Goat hoof infection is one of all dangerous disease that attack goat. Basically, this disease is kind of inflammation which is not only attack the hoof but also another body part like mouth, ear, legs, and eye. This disease cause by bacteria that entered the goat hoof by any open wound. The main cause of goat hoof is bacteria called Sphaerophorus necrophorus.
This disease unfortunately can transmit not only on each goat but also in human. In goat itself, it can transmit by water drink, poop, used equipment, transmitted environment, and direct contact. In human, it can be transmitted by poop or maybe direct contact. That’s why if needed you can use latex glove or moreover using special wardrobe that used only in farm area.
The sign
The sign of this disease can you read below:
- Limp or unbalance, fever, and rejected if the hoof touched.
Remind that this is feet problem, it surely makes the goat limp. It may cause the goat unbalance in the first time because we don’t know about the main problem. Probably, this disease detected when it becomes worse. This limp usually followed by fever and there is like wound on their hoof.
- On the first, the hoof would swollen and if you let it away it will peel off.
Hoof swollen is the effect of the wound. When this wound is open, bacteria will getting inside and starting infection process. It doesn’t mean that the wound is close so the problem didn’t happen.
- After it getting swollen, it will appear something like lump and it is hurt if touched.
This lump will block the leg and it cause of why goat is just sits down and stay.
- Passive move and won’t be aggressive.
Both of wound or lump, those are block the goat’s leg. Their leg is getting hurt so that’s why it blockage the move of the goat.
- Low appetite so the production both of meat and milk is decrease.
Because of hurt that they feel, it causes goat lost their appetite. As we know that food is main energy source of every creature life. If it low or lost supply so there is missed something or effect that cause of lost. One of all effects is production of milk and meat is decrease. For you who have goat farming, this is really lost, isn’t it?
- The wound becomes watery.
Both wound and lump will become watery if you let it away. Moreover, it becomes pus if there is no action taken.
Prevent act
- Keep the cleanliness
Remember this disease is cause of bacteria and can transmit to human, main thing that must be focus is the cleanliness. As we know that this disease transmitted by direct contact which is proof that how dangerous this disease is. So, keep cleanliness of all equipment, food, and drink must be the first thing.
- Air system
Air system effect to goat’s respiration which is the more air can be entering, the fresher the inside cage. The right side if you build cage is east. East as we know is the side when the sun come. The wind of this side is more profitable than any side and side to face the sun can help you to make the cage keep drying. Wet or moisture cage effects to any bacteria and fungal to come up. By this naturally drying method the cage can be reduced well.
- Dry food
Make sure that grass that used as their food is pretty dry well. This disease comes of bacteria which is that bacteria also comes by wet food. Not only dry, make sure that the food that you give to the goat is clean and free from worm.
- High quality seed breeding
For you who raise the goat for farm both for milk or meat, make sure that you choose high quality seed breeding. Quality breeding guarantee of high and best immune so the goat didn’t easy to catch any disease. Even though immunity can be build but if there is some ‘low immune’ record that give by their parent, how hard you build their immune to make them strong enough didn’t work well.
- Cutting hoof
The main thing of this prevent after all prevent things you must do is cutting the hoof. As we know that this disease attack goat’s hoof so before the hood is hurt, break, or wound of any reason, make sure that you cut the hoof well so the bacteria can’t getting inside. Beside cutting their hoof, make sure to keep their feet clean. Make a schedule to clean the hoof commonly to the real effect.
Feet is the main body part that used to moving. Any disease that catch life creature is surely affect for some things. Some thing like decreasing meat and milk production is one of all horrible effect of this disease. This is become worse when the disease already transmitted to each other.
By this disease we learn about how important the cleanliness and farm management it is. As modern life technology may help us a lot. But remember, natural method still worked if it needed.