Goat Farming

 

All animals and man are infected with tapeworms. A great number of taenia belonging to several genera infests sheep and goat. Small intestine is the normal habitat of adult tape worms. Some species such as “Trypanosome Actiniodes”, gain access to the liver, and there cause important lesions. 

Sheep harbors thirteen, and goat two types of tapeworms. By far the most important and common worm in India is MONIEZIA EXPANSA. It is this species, that field Veterinarians are called upon to treat in lambs. Many of other species, however, are often to be found with it. M.expansa worm may attain a length of 4.0 meters. The head is small and round, provided with four suckers with slit like orifice. Neck is thread like, but gradually flattens out. The segments are broader than they are, long throughout the strobili, and the terminal ones reach to nearly 20 mm in breadth.

Incidence: Lambs are most often attacked and when only a few worms are present, there are few outward manifestations of their presence, but when the bowels contain great numbers, serious losses are occasioned. Such one enzootic is recorded with a progressive farmer, who owns 90 – adult Nell ore brown ewes.. History revealed that over a period of one week, 18 lambs aged between 2 ½ - 4 ½ months died with foe tid diarrhea. They were dropping faces with white segments, disintegrated portions of the parasites, with mucus.

Symptoms: Disease generally commences in an obscure manner. There is pallor of the skin and mucus membranes, the wool looses it’s normal feel and the animals don’t do well inspite of their good appetite. Digestive disturbances in the form of loss of rumination, tympanitis, some times constipation occurs.and at others the passage of moist faeces containing the portions of the worms and mucus is seen. The possible toxins formed by the tapeworms and the effete products of parasites may become toxic to the host. Large number of adults in intestines cause volvulus. Jaundice also noticed, if the bile ducts are blocked.

Diagnosis: Diagnosis rests upon a clinical picture similar to the above in a number of animals, together with the demonstration of the presence of the worm either in the faeces or in the small intestine of a killed or recently dead animal.

Lesions: In Postmortem conducted on “Ram Lamb” lot of adult tape worms found in the small intestines. surprisingly, the mesenteric lymph nodes, whitish gray in color are enlarged and firm which is a usual reaction in chronic taeniasis. No other gross abnormalities detected.

Treatment: If treatment is carried out during the first stage of the disease, a great deal can often be achieved. The farmer is asked to remove the animals from infected pastures. He is advised to give a dose of castor oil to all the lambs aged 2 1/2 months. Next day fentas plus ® (Intas Pharmaceuticals) is administered to all the lambs according to the size of the animal, followed by an oleaginous purgative after 24 hours. Number of adult tape worms were passed out, from treated animals. To combat anemic condition, feritas ® (Intas Pharma) bolus were administered orally @ ½ boli / day for 3 days. After that no further deaths recorded.

Recovery: In animals which show symptoms, but recover, there is a marked “setback” in the flesh and fat. Affected are more liable to other diseases, especially parasitic infections. Great losses, however often occur through actual deaths. Post treatment, health tonics are frequently advised.

Prophylaxis: includes

1. Prevention of scattering of faeces containing taenia segments
2. Resting, ploughing and surface dressing of tainted pastures with salt, lime or Iron sulphate and finally 
3. Infected pastures should be pastured by animals not likely to be affected by these worms.

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