Lameness and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Goats

Diagnostic Approach to Caprine Lameness:

Clinical History: Assessing incidence, duration, feeding changes, and recent herd introductions.
Physical Examination:
- Systemic Links: Identifying lameness as a sign of non-musculoskeletal issues (e.g., gangrenous mastitis causing altered gait).
- Localization: Visual gait assessment followed by detailed examination of all four limbs.
- Hoof Inspection: Trimming excess horn to reveal puncture wounds, abscesses, or "sled-runner" deformities from neglect.
- Palpation: Checking for heat, swelling, muscle atrophy, and joint pain.

Advanced Diagnostics:
- Arthrocentesis: Sampling synovial fluid to differentiate between septic arthritis (neutrophils) and CAE (mononuclear cells).
- Imaging: Radiography to confirm fractures, epiphysitis (growth plate changes), and CAE (calcium deposits).
- Serology: ELISA testing for CAE antibodies (noting potential interference from colostral antibodies in neonates).

Infectious Etiologies:

Caprine Arthritis and Encephalitis (CAE):
- Neurologic Form (Kids 2–4 months): Progressive paresis and incoordination leading to paralysis.
- Arthritic Form (Adults > 1 year): Chronic, progressive swelling and degeneration, typically in the carpal joints; often leads to "kneeling" while eating.
Septic Arthritis (Joint-Ill):
- Pathogenesis: Hematogenous bacterial entry via the umbilicus (omphalitis), respiratory tract, or skin breaks.
- Clinical Signs: Acute heat, pain, and non-weight-bearing swelling in joints like the carpus, hock, or stifle.
- Management: Prompt systemic antimicrobials (florfenicol/macrolides) and joint lavage; hygiene and umbilical dipping (7% iodine) for prevention.
Mycoplasmosis:
- Presentation: Severe lameness with multiple hot joints, pyrexia, and weight loss in kids 2–4 weeks old.
- Complexity: High morbidity (up to 90%) and variable mortality depending on the strain.

Nutritional and Metabolic Disorders

Copper Deficiency:
- Enzootic Ataxia (Swayback): In utero deficiency causing permanent spinal cord myelin degeneration and paralysis in kids.
- Bone Fragility: Post-neonatal deficiency leading to abnormal growth and increased risk of long bone fractures.
Epiphysitis (Bent Leg/Windswept Legs):
- Cause: Ca:P imbalance (>1.4:1 ratio), Vitamin D deficiency, or excessive protein/growth rates.
- Presentation: Medial/lateral bowing of the radii, arched back, and painful joint swelling.
- Management: Correcting the diet, slowing growth rates, and regular hoof trimming.
White Muscle Disease:
- Pathogenesis: Nutritional myodegeneration from Selenium and Vitamin E deficiency.
- Signs: "Sawhorse stance," firm/painful hind limb muscles, or sudden death from cardiac damage.

Congenital and Inherited Conditions:

Contracted Tendons:
- Sporadic/Idiopathic: Occurs globally in all breeds.
- Genetic (Angoras): Autosomal recessive trait in Australasia; kids walk on fetlocks or cannot stand.
- Beta-mannosidosis (Anglo-Nubians): Lysosomal storage disease causing fixed limb flexion, intention tremors, and deafness; fatal condition.

Trauma and Environmental Factors:

Environmental Hazards: Chain-link fences and poor yard design often lead to limb fractures.
Shearing Accidents: Potential for cutting the gastrocnemius tendon in Angora goats.
Iatrogenic Injury: IM injections of irritant drugs (e.g., clostridial vaccines) can cause sciatic nerve damage or severe soft-tissue swelling.

Laminitis (Founder):
- Triggers: Overeating concentrates (grain overload), high protein, or secondary to acute systemic infections like pneumonia.
- Acute Signs: Hot extremities, fever, and extreme pain at the coronary band.
- Chronic Signs: "Sled-runner" hooves and knee-walking.

