Respect, compassion, and empathy are vital to uphold for both living and deceased creatures. Many of us hope to grant our animals simple burials, often beneath the familiar soil of our farmland. However, there is an opportunity to walk away from a loss with a gift: knowledge.
Only in recent years have more people kept goats as pets, resulting in many goats living longer and therefore passing due to what are often described as “old goat” issues, or more unique problems for which there is very limited data. The community is gradually beginning to compile information on these causes of death, particularly within advanced areas of goat veterinary medicine such as university veterinary hospitals.
For example, I recently spoke with a clinician at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center regarding thymoma tumors in goats. During our discussion, the clinician explained that thymoma tumors are common findings in many goats, sometimes appearing as incidental findings during necropsy and often causing respiratory distress that can mimic infection. To a specialist, this is a highly plausible cause of respiratory distress in an older goat, but to most owners in the community, “thymoma” is not even a familiar term. For every older goat that passes from presumed pneumonia thought to be unsuccessfully treated, how many may have had tumors, cancer, or another less common underlying condition?
This misdiagnosis concern extends to many symptoms and disorders. Put simply, there is a significant lack of knowledge surrounding goat illnesses due to the limited number of necropsies performed. Even when the cause of death is believed to be known, such as peaceful euthanasia due to old age, necropsies are still valuable. They contribute to a broader understanding of the goat body, and incidental findings unrelated to the cause of death can still provide meaningful data for statistics and research.
Although the lack of data is concerning, an even greater issue is the lack of knowledge sharing. University hospitals and veterinary specialists may have advanced information, but that knowledge is often inaccessible to goat owners and others in the industry. I would not have known about the prevalence of thymoma tumors without my conversation with a New Bolton veterinarian. This gap in accessibility is why necropsies should be submitted to the Small Ruminant Community Necropsy Registry (SRCNR). This registry compiles voluntarily submitted necropsy reports for goats and sheep and releases them publicly for educational purposes. If you have a current or past necropsy to share, your submission will be anonymized and can meaningfully contribute to collective goat health knowledge.
With this information in mind, I urge readers to pursue necropsies whenever possible. Necropsies are especially vital for animals suffering from undiagnosed or “mystery” illnesses, but they are valuable for any animal on any farm. Unfortunately, necropsies can be costly. A goat necropsy through the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL), a commonly used laboratory, is approximately $150 as a baseline cost. Some laboratories also require submissions through a veterinarian, while others allow direct owner submission.
The most effective approach is to plan ahead and understand your preferred necropsy route. Start by speaking with your veterinarian and identifying the closest university with a veterinary school, checking for necropsy offerings and guidelines. The following link is to WADDL’s goat necropsy page, for helpful information and reference: https://tests.waddl.vetmed.wsu.edu/Tests/Details/8536
Time is always of the essence for necropsies, so it is important to know how and where you plan to get a necropsy done if ever needed. Deceased animals should be kept chilled, but not frozen.
Another option is at-home necropsies, but caution should always be exercised due to the risk of zoonotic disease transmission and overall safety concerns. However, a veterinarian from Cornell University has created an informative document outlining a “Digital Necropsy Examination.” As explained by the veterinarian, if an animal passes over a weekend or holiday and cannot be necropsied within the necessary time parameters, owners can perform a self-necropsy with the goal of documenting useful photographs to later share with a veterinarian or pathologist for professional assistance. The document can be accessed through this link: http://goatdocs.ansci.cornell.edu/CSGSymposium/DigitalFarmerNecropsyExamSheepWForm.pdf
Pursuing necropsies on your herd, whether they are production animals or family pets, will not only help you protect the rest of your animals, but can also save future lives. Once again, please submit your necropsy reports to the SRCNR so that goat owners, veterinarians, educators, and students can all have open access to life-saving information.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a vet, nor am I a licensed professional. I am in no way a “goat expert” and my opinions are only that of personal experiences, and my insights shared are not medical treatment suggestions, care suggestions, or any directions for raising goats at all. I am simply sharing my own personal opinions. Any and all changes to your goats’ health regimen, care, etc. should be approved by a veterinary professional or licensed professional. I also believe that every goat owner has their own way of doing things, so just as my opinions are my own, and cannot apply to anyone else, your opinions are also regarding your individual goats, and I welcome you to share them in a kind, constructive manner.
The Giving Goat, LLC 