Dead Goats

My neighbors goats have been dieing from a mysterious illness. Their toungs swell up black at the time of death and before there is disentery, disorientation, weakness in the legs, yellow eyes, and a kind of bloating. The only vet in Bay County, Fl who would see goats has recently retired and all others refuse. He really needs some help on this and would like any imput the forum can provide. the gots are already on all sorts of antivirals, antibiotics, and no parsites have been found in the blood or carcasses.

[where I want to]

Have you checked for blue tongue disease?- I have never personally seen of it but have heard others speak of it.

[Alice In TX/MO]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetongue_disease

[freedomfrom4]

The time of outbreaks is spossed to be now, but do the symptoms really match?

http://www.extension.org/pages/Bluetongue_in_Goats

Symptoms: Affects sheep of all ages; goats rarely show clinical disease. Clinical signs range from transient fever and swelling of the face, muzzle, and ears; large amount of nasal discharge which may cause crusting around the nose; oral mucus membranes become dark pink and as the disease progresses, small hemorrhages and ulcers may form on the roof and corners of the mouth. The tongue may become cyanotic (blue) but not as common as the name indicates. Laminitis can develop caused by inflammation of the coronary band and tissues of the foot to the point that some animals may slough their hooves. Diarrhea and wool-break will also occur in infected animals. Bluetongue virus will cause abortions, stillbirths and weak lambs.

Diagnosis: By the presence of clinical signs similar to those reported in sheep have been documented in goats.

[betsy h.]

If it is Bluetongue, it is a reportble disease- get the state vet in on this one.

[Bricheze]

Isn't there no cure/ vaccine, anyways? He needs his goats that are showing symptoms to be quarantined, because this disease spreads and devastates. Keep your goats away from his farm until they figure out what it is!

[Alice In TX/MO]

It's not contagious via casual contact. Its vector is insects.

Thank you for the information. Unfortunatly, his farm and min abut a common standing water wetland. While the goats have been vaccinated for major diseases, this particular one has been recurring in waves of every two to three weeks. Also, it has been affecting all categories of the herd, not just the week or old. I shall indeed contact the state vet on this matter.

[betsy h.]

It really sounds like BTV. I've got a post into the British goat list- where they have had lots of BTV in the last year or so- to see if this matches.