Contents:

• CAE

• CL

• Johne's

• Staph Aureus Mastitis

• Mycoplasma

• Hoof Rot

• Ringworm

• Lice

• ORF

Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis "CAE"

This disease is actually one of the easier ones to manage. It has an easy and accurate blood test that can be run at anytime on an individual goat or herd. It can be spread from dam to kid and through milk from goat to goat. If a herd has CAE, it can be eliminated over time with a pasteurized 100% bottle fed milk rearing program for the kids. It is very important to note though, that goats could possibly pick up CAE at goat shows if contact the milk from positive goats. A buyer of goats needs to note the date of the last test for CAE, and understand that a herd can be completely negative, show for a season, and then have a goat come positive.

At Sandhill Oaks, we test annually for CAE and try to do so shortly before kids arrive. This way, if any of our goats should ever be positive, we can bottle raise the kid to ensure they are CAE free.

Caseous Lymphadenitis "CL"

CL is caused by a bacterium called "Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis". It causes abscesses in goats usually in the region of the lymph nodes. Once the abscess opens, the purulent material inside is highly infectious. Managing CL in a herd is challenging because if this material gets on fences or feeders, other goats can ingest it and become infected. Animals can be infected with CL and show no outward signs for a period of time. While a blood test is available, it is of limited value due to a high number of false negative results if the animal is in a chronic carrier state. The best time to test is during active abscessation. The material from the abscess can be collected and sent for testing.

At Sandhill Oaks, we do not perform the blood test (similar to many other herds) due to very limited value. If one of our goats was to have a possibly concerning abscess, we would collect and send the material for testing. We have never had a case of CL in our herd.

Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuburculosis (MAP) "Johne's"

Johne's is a very challenging disease in goats. It is spread in manure and so pastures become contaminated when a goat is shedding the bacteria. This bacteria can then live in the soil for an extended period of time. This disease can be transmitted from dam to kid. There is a blood test available for Johne's, but this test can have false positives if it picks up Mycobacterium avium ss. avium, which is carried by birds. The Johne's information center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison does not recommend performing the blood test for this reason. The best approach is to annually test all animals in a herd using a pooled fecal PCR, which will return positive before the blood test does anyway. Using pooled samples, this test remains cost-effective.

At Sandhill Oaks, we perform pooled fecal PCR testing.

Staphlococcus aureus mastitis

Staph aureus is a bacteria that lives on the skin of nearly all humans and goats. Normally, our skin protects us from this bacteria and we live peacefully together. However, if there is a breakdown of the skin barrier, or the bacteria gets into our bodies, then it can cause disease. When S. aureus gets into a diary goat's udder, it will cause internal abscesses that are nearly impossible to treat. The best course of action is to perform regular mastitis testing either with a California Mastitis Test or with Somatic Cell Counts for herds on milk test. If the test returns positive, then a milk culture should be done to determine the cause of the mastitis. There are many other causes of mastitis besides S. aureus, and many can be treated and are not as much of a concern for spread to other goats. S. aureus can spread from dam to kid if they nurse, and from goat to goat in the environment (generally through milking equipment).

I have provided two links for more information on S. aureus. The first is written for dairy cows, but the concepts are the same for goat. The second is a 2026 case study of an outbreak of S. aureus in a goat dairy. There is excellent information about S. aureus in the article and good information about what it takes to eradicate this issue once it is established in a herd. While many "small" show goat dairies will not have issues with S. aureus at that level (hopefully due to better milking practices) the evidence shows that if not culled, spread is likely during milking and feeding raw milk to kids or improper pasteurization means that sold kids could freshen with the disease.

At Sandhill Oaks, our milking does are checked by the California Mastitis Test 3-4 days after freshening, and monthly thereafter. Tests that are abnormal are sent out for culture. We have never had a case of S. aureus in our herd, though we did ship in a milking doe from a Nationally shown herd who tested positive for mastitis 2 days after she arrived during her initial routine health screening (she was in quarantine). Her culture confirmed S. aureus. She was kept in quarantine, dried off, and had a mastectomy. We were out a significant financial investment and heartbroken to lose what was supposed to be our new high quality show doe. However, the health of our herd was more important. This story is shared to show our level of commitment. We are proud to keep our herd as disease free as we possibly can.

