# What is wrong with my goats' eyes?



## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

So let me start this off by saying that we keep our goats for woods/pasture management (and as pets ). We have about 20, separated into two pastures. One pasture has 9 wethers, the other has 9 does & 2 wethers (which are the does' now 2yo kids). We have not had a new goat (s) introduced into the herd for......over 3 years now and we have not bred the does or had a buck for 2 years. They are mixed breeds of Nubian, Alpine, Arapawa, and maybe some others.

Now to the point. About 2 years ago we noticed that a couple of our wethers' eyes were turning white. Like, the pupil was disappearing. When you shone the light on them at night you saw these creepy white zombie goat eyes. They were also acting like they couldn't see well. We said "we should take them to the vet", but since they were acting completely normal otherwise and the eyes weren't red or draining we sort of.....didn't get around to it. Since we don't really sell or milk our goats it wasn't a huge priority. Fast forward to now, and about 7 of the 9 wethers in the wether pasture have the white eyes. They are noticeably more cautious/careful of things (I guess because they can't see), but since we have not had then checked by a vet I don't know if they are blind for sure. I have attached pictures of two of the wethers' eyes (Henry and King, they are both 5yo).

I was thinking maybe someone on here would know what this was? I have googled but could not find anything that looked like this and had no other symptoms.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You need a vet. They can't see. Might be some type of bacteria or virus.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree, seek a vet immediately.


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## #nubiantrouble (Jul 26, 2018)

It might be pink eye. It is contagious. So separate the ones that have it from the ones that don’t. Do the affected ones blink repeatedly, or do they have an aversion to bright sunlight? It can cause temporary blindness or even permanent in severe cases. If you look closely is her eye turning pink/red around the edges? An ulcer may appear. Pink eye is usually treated with any number of antibiotics that are injected into the body or placed directly in the eye. Make sure they are hand fed and watered. Keep us updated.


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## BC4goats (Jul 15, 2018)

I agree, vet should see them. Could be pink eye.. you can try oxytetracycline or neo - predef with tetracaine powder ... I think there is a vaccine against it, as it spread by flies, might worth to vaccinate the healthy ones. On pictures almost looks like cataract to me... but it would be weird to have 7 out of 9 with cataracts ?! Also, looks like nuclear sclerosis in older dogs, but it does not affect the vision and I have no idea if the goats can get them, sure age related and not contagious.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

How are things?


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

toth boer goats said:


> How are things?


Well, we are going to take them to the vet. The thing is, our vet is not very goat savvy (he's the same one who gave us Diawin pills for goat diarrhea) but he does do basic things like fecals and prescribing antibiotics and is better than nothing. The only other vet near us we stopped going to because the vet there said that her professor told her that "goats were born to die"  (this was a few years ago when we lost a lot of goats due to not knowing how to treat properly and had to take some to be put down it was so bad)

But since we haven't gone yet I don't know, maybe there is some sort of test he could do to try to find out what is wrong. Sadly there aren't a lot of goat vets, they mostly see horses, cows, and smaller pets.

Also, our trailer hasn't been used in years and since these wethers are too big to fit in a crate, we will have to fix the trailer in order to take them. It is very strange, they act totally normal, (headbutting, playing, eating, etc), just a few of them have white eyes.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You probably don’t have to take all of them to the vet. Ask if one would be enough. If it’s something that can be spread, which I would put money on it was, he should be able to give you enough of whatever for all of them. But just taking one you can toss into anything and get you on your way of getting answers and treatment for everyone.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

So we were never able to take them to the vet, but we did send a picture of their eyes to a vet. He had no idea and had never seen it (although he sees goats) and said it could be something in our pond water. These boys are all still blind and have been for a couple years now. They act normal otherwise. They do live in the pen with the pond so that would make sense.

But what in the pond would be destroying their pupils? I'm assuming it's a parasite? I have searched and searched and cannot find anything that matches up. It is not pinkeye, we had that years ago and it is much different.

I really want to figure this out. None of the vets around here know goats.

Has anyone ever seen anything like this (in any animal)? I am so frustrated. Their were no warning signs on this. These goats literally went blind with no other obvious symptoms. It looks like something cut out their pupils.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Contact one of the State Universities with a good veterinarian program.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I have no answer to the questions of what and how. Only a suggestion to get some ducks for that pond, pronto. I have some you can have...

