# West Nile Virus



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Do goats get WNV? Should they be vaccinated for it?


----------



## pennyspasture (Dec 22, 2011)

Good question!


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I know we don't vaccinate for it in Ohio. Not sure if the western states do. I know they vaccinate alpacas for west nile from Colorado on west but haven't heard of goats being vaccinated.


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I'll ask my vet tomorrow. (Poor guy is so patient with all my questions LOL).
I'll post here what I learn.


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Would love to hear what he says.


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I'll definitely let you know.


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Zarafia said:


> I'll definitely let you know.


 :thumb:


----------



## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

I have no idea, but our vet just send out an e-mail last night at that a horse less than 20 minutes from us had to be euthanized from it. Its been so warm and wet already the mosquitos are pretty fierce. Really scary, we are going to call him asap to get our horses boostered. I can ask him about the goats when he is here.


----------



## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

So I do not know of anyone here in Colorado that does anything but horses. I know years ago one of my 4Hers asked the vet becasue she was going to do a demo on it but they do not recommend the shot to goats.

This year we are SO dry that I will be suprised if we have a bad year this year.


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Thanks, Sweetgoats.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All I know is ...horses can get it...I would think my vet would of informed me... if the goats were in danger..... but... I am curious ...to what your vet will say on it.... :wink:


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I just called Eric, my vet and left a message. He'll get back with me by the end of the day.
BTW birds can get WNV too, and they can be vaccinated. But my falconry vet recommends against vaccinating hawks. Now northern falcons are a different story.


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I just talked to my vet and he says that goats do not get WNV :clap: .


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Good to know.... :hi5:


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I thought so.
We had an epidemic of WNV back in 2002. I lost my lanner falcon to it, nearly lost an elderly mare to it and had dead crows all over my property.
So my vet knows how seriously I take it.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:hug: :thumb:


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

:wink: Thanks, Toth.
I also made a tentative appt for Pan to loose his manhood. I feel really good about the decision. My vet says he wont miss them LOL.


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Zarafia said:


> :wink: Thanks, Toth.
> I also made a tentative appt for Pan to loose his manhood. I feel really good about the decision. My vet says he wont miss them LOL.


 :hi5:  He wont miss them. :wink:


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

:lovey: I know. Thanks for your input. It definitely helped me make my decision.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> :wink: Thanks, Toth.
> I also made a tentative appt for Pan to loose his manhood. I feel really good about the decision. My vet says he wont miss them LOL.


 :hug: :thumbup:


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

Now that I have made the decision I feel very good about it. Pan is my baby and I want him to be thinking about learning to do things like jobs and tricks as opposed to does .


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

That is good to hear.... :hug: :thumb:


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I  :lovey:  Pan!


----------



## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

toth boer goats said:


> That is good to hear.... :hug: :thumb:


Yes it is!!


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:wink:


----------



## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

I'll tell you, that whole mounting thing last night really showed me how different they are from horses. I don't want Pan turning into a rutting little monster. I don't know enough about goats to raise a bottle baby buck right now IMO.


----------



## chma4 (Jul 3, 2013)

*West Nile is a GOAT disease too!!!!*

"West Nile is an arbovirus, which means the virus is kept alive only by transmission between a vertebrae host and blood feeding insects, usually mosquitoes in North America. West Nile is spread when a mosquito bites an infected bird; birds are usually the carrier of the virus. The virus then enters mosquito salivary glands and is then transferred when the mosquito feeds again. West Nile cannot be transferred by mammal-to-mammal contact.

The most serious problem West Nile causes is severe infection in the host from crossing the blood brain barrier. This crossover causes encephalitis, an infection of the central nervous system and inflammation of the brain. At this point there is no cure for West Nile virus. A vaccination is available for horses, but it has been known to cause pregnancy complications and is not labeled for use in other animals.

There has been confusion amongst animal breeders in determining which livestock species can be affected by this virus. Horses and birds are very susceptible to it, yet other livestock can and do catch it. Each North American state has protocol to follow when determining how to report this virus. In Kansas, after a host shows a high fever and other symptoms a test can be run but has to be done through a state approved laboratory for the diagnosis to have any chance of going on the official state numbers. The actual numbers of hosts infected with West Nile is debatable because of information not recorded due to missing protocol factors.

The cost involved with running and getting back test results of West Nile virus is substantial, around $50 to $60 per test. By the time the results get back, usually in seven to 10 days, the affected animal may have died. This is another source of confusion for dairy goat breeders and owners, who need to know what to do if they suspect an animal might be affected by the virus.

Veterinarians warn that the signs of West Nile in goats can be mistaken for other illnesses. They include a high fever, tilted head, staggering, and general depression. The high fever, tilted head and staggering all point towards encephalitis, which needs heavy-duty antibiotics and steroids for treatment. Once the infection crosses the blood brain barrier chances of a 100% recovery are slim. The goat may recover enough for breeding purposes, but very often will continue to show permanent signs of nerve damage.

This summer I had a personal experience with a young Oberhasli doe that came down with symptoms of encephalitis. The four-month-old doe kid was fine and doing well, but suddenly one day she could not hold her head upright. Her neck was severely twisted to the right side and it seemed as though her entire neck was out of place. My husband and I called our local vet and in consultation with him, treated her with vitamin B injections and penicillin. It didn't help. Our vet then prescribed Nuflor and steroids. This seemed to help somewhat, but not enough to make us comfortable with the situation. We took her in to be examined and she found she had a high fever and an infected ear. Our vet suggested we run a West Nile test at that time, but we felt that the cost was prohibitive. We continued to treat her with Nuflor, steroids, and a topical ointment for her ear infection. Within a week she was doing much better, and seemed to be recovering but to this day, she still holds her head a little off to the side at times. The vet assured us that she could still be a good production doe, whether or not she had been afflicted with West Nile virus.

If expense had not been an issue for us, we would have chosen to run a test for West Nile virus as it would have been a good way to help inform the rest of the public that yes, West Nile was found in another domestic goat. However, we did what we could and recommend others with questionable goat problems, keep in close contact with a certified veterinarian, like we did, when confronted with the West Nile possibility.

Since there is no cure for West Nile it is very important for dairy goat breeders to practice prevention. Standing water needs to be drained; lagoons or ponds should have small fish placed in them that eat mosquito larvae or tablets that kill the larvae. Natural mosquito predators such as barn swallows, purple martins, and bats should be encouraged to stay in the area. Pesticides can be sprayed to reduce mosquito populations, however, using pesticides often has an adverse reaction on natural predators. Some states have started regular spraying programs to keep mosquito populations at bay. However individuals must be responsible and keep an eye on things in their own area and take preventive measures." Multiple sources
Hope this infor helps someone!


----------

