Heart water is one of the manageable diseases that can cause significant losses in goats.
There are many diseases of goats, some of which are manageable while others just come like pandemics. They come and within a short while lead to the death of many animals. Sudden death of an animal can be attributed to either toxins or heart water. Animals with heart water do not show clinical signs ie an animal wakes up normal and healthy and then suddenly dies or an animal leaves home when healthy and then suddenly dies in the field.
Heart water signs
An animal affected by heart water starts releasing saliva from the mouth, begins to stager while moving and having froth in the mouth on death, kicks while dying and also stretches its neck while dying.
Heart water brings water in the heart making the heart fail to pump blood. It can severely kill kids because of their low immune system.
Management
In the incidence of heart water, inject all your animals with antibiotics to prevent the pathogen from multiplying in the body.
Do proper spraying and keep using acaricides with different active ingredients to prevent ticks from getting resistance against a given acaricide. Ensure you mix the correct dosage for the acaricide, spray and wet the animals including the kids.
If you suspect heart water in your flock, give the animals oxytetracycline and revise your spraying schedule.
