What can happen if a goat's brain or nervous system develops a fault?

Goat Vet, David Harwood BVetMed, FRCVS, looks at what can go wrong and considers prevention

- David Harwood

Watching a recent TV programme following real life neurosurgeons carrying out the most delicate surgery to remove a large brain tumour, made me think about how limited we as veterinary surgeons are in this field. Brain surgery in farm animals is rarely if ever undertaken, although I do remember having some success removing parasitic tapeworm (or “Gid”) cysts from the brain through small holes in the skulls of sheep when this was more prevalent (see later).

These limitations do mean that our emphasis as veterinary surgeons is to ensure that neurological problems are either prevented where possible, or at least recognised in the early stages when more conventional treatments may be more suitable. Sadly, euthanasia on welfare grounds is often our course of action if the brain is damaged irreparably.

It is important to note that in simple terms, the goat’s nervous system consists of its brain and spinal cord (often referred to as the central nervous system or “CNS”), and the peripheral nervous system effectively carrying impulses to and from the CNS such as nerve fibres to the limb extremities.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG?