Meningial worm

[TRAILRIDER]

I haven't heard much about this worm until I read a recent thread. How likely is a goat to get that if they are routinely wormed with things like ivermectin? And if they show no signs of weakness or paralysis how likely would it be that
they would have it? How scary to not be able to detect something so deadly in routine fecal testing.
I ask because I have a very odd acting goat. She's pregnant and going through alot of mood swings so I just attributed it to that.
But a year ago, the same day I brought her home she did something odd. I was leading her, she was scared and pulling back. She fell to her knees and shivered for a moment like she was having a seizure. It lasted only a second or two.
I knew she was needing wormed and in need of copper and mineral supplements. I gave her all that and started feeding her well. She came on great, you may have seen pics I posted here last year. So I stopped worrying.
Now that she is bred (due April 1) she really hates to be caught or led. She can see me moving my hand in front of her, so its not blindness, but I would expect a goat losing her sight to act like this. Not wanting to step in the barn, not wanting to turn around on the milking stand, not wanting to jump down off the milking stand. However she willing jumps on top of a 5 ft hay bale and back off, just to be staying out of my reach! Maybe she's just a pregnant diva?

[Alice In TX/MO]

Unfortunately, no, you can't prevent it. Partly because you should NOT be routinely deworming with anything. Only use dewormers when necessary. Regular deworming creates super worms that are immune to the chemicals.

I accidentally caused seizures in a goat while leading her. Pulling up on the collar cuts off circulation to her head in her jugular veins and arteries!! She was a little jumpy after that. Animal crackers helps overcome those fears.

I think your goat is scared.

[TRAILRIDER]

Thanks Alice for the input. I should have rephrased, I tried safeguard but was told it was ineffective, then wormed w/ ivomec once and ivomec plus in oct. before breeding. Not worming every month etc. She does seem scared when she approaches the barn door. But she doesn't seem scared of me. Tonight she head butted the cat hard enough to make the cat complain loudly. My other goat is acting normally, except she wants to be petted the whole time she's eating and will cry if I stop petting and go check water or something.
I'm glad to hear that pulling on the collar could cause symptoms like a seizure. Luckily I haven't seen that again!

[Jyllie63]

I have an alpaca that we believe had it and his symptoms were very shaky back legs. He ate and drank fine but we knew something wasn't right. We treated with ivomec/panacur (safeguard) and he came out of it. We had another on with it who couldn't get up for almost a week before he finally died. It doesn't sound like your doe has it, but I think symptoms really vary. With the warmer and wetter winter we've been having I'd definitely keep an eye on her for other parasites.

[Patrick]

If you are routinely using ivermectin, the chances that your doe has meningeal worm are minimal. Goats are not as susceptible to it as other species anyway. If you think that your animals are at increased risk of it, you can absolutely prevent it using any of the avermectins. Ask the llama and alpaca people. They do it all the time, because they need to, if they care about keeping their animals healthy.
You should absolutley be deworming regularly. That's one of the basics of good livestock husbandry, in most species. Regular deworming does not create so-called superworms which are immune to chemicals. Improper use of dewormers can create worms which are resistant to some drugs. That is why you should try to establish a good worming schedule with your veterinarian, who is better equipped to evaluate your particular animals better than anyone on the internet who cannot see them, and who knows the parasites which are common in your area.

[motdaugrnds]

I have learned a good deworming schedule is very important (especially right after kidding); however, using too "little" of the wormer can create a resistance to the wormer used.

Fecal samples and learning exactly what you're working with is important. Knowing your area's inhabitants is important as is knowing how the Meningial worms grow. (Doing too little too late or even frequently will not be helpful; and can cause problems.)

When I suspect this particular worm, I will use two (2) different types of wormers. The first would be the Cydectin given orally so as to wash out what may be in the system; then Ivermectin Plus via injection to wash out whatever is in the flesh. I like to use the IV last because I don't want to take a chance of overloading the digestive tract with worms. This has worked well so far in my location.

[Hollowdweller]

There's quite a bit of it in my area and I've never had it that I know of. I use Fenbenzadole and injectable ivermectin.

Also depends on the climate, humidity and how many deer your goats have near them.