Mycoplasma

Mycoplasma is an old dairy goat disease that is re-emerging. Mycoplasmas are the smallest type of bacteria and can affect many species. They are a common cause of coughing in dogs (Kennel cough is often caused by Mycoplasma) and can affect cats as well. There are several types that can infect dairy goats, and some of these types are a normal organism that lives in the nasal passages of goats and cause no issue. There are also types that can be extremely serious and deadly in a herd. If the bacteria gets down into the lungs, it can cause pneumonia and could be a cause of sickness or death if not treated. There is no way to completely cure a goat of Mycoplasma.

Goats that show, like kids that go to daycare, are often exposed to Mycoplasma. This organism can be tested for with a special nasal swab sent out to a laboratory, but positive results can be hard to interpret since this bacteria can live in a goat's nose harmlessly. Mycoplasma can be shed in milk from dam to kid, so pasteurized kid rearing, if kept completely separate from adult animals, can reduce the chances of transmission to kids. This disease would likely be of greatest concern in a herd that never shows, and has never had Mycoplasma exposure, though most goats with a good immune system can manage this bacteria without getting sick. Mycoplasma can also cause mastitis, and can be tested for with a separate Mycoplasma culture.

At Sandhill Oaks, we are aware that Mycoplasma is fairly ubiquitous in our area and our animals are likely exposed at shows (see our section on biosecurity to learn how we do everything we can to reduce the chances of bringing disease back to our herd). Potential buyers who are concerned about Mycoplasma should look to purchase goats who are 100% bottle raised on pasteurized milk and kept separate from adult animals with safegards in place so that caretakers do not carry the bacteria from adults to kids. Needless to say, this is a very hard task that not many herds are able to accomplish. We have never had a documented case of the more deadly strain of Mycoplasma in our herd.

Hoof rot

Hoof rot is a bacterial disease of the foot of goats and sheep. It is caused by specific types of bacteria that thrive in wet conditions. The bacteria generally require some sort of irritation or wound to enter the hoof or surrounding tissues. This can be caused when the animals cannot escape a wet environment, especially if they are kept on abrasive footing. The hallmark of this disease is lameness. If the animal is not lame, then it is not hoof rot. If multiple animals in a herd start to become lame at once, with wounds around the hooves and likely a foul smell, then a call to a vet is warranted to start trying to treat it. This can be a challenging disease to treat, but is preventable and will be far more common in some areas of the country than in others.

Sandhill Oaks has not had a case of hoof rot. Our animals are kept on a sandy pasture and while our summers can be very wet, the animals can get under dry shelter and our soil drains and dries very quickly.

Ringworm

Ringworm is caused by a fungal infection, most commonly of the trichophyton species. It is another one of those diseases that can hide in a herd. Older animals can carry the fungus and not show any signs of it. Those animals can act as a reservoir for the fungus and infect other goats through contact. This fungus can live in the environment for long periods of time, and so it is extremely difficult to completely eradicate. The good news though, is that in most circumstances, it is more of an annoyance than a major concern for the goats. The most important aspect of ringworm is that it is contagious to people. Just like with goats, most people can be exposed to ringworm and they will not have any problem with it. However, individuals with a compromised immune system, such as the very young, very elderly, or people with certain diseases, can end up with ringworm lesions if they contact the fungus. This calls for a visit to their doctor, where treatment can be prescribed.

It is possible to test for ringworm, but it is not commonly done unless the are animals in the herd showing evidence of skin lesions. Ringworm is common in the environment, and practically cannot be eliminated. Goats will bring it home from shows, and new goats will bring it into a herd. Usually the animals that will show signs are the youngest in the herd. It can be treated so that the goats will not be affected anymore. In extremely rare circumstances, individual goats (or people) can be highly affected by ringworm, and the lesions can spread over a much larger area of the body. People who are like this should be prepared to take extra precautions to avoid exposure.

This is not a goat specific problem. Ringworm infects many species and is very common in kittens. It is highly prevalent in shelter environments where many young and sick animals are housed together. People also commonly get ringworm from each other, especially when they play contact sports. The best advice I can give is to simply be diligent with hygiene, wash your hands after contacting animals and the risk is minimized.

At Sandhill Oaks we have treated the odd case of ringworm, most likely brought in with new animals or from shows.

Lice

Lice are common in goats. Animals can carry a small number of lice and not show any signs of them. Lice survive better in cooler weather and so the condition often becomes known in the fall or winter when the goats may develop a dull haircoat or start to scratch themselves. Lice are treatable in goats and they are not contagious to people. Herds will get lice by contacting them at a show or if an animal has them when it is brought into the herd.

At Sandhill Oaks, because we show, we treat the herd in the fall before kidding season so that if any goats have lice they will be killed prior to the arrival of kids and the start of show season.

Orf