Ducks do a great job of taking out parasite carriers and iffy vegetation. My drakes love snakes.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Chlamidia will cause blindness.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

True.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Goats Rock said:


> Chlamidia will cause blindness.


Isn't that an infection? We never noticed any swelling or drainage.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

http://www.goatworld.com/articles/chlamydia/chlamydia2.shtml


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

toth boer goats said:


> http://www.goatworld.com/articles/chlamydia/chlamydia2.shtml


From that link "Chlamydia psittaci is one of the four species of the genus _Chlamydia_, which also includes _Chlamydia trachomatis_, _Chlamydia pneumoniae_ and _Chlamydia pecorum_.
_Chlamydia trachomatis_ and _Chlamydia pneumoniae_ are both human pathogens. _C. psittaci_ infects a wide variety of birds, mammals and occasionally humans and _C. pecorum_ contaminates ruminants, swine and koalas. In ewes and goats _C. pecorum_ causes pneumonia, conjunctivitis and arthritis but is very often isolated from asymptomatic intestinal infections [2].
Except in very rare instances, strains inducing abortion in goats belong to _C. psittaci_ serotype-1, which is also responsible for pneumonia, conjunctivitis and arthritis and sometimes, intestinal infections without any clinical signs. "

Does that mean that it is responsible for conjunctivitis without any clinical signs, or intestinal infections without any clinical signs?


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I took it as 'intestinal infections without any signs' but may I say that is an excellent point/question.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

I emailed a university. From searching online all I can gather is that it could have been untreated infection that had no drainage or redness somehow. Isn't it right that there is no way to reverse that?

Ugh. Why did I not think about this for so long....


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Here are the only pics I found that look similar to their eyes:

Here is a really old picture from this forum from someone who said this was pinkeye:










From here:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4629580/









*a*-slight corneal opacity and with neovascularization (_arrows_), and dilated pupil, *b*-posterior capsular cataract with mild degree of iridocyclitis, *c*- clear corneal tissue with dilated pupil, corneal pigmentation (_arrows_) as a result of anterior synechia and cataractous lens, *d*-slight capsular cataract with cortical involvement, *e*-mature cataract, *f*-capsular and cortical cataract with slight nuclear involvement.

I thought their eyes looked similar to c...sorta....

In sheep http://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/sheep/eye-diseases-in-sheep/


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Do you have fire ants in your area? Here the livestock go blind sometimes from fire ant stings to the eyes. They reach up to grab a branch and the fire ants fall down onto their faces. Dogs and cats too. Hubby has been stung in the eye. The species we have is "Little fire ant" and its quite aggressive and lives in anything from electrical outlets to trees to rocks. https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/invasive-species-profiles/little-fire-ant/


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Dayna said:


> Do you have fire ants in your area? Here the livestock go blind sometimes from fire ant stings to the eyes. They reach up to grab a branch and the fire ants fall down onto their faces. Dogs and cats too. Hubby has been stung in the eye. The species we have is "Little fire ant" and its quite aggressive and lives in anything from electrical outlets to trees to rocks. https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/info/invasive-species-profiles/little-fire-ant/


We do have fire ants....I'm unsure as to what that would look like though...


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

he doesn't like the flash in his face but here is our dogs eye who was stung by fire ants.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

This is a better link.

https://faculty.tarleton.edu/morgan/documents/ChlamydialAbortions_Sheep_Goats.pdf


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

toth boer goats said:


> This is a better link.
> 
> https://faculty.tarleton.edu/morgan/documents/ChlamydialAbortions_Sheep_Goats.pdf


So you think it is Chlamydia?

In the link the only reference to eye issues is under Clinical Signs: " keratoconjunctivitis (inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva)"

We never saw them have red inflamed eyes, could it still be Chlamydia? The only goats that have this issue are wethers, all in the same herd.


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

21goaties said:


> could it still be Chlamydia?


I think, yes. It could. I'd have a chlamidia test, myself.


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## Einhorn (Jan 2, 2014)

It looks like moon blindness, for goats.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

mariarose said:


> I think, yes. It could. I'd have a chlamidia test, myself.


How would that work? Is it a blood test? Can the vet do it?


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

21goaties said:


> How would that work? Is it a blood test? Can the vet do it?


