11/24/2025
I mentioned in my last post the two does with enterotoxemia that I thought lost their pregnancies (one did, one did not).
Let's talk about entero.
Enterotoxemia is most commonly caused by bacteria Clostridium perfringens types C and D. Clostridial bacteria are commonly found in the rumen but an "overgrowth" is more likely to occur if other rumen microbes are thrown off. Change in pasture, too much feed one day, bad spot in a hay bale, noxious weeds, all can contribute to clostridial overgrowth.
Animals that have enterotoxemia will show signs of gastrointestinal discomfort such as a dull appearance, loss of appetite, and bruxism (grinding teeth). Classically they will have diarrhea that may start out with "cow pie" consistency but transition to liquid with mucus and/or blood. These animals can have all sorts of temperature variations but usually they have a below normal temperature by the time I see them. Cold mouth and tacky mucus membranes mean you're in big trouble with systemic toxins and dehydration.
The last doe I treated for this on my farm was not a friendly doe but I was able to walk up to her, her mouth was COLD, and her mucus membranes were "brick red" (think 1 on FAMACHA but a little more bright) indicating she was toxic.
💉 My treatment approach on these includes antibiotics, fluid therapy, NSAIDs (I like Banamine for an anti endotoxin effect as well), and supportive care such as B vitamins, probiotics, pepto bismol, and Mylanta. C&D antitoxin is seemingly forever backordered but if I have it, I will use it, too. It may seem like I'm throwing the kitchen sink at them but every drug has a very specific purpose in treating these animals.
⚠️ Polioencephalomalacia ("polio") is a very common sequelae to enterotoxemia and can even come at the same time. The "good" microbes 🦠 in the rumen are responsible for thiamine production. Clostridial species produce thiaminases- enzymes that break down thiamine. Thiamine is a necessary cofactor for energy metabolism in the brain. 🧠 So putting all those pieces together, when something throws off rumen microbes, you're going to have a thiamine deficiency of some magnitude that if severe enough will cause the neurological signs (blindness, seizures) we associate with polio. Any time I am treating a sick goat I am making sure they are getting plenty of B vitamins. (Also keep in mind, thiamine is B1- so these cases should be treated with straight 500 mg/ml thiamine, or higher doses of B complex, save your B12 for another time.)
Even though no vaccine is perfect, it is important to vaccinate with CD&T or a similar vaccine depending on your individual herd needs. It is unfortunately really common for herds to not vaccinate because they've never had an issue, or don't think the vaccine is effective. However right now without antitoxin available, this is a very risky decision. I have seen producers lose large groups of young animals that probably could have been saved had they been vaccinated. And personally I don't know of any vets recommending to not vaccinate at all. I prefer to vaccinate my adult dairy goat herd once pre breeding and again 4-6 weeks pre kidding, but most can get away with annually. Kids are vaccinated at 3-4 weeks old with another booster 3-4 weeks after that.
As we're winding down on breeding season and prepping for winter, it's a good time to reflect on herd health protocols including vaccines. CD&T vaccine is the main one I recommend across all small ruminant herds! It's easy to get nearly any brand from various places but I usually recommend ordering directly from an online pharmacy, veterinarian, or a TRUSTWORTHY feed store where you know it's been handled properly. 🌡️
