Sick Goat Checklist
Did you just come across your goat and its obviously sick and you don’t know what to do? You’re looking for help and you need it fast! But when you go to the goat Facebook group or call your goat mentor, you can’t get the right answers if you don’t have the right information or all of it.
The answer to the questions shared below is crucial to know if someone is going to help you get to the bottom of what is wrong with your goat. Without these questions answered, the person helping has nothing to go on to find the answer.
If your goat is sick, print this off, answer the questions and then go find the help.
Hopefully you’re already keeping detailed records in My Goat Binder and My Parasite Control Plan Binder. If so, you can quickly get a lot of these answers. If not, be sure to get My Goat Binder mailed right to your door!
Basic Information:
- Age of the goat.
- Sex of the goat.
- Breed of the goat.
- Current weight of the goat.
For Does:
- Is the doe pregnant? If so, when is she due to kid?
- If nursing, how many kids, their ages, and male to female ratio?
- Any issues during pregnancy, delivery, or lactation?
- Recent weaning of kids, and if so, when?
For Bucks:
- Has the buck been recently castrated or disbudded/dehorned?
- Is the buck currently breeding does? If yes, how many and for how long?
For Kids:
- Is the kid nursing? If so, its position in the sibling pecking order.
- Dam’s position in the doe pecking order.
- Was it a difficult birth? Sufficient colostrum intake?
- Recent weaning status. Is it a bottle baby? If so, feeding details, age, and weight.
General Background:
- Is the goat new to the farm? Born on-site or acquired from an auction/private farm?
- If acquired, travel distance to your farm?
Health History:
- Last deworming: Product, dosage, administration method.
- Fecal checks, if done, and when.
- Vaccinations received and their timelines.
Nutritional Details:
- Current diet: Specifics on grains, pasture, and hay.
- Recent changes in feeding regimen and their nature. i.e. did the goat just get into a bag of chicken feed? etc
Environmental Factors:
- Recent weather changes: Rain, temperature, wind, etc.
- Alterations in herd membership: New additions or transfers affecting the pecking order.
Herd Dynamics:
- Number of goats in the pen/pasture with the ill goat.
- Size of the pen/pasture (acreage or dimensions).
Symptoms and Timeline:
- Description of symptoms and their onset.
- Initial thoughts on the problem and reasoning.
Physical Health:
- Goat’s rectal temperature.
- Normality of eating, drinking, peeing, and pooping.
Veterinary History:
- Medications given, including details of veterinary visits.
- Prescription and over-the-counter medications on hand.
Owner’s Presence:
- Owner’s residence status on the property.
- Frequency and distance of owner visits.
Print out this Form and Get it filled out! Click the link below to open it up and print it out:
Note: Detailed and organized record-keeping enhances the overall health management of goats, aiding in quick and informed decision-making during health-related concerns.
If you’re struggling raising goats or need some more details on how to up your care for them, take some time to read through more articles here: Raising Goats Resource Page