Enhancing Animal Welfare Through Disease Prevention in Goats

In this chapter, diseaseDisease is defined as any physical or mental condition where the normal function of a local tissue, an organ, a system, or the whole body is compromised. Preventing the occurrence of diseases is crucial: the main diseases and how they impact the welfare of goats of all ages are here summarized. Diseases frequently result in painPain, discomfort, sleep disturbances, stressStress, anxiety, fear, undernutrition, and the inability to engage in natural behaviours. However, it is also true that certain factors can increase the likelihood of developing a disease. The main objective of this chapter is to describe how to recognize the different diseases at a very early stage, how to identify the main risk factors involved, and how to prevent their occurrence. Goats, being prey species, have evolved stoicism, masking signs of illness and pain to avoid predation. However, this behaviour can delay detection and treatment by inexperienced stockpersons. Detecting subtle changes in behaviour is important for early recognition of sick animals. Very little will be said about treatment as this is not intended to be a medical/clinical chapter.