CAUSES of ABORTIONS IN GOATS

By Sally Mulambya

Abortion in Goats is often defined as a loss of the fetus between the age of 42 days and approximately 260 days, pregnancies lost between 42 days are usually referred to as early embryotic deaths

Although there is a low rate of abortions observed on farms, a gradual increase can be noted over a period of many years, this loss unfortunately is a representation of a significant loss of potential income to a farmer. For this reason prompt action is required.  

Getting a diagnosis is often a challenge to the herdowner and the veterinarian; however, most abortions are commonly seen during the final 2 months of pregnancy. Does are normally very fertile animals but may have a higher incidence of abortion compared to other farm animals. Abortion rates of 5% are common and rates below that are considered good.

Many infectious agents, events causing stress, drugs, nutritional deficiencies and toxic plants may be the cause of a Doe aborting. However, infectious causes may be the common reason for a Doe aborting and should be considered the most likely cause if a herd has an abortion outbreak and in an infectious abortion, it is most often a placental disease.

Chlamydia-

Chlamydial abortion is one of the most common causes of infectious abortion in goats. Pigeons and sparrows may be the carrier of the organism that causes Chlamydia and ticks or insects may play a role in the transmission. Non-pregnant Does may become infected but the organism can stay dormant creating little or no immune response.

The organism may stay dormant until the Doe becomes pregnant resulting in both an abortion and the immune response. Inflammations of the placenta caused by the infection prevent the normal transfer of nutrients across the placenta and that results in the fetal death and it's abortion. After a Doe aborts, she will normally develop a good immune response that eliminates the Chlamydia from her uterus normally within3months of the abortion.

The infectious organism does not proliferate and attack the placenta until around 90 days after breeding. Chlamydia has been found in a buck's semen 29 days after being experimentally infected however the primary modes of transmission are from vaginal or uterine secretions of aborting Does and Does shedding the organism the following year. During future breeding seasons, the Does normally show no signs of infertility, and the natural immunity following an abortion lasts around 3 years.

In newly infected herds,25% to 60% of the Does may abort. In herds that have been exposed to the infection, abortion rates drop between 1 to 15% and the new abortions generally are in new animals to the herd. The abortions generally occur in the last month may happen as early as day 100 of pregnancy. Does may show loss of appetite, run fever and show a bloody vaginal discharge 2-3 days before aborting.

Treatment - If chlamydial is confirmed or highly likely to be present, it is common to treat all Does remaining, at risk of aborting. Treat with long-acting oxytetracycline(20 mg/kg IM or SC).

Bio Mycin 200 is one antibiotic that can be used. Some have given the drug twice a week during the final 4-6 weeks of pregnancy. However because of the management difficulties, the most effective process seems to be one injection every three days for three times before kidding followed by an injection 3 weeks after kidding. Aborting females should be removed from the herd for at least 3 weeks, and fetuses and placentas should be burned or buried.

Toxoplasmosis

Is one of the most common parasitic infections in goats, this is associated with a coccidium of cats. Cats become infected by consuming uncooked meat scraps, placentas, and small rodents.

Goats become infected by eating grass, hay or gar in contaminated by cat feces. It can result in abortion, stillbirths and weak kids. However, reducing exposure to cat may help but in may lead to an increase in rats that carry other diseases. Animals remaininfected for life and may abort in future pregnancies so you may want to cullin fected Does. Feeding decoquinate or monensin throughout pregnancy may reduce the incidence of abortion. These are often used in goat medicated feed.

Q Fever

Is a bacterial disease capable of being transmitted from animals to people caused by Coxiellaburnetii, a rickettsial organizm. C. burnetii may be found in sheep, cattle, goats, cats, dogs, some wild animals (including many wild rodents), birds, and ticks. Animals shed the organism in their urine, feces, milk, and especially in their birth products. Abortion or stillbirths occur in late pregnancy, but only when the placenta has been severely damaged.

Treatment - Treat with long-acting oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg IM or SC). Bio Mycin 200 is one antibiotic that can be used. One injection every three days for three times before kidding of the pregnancy but followed by an injection 3 weeks after kidding. Placentas and aborted fetuses should be destroyed by burning. After a Doe is infected, she can carry the organism indefinitely, shedding it in milk and at kidding.‍

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Listeriosis

Caused by listeria monocytogenes an ubiquitous organism that may be found in soil, water, plant litter and digestive tract of ruminants. Abortions occur in the last 2 months. Abortions have been attributed to the feeding of contaminated silage. Grazing on boggy, high-pH soils can also cause the infection.

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