Why a kid can grind his teeth, what to do and how to treat and prevention
Children do not always grit their teeth because their teeth are growing. A novice or inexperienced farmer may not attach importance to this phenomenon, but most often the creaking of teeth in goats is a clear sign that indicates the presence of a disease. In this case, it is better not to postpone the veterinary examination, and it is advisable to find out the reason as soon as possible: why the little goat often grinds its teeth.
Non-communicable diseases
Compared to other farm animals, the offspring of goats have an enviable immune system and rarely get sick. If the kid gets sick, then it is necessary to identify the presence of the disease in time and try to help him.
A non-infectious disease can appear if:
- the kids are fed incorrectly (with low-quality compound feed);
- give the offspring of goats milk received from sick females;
- contain young animals in unsuitable conditions.
Non-infectious diseases in goats rarely occur, but treatment is difficult, and the likelihood of developing pathologies in such cases is high. The first sign of illness in a kid that is grinding its teeth is loss of appetite.
Poisoning
If the kids are very small, then the farmer does not take them out to pastures, and the probability of getting poisoned by poisonous plants is minimal. Most likely, the animal can be poisoned due to improper feeding of unsuitable food or food that is only suitable for adult goats. The feed may contain harmful pesticides or toxins.
In addition to gnashing of teeth, the kid may have the following symptoms:
- gastrointestinal disorders;
- refusal to eat;
- nervous system disorders;
- high blood pressure and rapid pulse;
- breathing too fast.
If the animal is badly poisoned, then the nervous system can have serious symptoms, for example, seizures, paralysis and temporary loss of vision. You can provide help yourself or call a veterinarian if the poisoning was caused by a dangerous poison.
Avitaminosis, hypovitaminosis
If the growing kid does not eat, does not drink milk and grinds his teeth, then it is possible that his metabolism is disturbed, and his body lacks any elements. If you feed the kid incorrectly, then over time it will have a lack of vitamins such as A, B, C, D and E. The appearance of an animal that has vitamin deficiency is emaciated and thin.
Teeth grinding is a common symptom of a lack of nutrients in the body. Hypovitaminosis can occur if the animal receives vitamins, but in insufficient quantities.In this case, it is better to change the diet in order to give the kids better types of feed.
Gastroenteritis
Improper feeding can contribute to the development of a non-communicable disease such as gastroenteritis. Feeding poor quality feed to animals contributes to inflammation of the gastric mucosa. The disease makes itself felt when young animals are fed milk from a goat with mastitis. Also, individuals who have been abruptly transferred to plant nutrition from compound feed can get sick with gastroenteritis.
In addition to gnashing of teeth, symptoms such as fever and indigestion appear.
Acute tympania
Acute tympania is provoked by a frequent change of diet or poor-quality food. The animal begins to suffer from abdominal pain that occurs from an excess of gas.
Examples of diet changes that can cause gas in the intestines of goats:
- transfer from milk and compound feed to hay;
- changing food from whole grains and beans to succulent feed and organic matter.
Infectious diseases
The list of infectious diseases of domestic farm animals is extensive, and not only the little goat, but also its owner can get sick, since infections are transmitted to humans too. Diseases of an infectious nature arise from the fact that young animals become infected with dangerous microorganisms, for example, in a pasture or in a dirty barn.
Echinococcosis
Parasitic helminths enter the body of goats with feces, which they can eat along with the grass. Goats become infected when they graze in pastures and eat infected plants with waste from sick animals. The disease affects the kidneys, liver and general musculature of the kid. Over time, the individual is greatly depleted.
If the young have symptoms such as gnashing of teeth and cramps, then it is possible that helminths are not only in the stomach, but also in the brain. It will not be possible to cure this disease, since there is no medicine for it. There is no prophylaxis and therapy for echinococcosis.
Dictyocaulosis
Lung invasive parasites can be found in cattle when they eat grass, which has gotten feces from other animals infected with dictyocaulosis. A kid can become infected if it is older than 3 months and is already released to graze with adult goats in a meadow or pasture. The cause of the appearance of lung parasites is a rare change of pastures, which should be carried out every 5-6 days.
Pyroplasmosis
Parasitic lesion of the circulatory system by the pathogen Piroplasma ovis. The parasite enters the body when the animal is bitten by a tick carrying the piroplasmosis virus. The disease is seasonal, and the risk of contracting it increases from May to June.
Symptoms of piroplasmosis in goats:
- high temperature;
- anemia;
- yellowing of the mucous membranes;
- general deterioration of health;
- rejection of feed formulations;
- rapid pulse;
- digestive disorders.
In addition to gnashing of teeth, a small child of goats defecates urine of a dark red hue, as hemoglobin begins to be excessively secreted through the kidneys.
In most cases, little kids die from piroplasmosis, and only 30% of the total infected number survive, but have weak immunity in the future.
Infectious agalactia
The infection occurs in female goats that are lactating. The course of the disease can be acute or chronic, in the form of damage to the mammary glands, joints and eyeballs. Almost 50% of infections result in the death of livestock.Infected queens become carriers of the virus, they are dangerous to their offspring.
With newborn kids, sick queens are not placed in the same enclosure. To prevent the spread of infectious agalactia, the farmer needs to do complex sanitary and veterinary treatments of the premises.
Infectious mastitis
In case of poor-quality milking, females may develop an udder infection, especially if the individual has milk stagnation for some reason. Mastitis can be provoked by keeping dairy goats in too cold space, in which they do not have enough heat. Little kids are unlikely to get this infection. In adult goats, the disease is determined by the following symptoms:
- The affected udder becomes hard and increases in size.
- The skin on and around the nipples turns blue-violet.
- At first, liquid is released from the udder, and then - blood with pus.
- The body temperature rises and the animal becomes weakened.
- The goat refuses its favorite feed. The individual does not have chewing gum, it can begin to grind its teeth regularly.
Infectious pleuropneumonia
The lungs and pleura are affected by harmful microorganisms - mycoplasmas. Individuals from the age of 3 years are prone to the disease, but at an early age the kids are also not immune from infection. It is easy for livestock to become carriers of mycoplasmas upon contact with vectors of the disease.
The infection is transmitted through coughing saliva or mucus from the nasal cavities, as well as through goat urine. An infected kid suffers from general weakness in the body, coughing and wheezing in the lungs. The body temperature becomes elevated, appetite disappears and, as an additional symptom, there is an unpleasant grinding of teeth.
Despite the fact that goats are hardy animals with good immunity, the risk of contracting dangerous infectious or non-infectious diseases is great. If the kid began to grind his teeth, you should check it for infections, since this insignificant symptom is not always associated with the eruption of bone formations.
