As long as they look good on their feet

Musculoskeletal disorders in Dutch dairy goat farming

Musculoskeletal disorders in Dutch dairy goat farming presented according to age mainly consist of congenital abnormalities, nutritional imbalances, and (infectious) arthritis. Congenital abnormalities, consist of overextension of the stifle and hock, contracted flexor tendons of the forelimbs, angular limb deformities and arthrogryposis, patella luxation, and spastic paresis. Nutritional causes are calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D deficiency or imbalance, angular limb deformities, rickets, osteodystrophia fibrosa, white muscle disease, selenium toxicity, and copper deficiency. The focus of this presentation was on spastic paresis and nutritional imbalances resulting in a rickets-like bone disease whereas (infectious poly-)arthritis is not further discussed.

Progressive bilateral (spastic) pelvic limb paresis, ataxia posterior combined with reduced perineal muscle tone was recently observed as a reoccurring abnormality in a number of Dutch dairy goats herds (11). Blood chemistry did not indicate metabolic or nutritional abnormalities. Two extensively studied case goats showed clinical signs of upper motor neuron (UMN), and lower motor neuron (LMN) disease as well as peripheral nerve injury. Qualitative Needle Electromyography (QEMG), showed increased amplitude which could indicate reinnervation resulting from neuropathy. Post mortem examination revealed degeneration of a single solitary muscle fibre in the semimembranosus muscle, as well as some perivascular infiltrate in the spinal cord and cerebrum in one animal. Unfortunately, the etiology of this syndrome is still unknown. [...]