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Basic requirements and routine procedures | Is my goat healthy?
Using medicines correctly | Common diseases and conditions
PULPY KIDNEY
What is pulpy kidney?
What causes pulpy kidney?
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Pulpy kidney is caused by a bacterium
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Pulpy kidney often follows a sudden improvement in diet, for example, when goats are moved from an overgrazed pasture to a conserved one
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Mostly young animals are affected, but older animals may also die from the disease
What signs do you see?
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The disease appears very quickly
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The goats may show an unsteady gait and convulsions
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Animals with this disease are usually found dead without showing any signs
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To make sure why a goat died, it is necessary to do a post mortem examination
Soft pale kidneys
(Photo: Division of Pathology, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute)
In animals that died from pulpy kidney:
- You may see soft pale kidneys; hence the name "pulpy kidney"
- The kidneys may also look bloody
Gas-filled red intestines
(Photo: Food and Agriculture Organization)
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Sometimes you may see gas-filled red intestines. (But you will also see this in animals that have been dead for a while)
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An important sign in the dead animal is an increased amount of fluid in the sac around the heart, which gets thicker and like a jelly when the sac is opened
Treatment
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Because signs are sudden, treatment is usually too late
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If there had been a sudden improvement of the diet, go back to the earlier diet and introduce the improved diet gradually
Prevention
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Do not change feed suddenly
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Regular vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease
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There are several vaccines available - follow the manufacturer's instructions very carefully |
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