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Lameness and Musculoskeletal Disorders in Goats

Diagnostic Approach to Caprine Lameness:

Clinical History: Assessing incidence, duration, feeding changes, and recent herd introductions.

Physical Examination:

Systemic Links: Identifying lameness as a sign of non-musculoskeletal issues (e.g., gangrenous mastitis causing altered gait).

Localization: Visual gait assessment followed by detailed examination of all four limbs.

Hoof Inspection: Trimming excess horn to reveal puncture wounds, abscesses, or "sled-runner" deformities from neglect.

Palpation: Checking for heat, swelling, muscle atrophy, and joint pain.

Advanced Diagnostics:

Arthrocentesis: Sampling synovial fluid to differentiate between septic arthritis (neutrophils) and CAE (mononuclear cells).

Imaging: Radiography to confirm fractures, epiphysitis (growth plate changes), and CAE (calcium deposits).

Serology: ELISA testing for CAE antibodies (noting potential interference from colostral antibodies in neonates).

Infectious Etiologies:

Caprine Arthritis and Encephalitis (CAE):

Neurologic Form (Kids 2–4 months): Progressive paresis and incoordination leading to paralysis.

Arthritic Form (Adults > 1 year): Chronic, progressive swelling and degeneration, typically in the carpal joints; often leads to "kneeling" while eating.

Septic Arthritis (Joint-Ill):

Pathogenesis: Hematogenous bacterial entry via the umbilicus (omphalitis), respiratory tract, or skin breaks.

Clinical Signs: Acute heat, pain, and non-weight-bearing swelling in joints like the carpus, hock, or stifle.

Management: Prompt systemic antimicrobials (florfenicol/macrolides) and joint lavage; hygiene and umbilical dipping (7% iodine) for prevention.

Mycoplasmosis:

Presentation: Severe lameness with multiple hot joints, pyrexia, and weight loss in kids 2–4 weeks old.

Complexity: High morbidity (up to 90%) and variable mortality depending on the strain.

Nutritional and Metabolic Disorders

Copper Deficiency:

Enzootic Ataxia (Swayback): In utero deficiency causing permanent spinal cord myelin degeneration and paralysis in kids.

Bone Fragility: Post-neonatal deficiency leading to abnormal growth and increased risk of long bone fractures.

Epiphysitis (Bent Leg/Windswept Legs):

Cause: Ca:P imbalance (>1.4:1 ratio), Vitamin D deficiency, or excessive protein/growth rates.

Presentation: Medial/lateral bowing of the radii, arched back, and painful joint swelling.

Management: Correcting the diet, slowing growth rates, and regular hoof trimming.

White Muscle Disease:

Pathogenesis: Nutritional myodegeneration from Selenium and Vitamin E deficiency.

Signs: "Sawhorse stance," firm/painful hind limb muscles, or sudden death from cardiac damage.

Congenital and Inherited Conditions:

Contracted Tendons:

Sporadic/Idiopathic: Occurs globally in all breeds.

Genetic (Angoras): Autosomal recessive trait in Australasia; kids walk on fetlocks or cannot stand.

Beta-mannosidosis (Anglo-Nubians): Lysosomal storage disease causing fixed limb flexion, intention tremors, and deafness; fatal condition.

Trauma and Environmental Factors:

Environmental Hazards: Chain-link fences and poor yard design often lead to limb fractures.

Shearing Accidents: Potential for cutting the gastrocnemius tendon in Angora goats.

Iatrogenic Injury: IM injections of irritant drugs (e.g., clostridial vaccines) can cause sciatic nerve damage or severe soft-tissue swelling.

Laminitis (Founder):

Triggers: Overeating concentrates (grain overload), high protein, or secondary to acute systemic infections like pneumonia.

Acute Signs: Hot extremities, fever, and extreme pain at the coronary band.

Chronic Signs: "Sled-runner" hooves and knee-walking.