I don't know
Yes, it is.
Yes, they can.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

We have contacted the vet and are working on trying to get the lab near us to do blood testing for CAE, CL, and Johnes, and PCR testing for Mycoplasma and Chlamydia (testing swabs from their nose or eyes).


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

Goodness, If they don't already do those things, what DO they test for?
:shrug:


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

Well, they told us they did, but the vet said he wanted to confirm...not sure what that was about. They only accept samples from a vet so we wouldn't be able to get them ourselves.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

I hope the vet & lab can get you the answers!


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Any update @21goaties ? I'm copying the link for this thread into a new thread about a blind goat.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

No update unfortunately @SalteyLove , hopefully will have one soon though


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

We finally took 2 of the blind goats to have their eyes swabbed by the vet today!!!

Will update when we get results!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Hope you find answers soon.


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## NicoleV (Dec 12, 2015)

How strange! Are their eyes deteriorating over time, or did they get that way in a short time? I doubt that a pink eye infection could cause that much damage without you noticing any discharge in a whole group of goats, but then again I've never had a goat with pink eye. 

Would the possible chlamydia still be there a year later to even show up in the swab?


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

NicoleV said:


> How strange! Are their eyes deteriorating over time, or did they get that way in a short time? I doubt that a pink eye infection could cause that much damage without you noticing any discharge in a whole group of goats, but then again I've never had a goat with pink eye.
> 
> Would the possible chlamydia still be there a year later to even show up in the swab?


I don't know.
They never had any swelling or redness.
Guess we will see!
They have never left the farm except to go to the vet. And we have had no new goats enter in years.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Any results from your eye swabs?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Any news?


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

SalteyLove said:


> Any results from your eye swabs?


Sorry this is late. We had 2 of the blind goats tested, George and Roger.

Roger negative for Chlamydia, Herpes, and there was no bacteria growth.
We are still waiting for the rest of the results for roger and the results for george.

I do wonder if because it has been so long they may not find anything actively causing problems.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

How frustrating, hope the other tests find an answer.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

So the results came back.

No Mycoplasma, Chlamydia or Herpes found in either goat (pcr tests were negative).

For the bacteria test, nothing was found in Roger.

In George's culture they did find "2 colonies" of chryseomonas luteola. I looked it up and this is all I found on it:

"Chryseomonas luteola has only rarely been reported as a human bacterial pathogen. It has been shown that this organism in particular affects patients with health or indwelling disorders. Most reported cases showed septicemia, meningitis, endocarditis, or peritonitis."

"_*Pseudomonas luteola*_ is an opportunistic pathogen, found ubiquitously in damp environments. Originally designated in the _Chryseomonas_ genus, the species has since been reassigned to the _Pseudomonas_ genus."

"Chryseomonas luteola has an unclear habitat but it is frequently found in water, soil and other dump environments. Previous studies showed that Chryseomonas luteola may cause primarly septicemia, meningitis, osteomyelitis endocarditis, peritonoitis and it is capable to infect critically ill patients who have undergone surgical operations (Chihab et al., 2004)."

But it says nothing about it doing anything to eyes. Maybe that would explain George's snotty nose?

So, we still don't know what caused them to go blind. I guess whatever did it is dead now because it has been a few years. I have researched online and can't find anything that matches this. Ugh....but I guess this means they are not contagious?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Hmm, interesting and still confusing.

Not sure about contagious or not, more than one has it so..... I am assuming maybe yes? 

Have you tried LA200 or biomycin 200 drops in the eye for 5 days 2 x a day, to see if it helps?


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

I guess we could treat them. But I don't think that will bring whatever sight they lost back. When the vet looked at the 2 goats' eyes he said there was permanent damage.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

How do they get around? fin water and such? Do they all stick together? Are they totaly blind or have some sight? 
Might put bells on them to hear each other? unless brush and briar will be an issue of getting stuck.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

How sad, yeah, I never heard of such a thing without test results confirming cause of reason for the blindness, very odd.


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## 21goaties (Mar 13, 2018)

happybleats said:


> How do they get around? fin water and such? Do they all stick together? Are they totaly blind or have some sight?
> Might put bells on them to hear each other? unless brush and briar will be an issue of getting stuck.


I don't know how much sight the ones with white eyes have. They drink, eat and walk around fine. In the herd of 9 not all of them have the white eyes. 3 of them don't.


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