All goats should be vaccinated against enterotoxaemia, tetanus, and cheesy gland (CLA or CL). Vaccines like Glanvac 6 provide protection against these diseases as well as others that can affect goats. Enterotoxaemia causes sudden death in kids and adults brought on by a change to lush feeds or high grain diets. Tetanus enters through wounds and causes paralysis. CLA produces abscesses that can be spread through drainage or coughing. Regular vaccination is needed to reduce the prevalence of these diseases.

1. Vaccinations
All goats should be
vaccinated for
enterotoxaemia, tetanus and
cheesy gland (also called
Caseous Lymphadenitis or
CLA or CL). There are
vaccines which cover all
these diseases in the one
pack. In some areas, more
diseases must be vaccinated
against and your local
veterinarian can advise you.
Many use Glanvac 6 as it
covers the diseases above
plus other clostridial
diseases, that can affect
goats with wounds from
kidding or bashing horns.
Enterotoxaemia causes
sudden death in mainly kids
but also adults. It is brought
on by the sudden
introduction of lush feed or
high grain diets. This feed
change results in the growth
of the enterotoxaemia
bacteria in the gut and these
then produce toxins that are
then absorbed into the blood.
If there are any clinical signs
before death, your see acute
diarrhoea, often with blood or
tissue in the loose faeces.
Goats will scream out in
pain. Convulsions and death
soon follow.
Diagnosis is confirmed by
examining the brain and
seeing the typical lesions
under a microscope.
Sometimes there is glucose
in the urine of goats that
have died from
enterotoxaemia.
The protection that the
vaccine provides against
enterotoxaemia in goats is
not as good as that provided
in sheep or cattle. Goats
need to be vaccinated at
least every 6 months or even
more often if they are on a
high grain diet.
In goats, tetanus is
uncommon but does happen
in unvaccinated goats. The
tetanus bacteria enter a
wound by spores from the
ground and grow in the
wound where there are low
oxygen levels due to the
disruption to the blood
supply. Sometimes these
wounds are not found as
they could have been very
mild and healed e.g. in the
sole of the hoof. However if
the original wound is found, it
helps to open the wound up
to the air. The tetanus
bacteria produce a toxin that
then enters the nervous
system and paralyses
various nerves.
There is an anti-toxin which
can be used for treatment
and also for immediate
protection if there is a wound
in unvaccinated animals.
This is basically antibodies
produced by horses given
large amounts of vaccine.
This protection wears out in
about 2 weeks.
Goatvetoz Summer Newsletter
Goat Veterinary Consultancies - goatvetoz Summer 2017/18
ORF vaccine
There is a vaccine for orf,
which is also called
contagious ecthyma or
sore/scabby mouth.
However the vaccine is a
very crude live viral
vaccine which is scratched
on the inner thigh of lambs
and kids. Basically the
vaccine causes a type of
orf in this unusual site
where it does no real
damage so that kids
become immune.
Orf is a virus and can last a
long time in the scabs
(months or possibly years).
This means if you
vaccinate for orf when it is
not already on your farm
you have effectively
introduced it. Sometimes
export shipments of goats
are required to be
vaccinated for orf but
NEVER let this be done on
your farm. Wait until the
agent has the goats in a
quarantine centre well
away from your property.
Orf is zoonotic i.e. can be
transferred to people. It
causes a similar sore to
that seen on goats’
mouths, but generally on
people’s hands.

2. Cheesy gland (CLA or CL)
produces abscesses in the
external or internal lymph
nodes and sometimes both.
It can be spread by the pus
from draining abscesses or
coughing, if there are lung
abscesses. The bacteria get
in via the lungs or small
abrasions such as those
from shearing or rubbing
against feeders. Treatment is
difficult as no drugs can get
through the thick abscess
walls. Abscesses should not
be allowed to burst but
should be lanced & cleaned
or drugs injected into them.
While the protection against
CLA is not quite as good as
the protection against
tetanus, it does dramatically
reduce its prevalence.
Research in Australian
sheep has shown a marked
reduction in the incidence of
CLA since vaccination was
introduced, dropping from
80-90% of sheep farms to
around 20% of farms.
Unfortunately many sheep
farmers do not give the full
course of 2 doses to lambs
then annual boosters. CLA
in sheep farms that do not
vaccinate or vaccinate
incorrectly have CLA in the
high 20% to low 30% of their
sheep. But sheep farms
where lambs are given 2
doses plus an annual
booster have a prevalence of
only 3%.
For goats, all kids need an
initial dose around 3-4 weeks
and a booster 4 weeks later
then every 6 months. Full
protection doesn’t start until
after the kids get their
second dose. Pregnant does
should also be vaccinated in
the last 4-6 weeks of their
pregnancy to ensure their
colostrum has plenty of
protective antibodies.
However these antibodies
only last around 6 weeks.
Akabane
While this sounds like a
Japanese food or craft, it is
the name of a virus that can
cause deformities in newborn
livestock, including goats. It
was first reported in Japan
but is in Australia and many
other countries. The main
clinical sign are contracted
limbs (arthrogryposis). Even
when dead, the joints and
legs of the affected livestock
cannot be straightened.
This can lead to a difficult
kidding or calving and deaths
of both the mother and
offspring. This is because
the legs cannot get into the
correct position for easy
delivery.
Other clinical signs are a
domed head and a brain that
is smaller than normal
(microencephaly) or part of
the brain is absent and
replaced with fluid
(hydraencephaly). There was
also a report of abortions in
sheep and especially goats
in Israel.
The diagnosis of akabane
can’t be generally confirmed
from the dead kid. Blood
samples need to be taken
from the doe that gave birth,
ideally 2 samples 6 weeks
apart which should show
high and /or rising antibody
levels.
If the doe may have any
Anglo-Nubian in her
background the brain should
be removed and tested for
beta-mannosidosis which
also causes contracted legs.
Some viruses exotic to
Australia, such as Cache and
Schmallenberg can cause
similar signs as well. In
some states this may mean
you can get lab samples
tested for free as an exotic
disease exclusion. You will
need prior approval but it’s
worthwhile asking.
There was an outbreak in
calves in the spring of 2017
around the NSW
Queensland border and
some affected kids born in
the Gold Coast hinterland.
There is no treatment and no
vaccine. As these viruses
are spread by biting insects
such as midges, it is possible
to delay matings until the late
autumn when fewer biting
insects are around.
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