# CAE positive



## Jane (Apr 17, 2011)

This is my first time using BioTracking, and I am very pleased with how fast they were. I sent samples on Wednesday and just got called with the results. If I had done the testing through my vet, it would have taken at least 4 weeks to get the results. So, two out of the three new goats tested high positive for CAE. That is what I get for being a nice person. 

Does any one out there have CAE positive goats? I don't plan to get rid of them, but can not keep them separated from the negative does. I just do not have the space to separate them or the money to put up new fence and shelter. Am I just doomed to have all my goats eventually get it from the positive ones?


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

They usually only get it from blood to blood transfer or Colostrum/Milk. Bucks are normally the only one who fight till they have bloody heads so, you're probably pretty safe on that one.
That leaves kids or yearlings nursing off them. Taping the teats work for a lot of people. Some people just take the babies and never milk them, making them dry off.
You have to be there when they kid. If the kids get one sip of colostrum they could become positive. 
A woman that I know and respect started with cheap CAE+ does. She worked and managed the disease out of her herd completely.At no time did any of her clean does turn positive nor did the buck she used on the + does for 9 years. She has some of the most beautiful and sought after Nubians in the US now.
Always retest a postitive. Moving, vaccinations, stress of any kind can cause them to test + sometimes.


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## Natural Beauty Farm (Mar 18, 2011)

Yes it is possible. Takes ALOT of extra work and you must be absolutely sanitary about everything involved with them. Been there, done that, it was worth it for me. I got some from a lady that was sloppy in her practices and her whole herd started to turn positive. I would never buy anything from her again, but they were some of the best genetics in the country and I wanted to do it, knew going in what I had to do and they were heading to auction that day, so I had to act quick.

What I have found out is that CAE can be managed. The most dangerous thing is milking, the spray in the milk room atomizes as you milk and will spread to any and every animal that comes in for 30 minutes to an hour. It is very easy to cross contaminate, just takes one accident to hurt the rest of the herd. If you do milk a positive... and I do not recommend it, have a separate milk room for them. Paint all buckets and milk pails red so that it is easy to keep things separate. I do recommend getting a second milk pail just for positives.

...... I used positive bucks on neg does, never had anyone turn positive.
....... when I first got goats I was given a positive doe, she ran with the herd for three years before I started testing. When I started testing she turned up positive and the breeder said that "oh yeah, she tested positive before I gave her to you" But I had been in the habit of catching and bottle raising all the kids, so I never had any other positive animals until I purchased the auction bound does and their kids.
.......I test everyone in the herd over 6 months, every 3 months. Still no surprises after 10 years.
....... Now my Positives are getting older and I do have them segregated, but only so that they can get special feed and are not beat up. I have found out that they can live a long life with a little extra attention.


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## Jane (Apr 17, 2011)

Thank you for your responses. It makes me feel much better!

In regards to milking positive does, is it less likely to spread it to the negative does when using a bucket milker as opposed to milking by hand? I have been milking everyone with a NuPulse milker, washing it between milking the new goats and the original goats. Now that I have the test results I have been milking all the negative does first, leaving the positive ones for last.


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

You are separating the milk, right? I would be pasteurizing the positive milk for sure and not feeding it to any kids even so. I know everyone says people can't get it, but I would still pasteurize it. (I don't generally do that with my milk)

I would think thorough sterilizing between the positive and the negative does would work for the machine, but I don't have any experience with a machine, maybe someone who has done it knows.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

The problem is that it only takes one slip-up to ruin what you're trying to do. I would probably milk the + animals under an open lean-to, outside in an area only the + animals have access to. I would probably use their milk to start calves for resale and never even bring it into the house, milkroom, anything. Milk goats-dump into calf feeders over fence. Now you see it now, you don't and no chance of contamination of your common areas.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

A good use for the + milk too would be to use it for feeding piglets....and since CAE is a goat specific disease, the chances that other critters would get it are zip. I know from experience that piglets thrive on goat milk...and theres no scouring.


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## Jane (Apr 17, 2011)

Thank you all for the advice! It is greatly appreciated! My vet thinks all the positive does should be sent to the sale, but then they would be someone else's "problem." Right now all the milk we do not use in the kitchen goes to the pigs. It really does grow great pigs! Soon it will be going to raise a calf. I wish more research was done on CAE....


