HART, continued from Page 9 calls for 80 IU of Vitamin E per pound of feed. The old feed require- ment (NRC 1981) called for 20 IU per pound of feed. Since Vitamin E is expensive and there were no problems observed with the lower level, most commercial feeds have the lower level. The B vitamins are synthesized at more than adequate levels by the bacteria in the rumen since the bacteria need these vitamins also. Any serious disruption to the bacteria in the rumen, such as being off feed for a couple of days or toxic substance (such as poisoning by cer- tain plants) or rumen acidosis, can interfere with B vitamin synthesis. The most problematic B vitamin is Thiamine. A deficiency causes polioencephalamacia (Polio or PEM for short). Polio is also a problem in cattle and significant research has been done in cattle. In cattle, usually high concentrate diets, especially with high sulfur (often due to high levels of molasses or certain byproduct feeds), inadequate water and toxicity by plants such as Bracken fern and Phalaris are the major causes of polio. These have also been associated with polio in goats, but goats also have had polio with none of these predisposing factors.
Steve Hart
Symptoms of polio include loss of appe- tite, depression, no fever, head pressing, grind- ing of teeth, aimless wandering, blindness,
muscle tremors, overreaction or jumping in response to touching and later stages, head pulled back.
Diagnosis is by response to thiamine. Large doses of thiamine are required, 4 mg per lb. of bodyweight every 6 hours for 24 hours. Improvement usually happens in a couple of hours after initiating treat- ment. For Treatment, a 100 lb. goat would require 400 IU (4 ml of in- jectable thiamine). It may require much more of a B complex because the level of thiamine varies with different products. Oral products may not work as the rumen may degrade the thi- amine. For goats on high concentrate diets, thiamine can be incorpo- rated into the diet at 100 mg/hd./day to prevent polio. Most feeds have vitamins in them as do mineral supplements. When animals do not have green forage to consume, mineral con- sumption can provide vitamins A and D, which are most likely to be deficient during the winter. Vitamin levels differ in mixed feeds and tend to be lower and may not provide sufficient vitamins if fed at a low level. Also, vita- mins can be degraded by heat. Do not store feed for a long time when it is warm, as the vitamin level will decrease. Vitamin levels will deteriorate if stored in the trunk of a car for a period of time during the summer.
Since green leafy plants have high levels of vitamins, we need to be most concerned about vitamins when there are not green plants to consume, such as winter or during an extended drought. Vitamins can be provided by minerals or in the feed. It is easier and cheaper to provide vitamins in the feed or minerals than to use vitamin shots. Proper feeding of animals can prevent many herd health problems, including reproductive problems.
(Steve Hart is a retired Goat Extension Specialist at Langston University in Oklahoma. He conducts research on internal parasites and presents parasite workshops. He is also a member of the Amer- ican Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control. He can be contacted at
steve.hart@langston.edu.)
November 2025 | Goat Rancher 23
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