Veterinary Care for Small Ruminants
Who doesn’t love an adorable little herd of goats or sheep on their farm? We sure do! They are fun creatures with so much personality. In order to enjoy them in the family for as long as possible and to provide them with good quality life, they require annual care. This includes veterinary examinations, vaccinations, and deworming.
Fun facts about small ruminants:
- Ruminant refers to animals that have a rumen – the largest portion of the four-chambered stomach. The term ‘small ruminant’ encompasses both goats and sheep.
- Goats are typically found as pets on a hobby farm. Many people also give their goats a ‘job’, including providing milk, used as pack animals, or even for meat.
- Sheep can also be found as pets on a hobby farm. Different sheep ‘jobs’ include providing milk, providing fiber from their coat, or used for meat.
Small Ruminant Husbandry
- Goats tend to be browsers and will happily eat all plant materials they are enclosed with (including bushes and trees!). Sheep tend to be grazers.
- Goats and sheep are herd animals and do much better when living with other animals.
- They can live for quite some time! Some can live up until their mid-teens. Amazing!
- Their hoofs are constantly growing and need trimming, even in this rocky environment. The frequency of trimmings depends on the individual animal and the type of environment they live in. Typically, we recommend they are trimmed 2-4 times each year.
Small ruminants grow horns in both males and females (although the female horns tend to be thinner) in most species of goats and sheep. If you do not want your small ruminant to have horns, we recommend disbudding when they are still very young at less than 10 days of age. Although this sounds scary, it is much less traumatic for the little one with fewer complications. This can be done using electric or butane dehorning irons with your veterinarian. Some owners elect to do this themselves, just be sure you are properly trained in the techniques to not cause damage to the lamb/kid. Your veterinarian will want to give your lamb/kid a prophylactic tetanus vaccine and pain medications.
Small Ruminant Vaccinations
We recommend two vaccines for all goats and sheep: (1) CD&T – Clostridium tetani & C. perfringens types C & D; (2) Rabies. These vaccines are given annually with yearly veterinary examinations.
There are other less common vaccinations used for commercial farms but are not commonly used for pets.
Small Ruminant Deworming
Deworming for small ruminants is best based on annual fecal egg counts and/or the presence of ectoparasites (those parasites living on the surface of the skin). Please consult with your veterinarian on submitting fecal egg counts.
Common Parasites Seen In Young Small Ruminants
Coccidiosis and Cryptosporidiosis
Small ruminants will have diarrhea with both conditions. Typically, small ruminants with these infectious causes of diarrhea are young, less than 5 months of age.
Cryptosporidiosis is transmittable to people! So, if your young ruminant has diarrhea, please use great hygiene while handling them. Please call your veterinarian to schedule an examination and bring a fecal sample with you.
Lice and Keds
These are common external parasites seen in small ruminants. If you notice creepy crawlers on your little ruminant, give us a call to schedule and examination and discuss treatment.
Common Diseases Seen In Adult Small Ruminants
Arthritis
Just like with any animal, age can bring inflammation around joints, causing arthritis. We typically see this first in the front legs, then the back. There are many different options for therapies to keep these older animals comfortable, so give your veterinarian a call for an exam and to discuss options.
Contagious Lymphadenitis
This disease is caused by a bacteria that infects the lymph nodes, creating large abscesses. This condition is very contagious, so if you notice lumps on your small ruminant, especially in the areas where lymph nodes are located, please give us a call to discuss treatment and possible quarantine protocols.
Grain Overload
As the name suggests, this condition is when naughty small ruminants (more commonly goats because of their inquisitive behaviors) ingest too many grains or are overfed. This disrupts their gastrointestinal tract, particularly the rumen. Typically, animals with this condition are lethargic, bloated, or vocalizing. However, it can cause seizures and death, so please call your veterinarian ASAP if you suspect grain overload.
Pregnancy Toxemia
This condition occurs in dams at the end of their pregnancies when the requirements for the feti outweigh the ability of the dam to take in calories. If you notice that your pregnant dam seems sick and has low energy, give your veterinarian a call ASAP as they require quick intervention.
Dystocia
Dystocia, or difficulty during labor, is commonly seen in small ruminants with multiple feti or large feti. It is more common in miniature or dwarf breeds due to their small stature. There are a few criteria for suspecting dystocia: (1) if the first 30 minutes of contractions have begun, or if the water bag has ruptured, and labor is not progressing; (2) if the fetus has presented partially, but has not advanced for 30 minutes. Please give your veterinarian a call ASAP if you suspect your dam is having difficulty during labor as she may need a C-section.
Surgical Services
Castration
Unless you plan on breeding your buck or ram, we recommend castration. For animals intended to be pets, you can wait until he is 3-4 months old to decrease the chance of medical problems later (particularly urolithiasis – more on this later). Otherwise, many people proceed with castration around 2-3 weeks of age. Options for castration in the 2-3 week age group include banding or surgery. Please schedule a consultation with your veterinarian to discuss this further.
Urolithiasis
This is a very common, and very serious, problem in wethers. It can occur in bucks or rams, but not as commonly. This condition is caused by a buildup of calculi, crystals, or sludge within the urethra, causing an inability to urinate. Wethers can become very sick and die quickly with urolithiasis, so it is critically important to contact your veterinarian ASAP if your wether is not acting right. We can discuss different options, many of which require surgical intervention.
How can we prevent this disease? Well, as mentioned above, waiting to castrate until 3-4 months of age can help. Another way to prevent urolithiasis is to change his diet so that he is not fed alfalfa or grains. You will want to always encourage water intake by offering free choice mineral/salt blocks and/or spraying his hay with salt water. Finally, there are urine acidifier supplements that may help (ammonium chloride supplements fed in a ‘pulse’ manner).
We are very excited to meet your small ruminant herd and discuss all the ways we can help them have a full and enriching life!
Other Important Small Ruminants Diseases
Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus (CAEv) in Goats
This condition can sometimes be confused with arthritis because of the swelling around the leg joints or limping. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for this disease, so it is important to consult with your veterinarian to differentiate between arthritis and CAEv. This is especially true if you are noticing neurological signs.
Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Virus
This condition is very similar to CAEv seen in goats. Sheep infected with this virus may have lameness in multiple limbs, hardened udders, and/or respiratory disease that is non-responsive to antibiotic treatment. Unfortunately, like CAEv, there is no treatment.
Tetanus
Tetanus is an infectious bacterial organism that comes from the environment. It typically infects young and adult small ruminants through wounds. In young small ruminants, it is most commonly seen after disbudding or banding if they or their dam did not receive a vaccination against tetanus. In adult small ruminants, it is most commonly seen after a wound and they did not receive a vaccination against tetanus.