Diagnosing and Treating Arthritis in Goats
How Arthritis Starts
A
normal healthy goat has quite flexible joints. The ends of their bones,
where they connect to form joints, are covered with cartilage.
Cartilage is a natural padder and shock absorber between the bones. So
cartilage protects the joints from wear and tear. In addition to
cartilage, there are many muscles, ligaments and a natural lubricant
called synovial fluid in the joints. When the ligaments, muscles or
articular cartilage gets damaged, the animal feels inflammation and
pain. Old age also makes a goat more prone to arthritis.
Causes
Arthritis
in goats may be caused many ways. Trauma, bacterial infection,
nutritional problems, old age, genetics and congested living
arrangements are some of the reasons.
Caprine
arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) is particularly deadly. It affects
the synovial fluid with many other internal organs. It normally causes
arthritis in adult goats. The most commonly affected joints in goats
are carpal and tarsal joints. It spreads mostly from an infected mother
to her kid at the time of birth. CAEV can be inactivated by heating colostrum at 56 degrees
C (133 degrees F) for 60 minutes. Do this in a double boiler as direct heat will make it curdle and become like heavy pudding.
Milk also needs to be heat treated before feeding to the kids- pasteurize milk Milk is
pasteurized by heating it to about 145°F
(63°C) for 30 to 45 minutes or by the "flash method" of heating
to 160°F (71°C) for 15 sec, followed by rapid cooling to
below 40°F (10°C), Store goat milk at 34°F if possible.
Types of Goat Arthritis
There are different kinds of goat arthritis, depending on the source of the inflammation. Some of these are named below.
- Traumatic Arthritis:
Goats are very active and often incur sprains or ligament tears. The
symptoms of traumatic goat arthritis include sudden limping and puffy
joints.
- Viral Arthritis:
Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV) causes chronic arthritus in
goats. It affect a very large number of goats every year world wide.
Mycoplasmas is another kind of virus that affects goats world wide.
- Bacterial Arthritis:
Generally open wounds over joints lead to bacterial infection. Such
injuries should be looked after immediately. In case of young kids,
polyarthritis may occur. Proper hygiene should be maintained in and
around the habitat of goats.
- Nutritional Arthritis:
Nutritional arthritis is caused by an imbalance in the diet. Whenever
there is an overdose of calcium in the diet, the excessive calcium gets
deposited in the joints and causes pain and inflammation.
- Osteoarthritis:
This is the arthritis of old age, due to the normal wear and tear on joints, Also called degenerative arthritis
Symptoms and Signs of Onset
Depending
on the causes, the signs and symptoms of goat arthritis may differ.
Some of the signs are stiffness, lameness, decreased movement,
reluctance to rise, weight loss, abnormal gait, acute swellings without
pain in the joints, reduction in milk yield and poor hair coat. These
signs indicate the painful conditions of arthritis. The life of a goat
can be very miserable.
Stages in Goat Arthritis
Affected
joints are swollen and warm to the touch at the start of bacterial and
traumatic arthritis. In the onset of viral or nutritional arthritis,
there may be no apparent symptoms. Some subtle signs like reluctance to
rise, limping or not using some limbs could indicate early symptoms to
watch. Lameness and substantial reduction in movement occur in later
stages of all these types of arthritis.
Diagnosis and Treatment
As
soon as above mentioned signs and symptoms appear, consult a
veterinarian. Examining the joint fluid can determine whether goat is
suffering from bacterial arthritis, viral arthritis, traumatic
arthritis or nutritional arthritis. Radiographs may also be used to
determine the extent of nutritional or traumatic arthritis. Serologic
testing is used to determine arthritis due to CAEV. Indirect enzyme
linked immunosorbant assays (ELISA) test is used to detect the CAEV
antibodies in the goat milk.
After a
correct diagnosis, treatment should follow a doctor’s instructions.
Antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), tylosin
and tetracycline are quite effective in controlling and recovering from
goat arthritis. Physical movement should be avoided during recovery
from traumatic arthritis. CAEV is dangerous because there is no cure
for it.
How to Care for Arthritic Goats
Prevention
is always better than cure. The different medicines and treatments
cannot replace a sincere and expert caretaker. Proper management of the
habitat and proper cleanliness are helpful. A controlled diet, and soft
floor—such as one made from sand or straw—should be provided to the
bucks and milk producing goats. The habitat should not be crowded.
Arthritis
due to CAEV is not curable. However some preventive measure may be
helpful. Closed herd status should be maintained. Proper diet, clean
and soft flooring, regular foot trimming and regular administration of
NSAIDs are helpful. Every six months all the goats of the herd should
be tested for CAEV infection.
Kids
should be prevent from getting infected just after birth. Their navals
should be dressed with iodine. The newborn should not be fed its
mothers’ milk if she is already infected with CAEV. Boiling this milk
at 56 degree-celsius for one hour makes this milk safe for the baby.
Goats
suffering from traumatic arthritis should be separated from the herd.
Its movements should be restricted. The affected joint should be
dressed. Open wounds should be properly cleaned and dressed to avoid
infections. Bucks should be fed hay only or they may acquire
nutritional arthritis. With osteoarthritis, some sources indicate that there may be a genetic link to this type of arthritis. Diets high in phosphorus and low in calcium or a diet which includes excessive grain may contribute to the
problem as well.
Read more about CAEV: Caprine Arthritis and Encephalitis: Introduction
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