Find the Problem by the Symptom
Find your goat's symptom in the table below for the likely cause and the immediate action. Four signs mean call a vet the same day: fast or laboured breathing, a swollen hard stomach, inability to stand, or bloody diarrhoea.
तलको तालिकामा बाख्रामा देखिएको लक्षण खोज्नुहोस्। छिटो सास फेर्नु, पेट फुल्नु, उठ्न नसक्नु वा रगत मिसिएको पखाला भएमा तुरुन्तै पशु चिकित्सककहाँ लैजानुहोस्।
Updated
Symptom checker
| What you can see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Not eating, dull, standing apart from the group | Fever from an infection — could be PPR or pneumonia | Isolate at once. Take the temperature. Call a vet the same day. |
| Watery diarrhoea, sometimes with mucus | PPR, worms, coccidiosis or a sudden feed change | Isolate. Provide clean water with electrolytes. Vet the same day if there is also fever. |
| Bloody or dark diarrhoea, mainly in kids | Coccidiosis | Isolate, dry the bedding, contact a vet promptly. |
| Discharge from nose and eyes, mouth sores, diarrhoea | PPR — highly contagious and often fatal | Isolate immediately, do not move animals off the farm, call a vet urgently. Vaccinate the rest of the herd. |
| Coughing, fast or laboured breathing, nasal discharge | Pneumonia | Move to dry, well-ventilated shelter out of draughts. Vet the same day — this progresses fast. |
| Left side of stomach swollen and hard, obvious distress | Bloat | Emergency. Get the goat standing with front legs raised, keep it moving, call a vet immediately. |
| Sudden death of a fast-growing kid on concentrate | Enterotoxemia | Cut concentrate for the rest of the group at once, then reintroduce slowly. Vaccinate the herd. |
| Pale or white inside the lower eyelid | Anaemia from internal worms | Deworm the affected animals. Review the whole deworming schedule. |
| Limping, hot swollen foot, bad smell | Foot rot | Move to dry ground, trim and clean the hoof, treat the foot. Wet bedding is the cause. |
| Blisters or sores in the mouth and on the feet, drooling | Foot and mouth disease (खोरेत) | Isolate, offer soft feed, contact a vet. Highly contagious. |
| Scabs and lumps on lips, nose and udder | Orf or goat pox | Isolate. Wear gloves — orf spreads to people. Contact a vet. |
| Hard, hot, swollen udder; milk changed or absent | Mastitis | Separate the kids if needed, keep the udder clean, vet promptly. |
| Scratching, hair loss, visible ticks or lice | External parasites | Treat the animals and the shed. Clean and dry the bedding. |
| Male goat straining to urinate, little or nothing passed | Urinary stones — mainly in males on heavy concentrate | Emergency. Vet immediately. Reduce concentrate afterwards. |
| Newborn kid cold, floppy, not suckling | Hypothermia and no colostrum | Warm the kid gradually and get colostrum into it within the first few hours. This is urgent. |
| Whole group dull and growing slowly, no clear illness | Worms, mineral deficiency or protein shortage | Check eyelid colour, review the ration and mineral supply. |
How to take a goat's temperature
Temperature is the single most useful check you can do yourself, and it separates an infection from a management problem. Use a clinical thermometer inserted gently into the rectum, held for one minute.
| Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 38.5–39.5 °C (101–103 °F) | Normal for a goat |
| Above 39.5 °C | Fever — infection likely. Isolate and call a vet. |
| Below 38.5 °C | Too cold — serious in newborn kids and in a collapsed adult |
Isolate first, diagnose second
The moment a goat looks unwell, separate it from the herd. PPR, FMD, orf and pneumonia all spread quickly, and by the time you are certain what you are dealing with the rest of the herd may already be infected. A separate pen costs nothing compared with an outbreak.
- Move the sick animal to a separate, dry, sheltered pen.
- Use separate buckets and feeders for it.
- Handle healthy animals before sick ones, never the reverse.
- Wash your hands and boots after handling.
- Do not bring new animals onto the farm during an outbreak.
- Write down what you saw, the date and the temperature — the vet will ask.
More in this section
Goat Vaccination Calendar
Which vaccines goats need in Nepal, when to give them, and how to build a deworming and vaccination routine you can actually keep to.
Common Goat Diseases and What to Do
The diseases that actually kill goats in Nepal — PPR, pneumonia, enterotoxemia, bloat, diarrhoea, foot rot and more — with signs, immediate action, treatment approach and prevention.
Deworming and Worm Control
Why worms are the biggest hidden cost on Nepali goat farms, how to check for them using eyelid colour, and how to deworm without breeding resistant worms.
Common questions
What is a goat's normal temperature?
My goat is not eating. What should I do?
Which goat diseases kill fastest?
How do I know if my goat has worms?
Read next
Goat Vaccination Calendar
Which vaccines goats need in Nepal, when to give them, and how to build a deworming and vaccination routine you can actually keep to.
HealthCommon Goat Diseases and What to Do
The diseases that actually kill goats in Nepal — PPR, pneumonia, enterotoxemia, bloat, diarrhoea, foot rot and more — with signs, immediate action, treatment approach and prevention.
HealthDeworming and Worm Control
Why worms are the biggest hidden cost on Nepali goat farms, how to check for them using eyelid colour, and how to deworm without breeding resistant worms.
Grow BiggerHow to Grow Big, Healthy Goats
The five things that actually decide how big your goats get, in the order they matter, plus how to find the problem when growth stalls.
Questions about your own goats?
We farm Boer goats in Chitwan and are happy to talk through your situation — which breeding suits your district, what stock costs, or how to fix a problem on your farm.