top of page

goats &parasites

Goats have low natural resistance to worms.

You've noticed they prefer to browse shrubs & eat from a height. Once their food has touched the floor - instinct says 'don't eat it', it might be contaminated with poo & worms.

Recommended testing frequency: 4 times per year

Best months: Jan, May, July & September

Switch the May date for 3-6 weeks after kidding to catch Doe's weakest immune system & cocci in the kids

Goat WEC: £14.50

for up to 5 named samples

Including fluke, coccidia and lungworm

This can be a mix&match of species across the farm

ROUNDWORMS

aka the Nematodes:

Teladorsagia, Trichostrongylus, Cooperia, Oesophagostomum

SYMPTOMS

Diarrhoea

Lower milk production

Poor condition

Slow growth rate

Midline or jaw oedema

Death

haemonchus

aka Barbers Pole Worm:

Haemonchus contortus

SYMPTOMS

Anaemia

Weight Loss

Lethargy

Sudden death

Normal Poos

tapeworm

aka the Cestodes:

Monezia, Thysanosoma

SYMPTOMS

Look horrible when wriggling out - but surprisingly harmless!

Heavy burdens in Kids cause:

Anorexia

Reduced gut motility

Gut rupture & peritonitis

coccidia 

aka Coccidiosis:

Eimeria

SYMPTOMS

Mainly affects kids:

Diarrhoea (often pasty)

Blood & mucus in faeces

Skinny & weak

Abdominal Pain

Permanent gut damage

Healthy adults will often have coccidia in their faeces - interpret positive samples with care before using a coccidiostat

The Parasites

LIVER FLUKE

aka Fasciola:

Fasciola hepatica, Fascioloides magna

SYMPTOMS

Anorexia & depression

Weakness & dry faeces

Increased respiratory rate

Ascites (belly fluid)

Colic

Sudden death

LUNGWORMS

Dictyocaulus filaria, Muellerius capillaris, Protostrongylus rufescens

SYMPTOMS

Cough

Nasal discharge

Increased respiratory rate

Poor condition

Weight loss

cYSTICERCOSIS 

Cysticercus tenuicollis - the larval stage of the dog tapeworm Taenia hydatigena

SYMPTOMS

Mainly asymptomatic

large numbers cause liver failure:

depression

weakness

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM

aka Crypto:

Cryptosporidium parvum

SYMPTOMS

5-10 day old kids

active, alert & feeding well

very liquid diarrhoea

yellow diarrhoea

Control Tips

controltips

Good parasite control is about more than using a drug every 3 months,

you can reduce risk & use of anthelminthic drugs:

  • do not graze with sheep (they share worms)

  • do graze with horses (they 'hoover-up' goat worms)

  • Avoid previously flooded grazing

  • Avoid mud-snail areas, eg by streams

  • Encourage foraging behaviour

  • Feed hay in a rack, never the floor

  • Feed plenty of tree leaves

  • Ensure access to tree bark

  • Rotational graze

  • Increase dietary protein in kids

  • Ensure new animals have a clear FEC

  • Be fastidious with food bowl cleanliness

Coccidia

Focus On: Coccidia

The dreaded coccidia!

Why is it such bad news?

This tiny parasite (Eimeria) infects the gut lining of young kids & lambs. The initial inflammation causes severe diarrhoea.

This inflammation then permanently scars, the animal will always be a 'Poor-Doer'.

The biggest problem - this scarring starts before shedding coccidia in faeces, so a positive test in a sick kid is already too late.

To add to this complex bug's trouble - healthy adult sheep & goats will have a normal population of coccidia living in their bowels - giving a positive test result when nothing is wrong.

As if that all wasn't bad enough - the treatment is difficult. No drug kills all the parasites. Decocquinate, Lasalosid and Monensin and Diclazuril will all help to reduce parasitic load, and should be used to treat in-contact kids & lambs.

Diclazuril (Vecoxan) can be given to all lambs or kids at 4-6 weeks of age on farms known to have a coccidia problem.

To add insult to injury - the bug is extremely difficult to kill in the environment. Sunlight & Ammonia are the only two things to kill this bug reliably.

The key to Coccidia Sucess? Prevention is Better than Cure.

Symptoms

  • Kids & lambs 1-6 months old

  • Brown, watery diarrhoea

  • Blood & mucus in faeces

  • Poor appetite

  • Dehydration

  • Weakness

  • Rough coat

  • Weight loss

  • Fading away & death 

diarrhoea.jpg

Treatment

Affected Kids:

  • Vecoxan 0.25mls / Kg by mouth, repeated after 3 weeks​

  • Aggressive fluid therapy - orally with electrolyte solutions and/or subcutaneous saline

  • Antibiotics for secondary infection

  • Hand feeding

In contact kids:​

  • Vecoxan 0.25mls / Kg by mouth, repeated after 3 weeks​

vecoxan.jpg

Cleaning

  • Clear away all faeces & bedding

  • Try to encourage as much natural sunlight as possible - coccidi are killed by UV light

  • Get kids & lambs outside as soon as possible

  • Reduce stocking density

  • Clean everything with an ammonia based cleaner, eg superkill max.

  • Change water buckets daily

superkill max.jpg

Prevention

  • Control build up of manure or waste

  • Ensure good natural daylight

  • Maintain low stocking densities indoors

  • Keep water sources totally clear of faecal contamination

  • Clean indoor housing with ammonia before the start of lambing or kidding season

Known coccidia environments:

Treat kids & lambs with vecoxan (or similar coccidia treatment) at 4 weeks old, and at times of stress - weaning, moving

toltranil.jpg
bottom of page