Beside hoof abscess and hoof infection, another disease that attack of goat leg is food scald. Basically, these three problems cause of bacteria. Different kind of bacteria that attack hoof infection, bacteria that cause of this problem called Fusobacterium necrophorum that easily found in poop.
This problem increases during wet season which is when the rainy season come. When the mud and manure become accumulated and cause this problem. Beside of external condition, foot scald can also cause by irritation between the toes and F. necrophorum.
The Effect
To inform you about effect of this problem, here are some damage that cause of this problem.
- Lameness
This effect is the most real that really harmful not only for you as the farmer but also for the goat itself. The lump on their foot is pretty suck and hurt so that’s why it makes lameness. The lump may just make them lost balance in the first. But when the lump getting bigger, lameness is their friend.
- Reduced weight gain
Because of hurt that they feel on their leg, it lows their appetite. This is can happen for several days and after that you can found that your goat is really thin.
- Decreased milk and wool or meat production
Because of there is no supplied food that properly, the nutrition that should getting inside to the goat didn’t coming up. The effect is the goat become weak, hair fall, and surely unhealthy. This unhealthy condition makes milk, wool, and meat production decrease. For farm industry, can you count how loss you got of this problem?
- Decreased reproductive capabilities
Beside affect to the weight, this unsupplied nutrition also affects to the hormone that makes them lost their ability to reproductive. That’s why unhealthy goat has high possibility to unsuccessful fertility.
The Sign
To give you information about all signs that tell you about this problem, here is some symptoms that you must know.
- Limping or holding limbs
This is first symptom that surely appear if there is problem on your goat’s leg both the leg or their hoof. This limp usually starting in small shape and it is getting bigger during the time. If you try to touch it, that’s pretty sensitive. This limp cause of unbalancing problem in goat while catches this problem.
- Inflammation of the skin between the toes (characteristic)
Foot scald pretty similar with hoof infection and hoof abscess in goat, but the most characteristic symptom tells you that this problem is foot scald is the inflammation. This inflammation placed in between the toes.
- Mostly followed by foot rot
Foot scald usually followed with foot rot but there is not every foot scald also followed by foot rot. This foot rot didn’t appear as long as foot scald reduced well. Basically, foot scald can reduced and gone by farm management so this problem basically can reduced well before it become foot rot.
The Treatment
Sick goat must be treats well to cure their problem. here some steps to do the treatment.
- Isolating the affected goat
Because this problem cause by bacteria, you need to isolation the affected one. Disease that cause by bacteria has same possibility transmitted with virus. To avoid this transmitted, you better disparate the affected goat to special place.
- Trim each goat’s hooves
If the problem already transmitted and the affected goat has more, you better trim each other goat’s hooves. Don’t forget to place them all in special space to reduce the transmitting. After that to the trimming to each goat’s hooves. Trimming is cutting goat’s hoof. Make sure that you cut it properly so there is no sharpen hoof that getting inside and makes new problem. You can also trim their hooves not only when the disease come, but also trim it as prevent act so their hoof didn’t safe bacteria under their hoof.
- Inspect all goat that shows foot scald indication
After looking the symptom, you need to inspect all the goats in your farm. Make sure that you found the infected one and separate it away with uninfected. If there is goat that got lameness or unbalancing move, check under the legs. If there is some limp, put it away into isolation space to quarantine it.
- Using cooper sulfate or zinc sulfate or 7% iodine solution
This is the medicine that usually used to reduce scald in goat’s hoof. Those medicine can you applying directly to the goat’s hoof to reduce both of bacteria and the limp.
- Foot bath
If there is so much goats that infected by this problem, to reduce it effectively and efficiently you better do the foot bath. Foot bath is like bathing their foot only to reduce the bacteria. As we know first method to treat the foot scald in goat is clean the leg first. This bath can also you apply to healthy goat as prevent action beside properly trimming method.
Technically, this problem isn’t only attack goat, another animal industry like sheep and cow has same possibility to catch this problem.
This problem can prevent enough by using effectively cage farm management. Don’t forget to always clean the cage including the food and the water container. All equipment that used to treat goat should be clean too, and you as care taker have to clean either.
Because this problem attacks the leg of the animal moreover their hoof, make sure that you make schedule to cut and clean the hoof. You can do it at least 3-5 days once.
Last, don’t forget to always keep the goat healthy by vaccine them. If needed consult it with your vet to get more information.