Goat Diseases & Symptoms: Quick Reference Guide
Last updated: March 2026 · 5 min read
When a goat gets sick, identifying the problem quickly can mean the difference between a simple treatment and a lost animal. This guide organizes common goat diseases by their most visible symptoms so you can narrow down what might be wrong and decide whether you can treat at home or need a vet immediately.
This guide is for reference, not diagnosis. Many goat diseases share symptoms. A goat with diarrhea could have parasites, coccidia, enterotoxemia, or a dozen other issues. Use this guide to narrow possibilities and communicate effectively with your vet — not to replace veterinary care.
Emergency Symptoms (Call Vet Immediately)
| Symptom | Possible Causes | Urgency |
|---|
| Distended left side, difficulty breathing | Bloat (frothy or free gas) | Can kill in hours. Start treatment while calling vet. |
| Down and cannot stand, grinding teeth | Pregnancy toxemia (ketosis), hypocalcemia, polio, listeriosis | Medical emergency. Many of these are fatal without immediate treatment. |
| Bloody diarrhea in a kid | Severe coccidiosis, enterotoxemia | Can kill a kid in 24 hours. |
| Straining to urinate (buck or wether) | Urinary calculi (bladder stones) | Bladder can rupture. Fatal without treatment. |
| Sudden death with no prior symptoms | Enterotoxemia, plant poisoning, copper toxicity, bloat | Necropsy recommended to protect rest of herd. |
| Seizures, head pressing, circling | Polio (thiamine deficiency), listeriosis, meningeal worm, rabies | Thiamine injection may be diagnostic and therapeutic. Call vet. |
| Labored breathing, high fever (over 105 degrees F) | Pneumonia, severe infection, heat stress | Antibiotics needed. Can progress rapidly. |
By Symptom: Digestive
Diarrhea (scours)
| Age/Context | Likely Cause | Key Clue |
|---|
| Kids 3 to 8 weeks | Coccidiosis | Watery, may contain blood or mucus. Most common cause of kid diarrhea. |
| Kids under 2 weeks | E. coli, Cryptosporidium, overfeeding | Watery, yellow. Very young kids dehydrate rapidly. |
| Any age, acute onset | Enterotoxemia (overeating disease) | Sudden, severe. Often after accessing grain or lush pasture. Can be fatal in hours. |
| Any age, chronic | Parasites (barber pole, other GI worms) | Ongoing loose stool, weight loss, poor coat. Check FAMACHA score. |
| Any age, after diet change | Dietary upset | Usually resolves in 1 to 2 days. Gradual diet transitions prevent this. |
| Adult, chronic wasting | Johne's disease | Progressive weight loss despite appetite. No cure. Test to confirm. |
Not eating (off feed)
- Check temperature first. Normal goat temperature is 101.5 to 103.5 degrees F. Fever (over 103.5) indicates infection. Below 100 indicates shock or hypothermia.
- With fever: Pneumonia, mastitis, metritis (uterine infection post-kidding), any systemic infection
- Without fever: Bloat, rumen acidosis (grain overload), ketosis (late pregnancy), dental problems, pain from any cause
- In late pregnancy: Pregnancy toxemia — especially does carrying multiples. Emergency.
- After kidding: Metritis, retained placenta, milk fever (hypocalcemia)
By Symptom: Respiratory
Coughing and nasal discharge
| Presentation | Likely Cause | Treatment Approach |
|---|
| Cough + fever + rapid breathing | Bacterial pneumonia | Antibiotics (vet prescribed). Common in kids and after stress/transport. |
| Chronic cough, no fever | Lung worms, CAE (lung form), dust irritation | Fecal test for lungworm. CAE test. Improve ventilation. |
| Nasal discharge only, clear | Allergies, dust, mild viral upper respiratory | Usually self-resolving. Monitor for fever. |
| Nasal discharge, thick/yellow | Bacterial infection, sinus infection | Vet evaluation for antibiotics. |
| Multiple goats coughing simultaneously | Contagious pneumonia, poor barn ventilation | Isolate sick animals. Improve airflow. Vet for herd treatment plan. |
By Symptom: Movement & Musculoskeletal
Limping or reluctance to move
- Check hooves first: Overgrown hooves, hoof rot, hoof scald, abscess, foreign object lodged between toes. Most limping in goats is hoof-related.
- Swollen joints (especially knees): CAE arthritis (chronic, progressive), injury, infection (joint ill in kids from navel infection)
- Hot, painful feet + reluctance to walk: Laminitis (founder) — can be from grain overload, black walnut bedding, or systemic illness
- Stiff gait in kids: White muscle disease (selenium deficiency), joint ill, injury
- Rear leg weakness/paralysis: Meningeal worm, spinal abscess, CAE (encephalitic form in kids), injury
By Symptom: Skin & Coat
Hair loss, itching, or skin lesions
| Presentation | Likely Cause | Notes |
|---|
| Itching, hair loss, crusty skin | Lice, mites | Most common in winter. Check along the spine and around the base of the tail. Treat with pour-on or injectable ivermectin. |
| Circular bald patches | Ringworm (fungal) | Zoonotic — can spread to humans. Treat with antifungal. Usually self-resolving but slow. |
| Faded coat, fish tail, rough hair | Copper deficiency | Very common. Copper bolus usually resolves within weeks. |
| Scabby, crusty lips and muzzle | Soremouth (Orf) | Viral, zoonotic. Self-resolving in 3 to 4 weeks. Highly contagious. Vaccine available. |
| Lumps under skin near lymph nodes | CL (caseous lymphadenitis) abscess | Isolate immediately. Do not let abscess rupture in shared space. Test to confirm. |
By Symptom: Udder
- Hot, swollen, painful udder + abnormal milk: Clinical mastitis. Needs antibiotics. Send milk for culture.
- One side hard and not producing: Chronic mastitis or CAE hard udder form. May not be treatable.
- Blood in milk: Injury, early mastitis, or broken blood vessel (minor). If persistent, treat as mastitis.
- Udder edema (swollen but not hot): Common around freshening, especially in first fresheners. Usually resolves in days. Peppermint oil massage helps.
Normal vs Abnormal Quick Reference
| Parameter | Normal | Abnormal |
|---|
| Temperature | 101.5 to 103.5 degrees F | Below 100 or above 104 |
| Heart rate | 70 to 90 bpm (adult) | Below 60 or above 110 at rest |
| Respiratory rate | 12 to 20 breaths/min | Above 30 at rest (not heat-related) |
| Rumen contractions | 1 to 2 per minute (listen on left side) | None in 2 minutes, or more than 3 per minute |
| Gum color | Pink | White/pale (anemia), blue (oxygen deprivation), bright red (toxicity), yellow (liver) |
| Hydration (skin tent) | Skin snaps back instantly | Skin stays tented for 2+ seconds |
The most important diagnostic tool you own: A digital rectal thermometer ($8). Temperature tells you more about what is wrong with a goat than any other single measurement. Take a temperature BEFORE you call the vet — it is the first thing they will ask.
Track health events and symptoms
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