Human Polio

The difference between these types of polio is drastic. For a goat, it is something that can be easily treated. Not that polio for humans can’t be easily treated, but before vaccines, polio was and can still be incredibly dangerous. For humans, polio affects the brain, which will eventually lead to total paralysis and death.

What Can Cause Polio

A common reason goats can get polio is if they are eating a diet rich with hay, but not enough roughage. Some of you may be wondering what roughage is. Well, roughage is course, fibrous foods that take a goat twice as long to chew and digest.

Diseases that Mimic Polio

Sometimes, it may not even be polio that your goat has. Some other diseases that mimic similar symptoms of polio are chronic arthritis-synovitis (CAE), Listeriosis, Enterotoxemia, Toxemia of Pregnancy, grain poisoning, plant poisoning, Rabies and Tetanus. The most common diseases that goats will get before polio are Tetanus and Listeriosis.

How to Treat Polio in Goats

Treating a Thiamine deficiency is very simple. Giving specific dosages of Thiamine to either an adult or kid can make a vast difference in their health within a few days. Depending on the veterinarian, as well as how low the goat’s Thiamine is, dosages can vary.

Is Polio in Goats Contagious

Fortunately, polio is not contagious among goats, unless they happen to be receiving the same diet, such as grazing in the same pasture or drinking from the same water source. In this case, all of the goats in a herd will experience the same symptoms because they are eating and drinking from the same source.

Best Ways to Avoid Polio

First, the easiest way to avoid a Thiamine deficiency is to make sure that your goat (s) is receiving enough roughage on a daily basis. Fibrous foods help to encourage extra chewing of cud, which promote good gut health as well as flora within the digestive tract.

What does it mean when your goat's eyelid is white?

If you’re a goat owner, you probably know this feeling: a routine check of eyelid color turns into an emergency situation when you pull the lid down and it reveals a pale, unhealthy color; or worse, the lid is white!

Does lemon oil help goats recover from anemia?

This has aided in the recovery of anemia and is a wonderful support for the goat’s digestive system. The addition of 1-2 drops of DoTerra Brand (high quality food grade ONLY) Lemon Essential Oil will also help in the support and recovery process. Goats should be fed very nutritious, high-protein foods during this time.

Can you use red cell on goats?

Use at your own risk based on your own dosing methods of choice. Unfortunately, Red Cell alone is not enough once a goat has gone severely anemic. If a goat’s eyelids are completely white, consulting a vet about a blood transfusion is a viable option.

Does garlic hurt goats?

Some garlic and Probios won’t hurt either! Do make sure to keep the goat well fed and hydrated. If the goat is severely underweight and still having trouble eating without the nutritional smoothies, Dyne High Calorie liquid will aid in providing much needed calories for the body during this time.

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