Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: What could be wrong with my goats?
QUESTION:
I am an FFA student, and I live in Oregon a little far, well i just moved here
from Idaho. Since we have moved we have had nothing but problems. And all my
animals don't seem to grow height wise. Kidding is another story. We have
had tons of kidding problems. I only have one kid so far this year. And he
was a c-section and was on oxygen. Colud climate be a problem? Anther lady told
me about a disease call peritonitis. You have to get blood work
done on them and even humans can get it.
ANSWER:
I am not a vet, and even if I were, it would be hard to diagnose problems at this
distance.
I am a nutritionist with more than 20 years experience managing goats, so I could
make some suggestions.
Make sure your animals are well-fed and parasite-free. Balance their rations
according to whether they are growing, lactating, pregnant or all three. Be sure
they are wormed regularly and wean the kids onto feeds with effective
coccidiostats in them.
Make sure both bucks and does are free of disease, especially those that inhibit
fertility. Find a vet in your area that enjoys working with goats, or a good sport
willing to learn.
Peritonitis is a general infection inside the body cavity and is often due to
injury, especially to the gut, but can be the result of external wounds if they
are deep enough (such as a bullet wound). It is not contagious.