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Jane said:


> Thank you all for the advice! It is greatly appreciated! My vet thinks all the positive does should be sent to the sale, but then they would be someone else's "problem." Right now all the milk we do not use in the kitchen goes to the pigs. It really does grow great pigs! Soon it will be going to raise a calf. I wish more research was done on CAE....


I think that a "THANK YOU" is in order here for you being such a responsible person to care enough about the plight of others by not allowing the "spreading" of this disease, if there were more out there in the same situation that thought and cared as you do, I think that CAE would be better controlled. And I'm thinking that you're gonna have some really nice hams for Christmas and Easter from those pigs....I did!


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## Paige (Oct 14, 2010)

Don't worry about it. I think all most every person has or had CAE at some point or another. Even the big breeders....I found out the hard way.


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## Hidden Waters Farm (Oct 3, 2010)

I purchased all of my goats from closed herds or tested herds, but I won't know for sure they are disease free until tested which I intend to do this fall before breeding.


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## smurr92 (Aug 5, 2011)

My vet told me that if my goat was positive for cae I would have to put her down.. Are you guys saying that that is not the case? What are some treatment options? If I'm not breeding or milking her is that better for her? Because she is just a pet.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

smurr92 said:


> My vet told me that if my goat was positive for cae I would have to put her down.. Are you guys saying that that is not the case? What are some treatment options? If I'm not breeding or milking her is that better for her? Because she is just a pet.


There is no reason to put her down if she is positive!!! Sorry but your vet is wrong! Many CAE positive goats can live normal happy lives.


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## Jane (Apr 17, 2011)

A positive test result does not necessarily mean the goat has CAE. They could have active cae, just be a carrier, or have been exposed at some time and carry the antibody. It is transferred to other goats through blood and milk.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

This is a very cool thread!  Natural Beauty, I love your post! Great job! And Jane, I echo Liz's thank you!
I, too, wish more research was done on CAE. Someone on here mentioned breeding a strain of goats that are *tolerant* of CAE, that is, can be positive and yet perfectly healthy, as opposed to negative. In this case CAE wouldn't be an issue at all (as long as they were careful not to let it cross over to non-tolerant goats).


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## megan (Aug 25, 2011)

smurr92 said:


> My vet told me that if my goat was positive for cae I would have to put her down.. Are you guys saying that that is not the case? What are some treatment options? If I'm not breeding or milking her is that better for her? Because she is just a pet.


CAE is a little like TB, the goats can be carriers but never show symptoms. So she could live a natural long life and never get sick. The "pet lifestyle" is best for CAE positive goats, because they never get the chance to pass it on. Also it's my understanding that periods of high stress can cause the virus to "activate" so you'll want to make sure and keep her immune systom strong.


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## mnspinner (Aug 13, 2008)

According to research the vast majority of positives never show symptoms. Hopefully yours will be that way. I know several goaters who successfully manage CAE goats. I just don't think I personally would ever feel comfortable breeding them.


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## Sunny Daze (May 18, 2010)

smurr92 said:


> My vet told me that if my goat was positive for cae I would have to put her down.. Are you guys saying that that is not the case? What are some treatment options? If I'm not breeding or milking her is that better for her? Because she is just a pet.


It is one thing if you keep the goat and plan on dealing with it yourself through the life of the goat, puting her down if she ends up in too much pain in the end. The problem is, many end up sending them to auction or selling them to others, essentially passing on the problem and spreading the disease. Even if you find a "pet" home, it is very hard to guarantee those people will not end up having to get rid of their goats and sell them to someone who ends up breeding. If I had a CAE positive goat personally I would likely put them down unless I knew someone very well that I could trust to keep them as pet only. I wouldn't want to take the risk of having them in with my neg. herd.


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## mnspinner (Aug 13, 2008)

Forgot to add you may want to test again. These tests can be tainted by improper handling of tubes, etc. A friend had two does test + at high titers. She highly suspected this was wrong, so she tested again - I think w/a different lab - and they both came back low negative.


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## Jane (Apr 17, 2011)

I trust the results of the tests I had done through Biotracking, but not the ones my vet did. I have no idea how long she held the tubes in her fridge before sending them in. It took forever to get the results! I will be drawing blood within the next two weeks to send in.


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