Polioencephalomalacia (PEM) It can happen to a goat you know!

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:10:00 -0400

After getting home at 10 pm one Saturday evening, after dinner out with friends, I thought I would just check on the does and their kids. No particular reason; usually they are just fine. Perhaps just by the grace of God....

As always upon my arrival into the run-in I was met with a great chorus of goat noise. Always hopeful for some alfalfa or some grain (even though they were feasting of fresh pasture all day), the does clustered to the door as I tried to make my way in. I saw Michelle, one of our most vocal, demanding new Boer does (7 months old) standing off to the side, gazing outside in the paddock.She seemed to be leaning against the wall.

I thought, how strange! This is the doe that demands attention and is perhaps the most friendly.

"Hey, Michelle", I said as I made my way through the does. "What's up?"

I reached for her to give her a quick pat. Not looking at me, she bleated and turned to walk away. Immediately I noticed a very strange gait, quite stiff legged in the back end.

Possibly an injury? I continued to watch her. She made her way into the group, now stopping and seemingly stretching her back legs behind her, much like a dog would do after waking from a nap. I thought maybe she was trying to urinate.

Ok, so much for the good outfit time to go in the house and change into barn clothes and give one of our goat mentors a call. Suzanne answered her phone, despite being out of town. She thought it was unlikely a urinary calculi since it was rare in females and also that we do give free choice mineral. Keep her in a sick-pen with lots of water and check on her in the morning, was her advice. Sounds good.

Back I go to the barn. On arrival I could hear such a bawling going on! All of the goats were excitedly jumping around, and Michelle was lying on her side screaming her head off. All 4 legs were very, very stiff. I got on the phone---Suzanne said, call the vet. As I was waiting for the vet to call back, Michelle got quiet. I thought she had gone unconscious. I flagged my hand in front of her wide opened eyes, but she did not blink nor did she respond.

After a few minutes she started to bleat again and was struggling to get up, then her whole body would spasm.

The vet arrived; the same age as my daughter, with admittedly almost no goat experience. The goat was non-mobile, blind, abnormal eye movements with light pen and a slight temperature. Every once and awhile she would stiffen and spasm with her head pulled back.

The working differential:

-brain abscess (slightly elevated temperature, but goat was a bit too old to have an infection via umbilical cord)

-brain injury (but they are goats! They are always butting their heads together)

-"Goat Polio" (what????)

The vet administered three injections: 1) intravenous in jugular vein anti-inflammatory Dexamethasone 2mg 2) intravenous in jugular vein-- antibiotic Trivetrin 3 mL 3) intramuscular Thiamine 0.3mL

I lifted Michelle into a pen and laid her on a fresh bed of straw. (As an interesting aside, I should not have left her on her side! I have learned since this time that if a goat is unconscious you should prop them up using bales of straw so that they are lying on their sternum. If they lie on their side, they will bloat.)

As the vet and I were cleaning up, I glanced over at Michelle. She was sitting up like a dog! I called to the vet who came and had a look. "Why is she doing this?" I asked. "No idea", said the vet. It had been less than 30 minutes since the injections.

Within another 5 minutes, Michelle was standing. Wobbly yes, but standing. Whatever we gave her worked it seemed. She was still blind, but standing.

Now there was a dilemma do we give all the does a shot of Thiamin just to be safe? Everyone else seemed fine. It was 1 o'clock in the morning. NO, we decided. The vet gave me a syringe of Thiamine to use in case any other does were showing symptoms when I went back out early the next morning.

No one else got sick. Michelle received the same injections the next two mornings, but IM. By the 3rd day she had her vision back and rejoined the herd. She is back 100%. She survived Polioencephalomalacia! Michelle's was caused by probably too many carbs she was pigging out on the grain, pushing her sisters away from the bin with her dominant personality PLUS out on new fresh rich pasture.

Polioencephalomalacia or "Goat Polio" as it is abbreviated to, is an important neurologic metabolic disorder. It is also called Laminar Cortical Necrosis or Cerebral Cortical Necrosis. Basically the brain becomes inflamed and swollen and eventually necrotic. This is what I found out about it:

Animals affected	-goats -sheep -cattle -camelids -solitary or whole herd
Nervous System Symptoms	-head pressing -grinding of teeth -disorientated; aimless wandering -arch their necks back and stare upwards "Star gazers" -circling -blindness -abnormal involuntary eye movement characterized by alternating smooth pursuit in one direction and rapid saccadic movement in the other (nystagmus) -muscle tremors -overreaction or jumpy when touched -unable to stand and goes down on its side with head thrown back -legs rigidly extended -excitement seen but is usually replaced with dullness -convulsions
Other Symptoms	-sudden loss of appetite -don't want to drink -depression -no fever - +/- diarrhea -normal or slightly reduced rumen motility -animal stands or sits alone -respiration and temperature normal -heart rate depressed
Cause	-non-infectious 1) Breakdown of vitamin B1 (thiamine) -thiamine deficiency in diet or an inhibition of thiamine activity -thiaminases are produced by gut bacteria OR ingested from a plant (bracken fern) -field cases are uncommon because plants are unpalatable and the goats won't eat them 2) High sulfur intake -from water, forage (turnips, rape, mustard, oil seed meals, Canada thistle, kochia, lambsquarter can accumulate sulphur in high quantities) -feed (byproducts of corn, sugar cane, sugar beet due to addition of sulfur containing acidifying agents)
Etiology	-mold on feed that breaks down vitamin B1 -animals on high grain ration -change in management practices -overdosing of amprolium wormers
Age	-fast growing kids -young adult goats
Treatment	Two dosages suggested: 1) Goat Health Handbook -thiamine injections 5-10 mg/.kg with 1/2 dose given IV and ½ dose given IM -additional ½ doses given IM every 12 hours until animal has recovered 2) Merck Veterinary Manual -thiamine injections 10-20 mg/kg IM or SC with initial treatment administered IV -dexamethasone 1-2 mg/kg IM or SC (anti inflammatory to reduce cerebral edema)
Outcome	-if caught early, complete recovery can be expected -longer duration of acute signs = poorer outcomes and higher mortality -if goat shows little improvement in 2-3 days, slaughter should be considered -if not treated on time, most animals will die within 48 hours
Prevention	-none known -dietary supplementation 3-10 mg/kg feed has been suggested, but not carefully researched yet -not scientifically proven, but one goat owner suggest a "handful of German black sunflower seeds added to your goats diet each day as these seeds are high in thiamine, the roughage is good for the rumen and the oils in the seeds good for the coat"
Human Health Concerns	-none
Differential Diagnosis	-toxemia, -Type D clostridial enterotoxemia (focal symmetric encephalomalcia) -listeriosis

Waring Creek - Goat Polio

Polioencephalomalacia (PEM) It can happen to a goat you know!

Polioencephalomalacia (PEM) It can happen to a goat you know!