Epilepsy in Goats

Keep your epileptic goat away from hard surfaces, like stone walls.

Certain ancient doctors of Greece forbade people to wear or sleep upon goat skins, for fear that doing so would cause them to experience epilepsy, according to Carl Bazil, co-author of "Sleep and Epilepsy." Despite a long-standing association of goats with epilepsy, this disease is typically quite rare in goats.

The Facts

Primary epilepsy occurs when your goat experiences repeated, unexplainable seizures. Seizures in goats typically occur as a result of another, underlying health problem, such as neurological issues, a brain tumor or caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE); veterinarians often identify recurring seizures arising from other causes as secondary epilepsy. If your goat experiences symptoms of epilepsy, arrange a visit with your veterinarian so he can rule out other, more common illnesses before diagnosing primary epilepsy.

Symptoms

The most common symptom of epilepsy in goats is regularly occurring seizures. Seizures may involve your goat's entire body or just a portion of its body, depending upon the severity of the seizure. Seizures may also start in one area of your goat's body and progress to include the entire body. Other symptoms include an inability to control various muscles, trembling and sudden blindness. If possible, note the exact symptoms your goat experiences, especially the seizure length and duration of time between individual seizures, in order to help your veterinarian make a definitive diagnosis.

Diagnosis

Proper diagnosis of epilepsy in goats is dependent upon a veterinary exam. Your veterinarian will conduct a thorough physical examination of your goat and acquire a complete history of your goat's symptoms. Depending on the symptoms your goat exhibits, your veterinarian will most likely draw blood and conduct a range of laboratory tests to rule out other causes of your goat's symptoms.

Treatment

Unfortunately, no treatment exists for primary epilepsy in goats. However, you can manage your goat's epileptic seizures by providing care when it experiences them. If you observe your goat going into an epileptic seizure, pull away any sharp objects near the animal, such as manure forks or baling wire. Do not try to restrain the animal. Treatment for secondary epilepsy varies, depending upon the cause of the seizures. In certain instances, your best option is to cull the animal from your goat herd, especially if you raise goats commercially.

Considerations

Some goats may demonstrate epileptic-type symptoms that arise from a perfectly normal genetic variation. According to Maggie Sayer, author of "Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats," myotonic goats stiffen and fall to the ground as if they're experiencing a seizure. Also called the Tennessee fainting goat, this distinctive goat breed actually possesses an inherited neuromuscular condition called myotonia that accounts for the seemingly inexplicable "seizures."

References

• "Sleep and Epilepsy"; Carl Bazil et al; 2002
• "Goat Medicine"; Mary Smith & David Sherman; 2009
• "Storey's Guide to Raising Meat Goats"; Maggie Sayer; 2007
• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Epilepsy, Idiopathic Seizures and Convulsions