When it comes to herd health, keeping a watchful eye can prevent common diseases such as listeriosis, polio, and chlamydia from causing blindness in goats.

If you see diarrhea among your goat herd — especially among the kids — then it’s likely that your animals are suffering from coccidiosis. Coccidiosis in goats is both common and easily prevented. Treated, it’s minor. Untreated, it can kill young animals and have lifelong health effects on survivors.

Many goat illnesses begin with telltale signs in a goat’s nose and nasal passage. A runny nose can escalate quickly.

Horns crack, chip, and break. Depending on where in the horn this occurs, a goat horn injury can range from unremarkable to life-threatening.

Ask any goat herder. Goats will find a way to get into trouble. Goat leg injuries from climbing, horns hooked on fences, heads stuck in buckets, and the great escapes, goats will keep us on our toes.

Goat hoof problems can cause lameness and lead to economic losses due to reduced food intake/weight gain, reduced milk production, and/or lower reproduction rates.