Understanding and preventing pregnancy toxaemia in goats — a metabolic emergency with high mortality if untreated.
Pregnancy toxaemia causes severe metabolic welfare impairment in affected does. The combination of high fetal metabolic demand and inadequate dietary energy causes the doe to mobilise body fat at an excessive rate. Ketone accumulation causes anorexia (worsening energy balance), neurological depression, and without treatment, coma and death within days of clinical onset.
The progression from subclinical negative energy balance to clinical disease can be rapid — especially when heavily pregnant does experience any feed intake disruption (weather, management changes, overcrowding). Does with pregnancy toxaemia are profoundly depressed, grind their teeth in pain, and may show head pressing and circling.
Treatment requires intensive metabolic support: oral or intravenous glucose precursors, B vitamins, and careful nutritional rehabilitation. In advanced cases, emergency caesarean section to remove the fetal load may be the only option to save the doe. Prevention through body condition scoring throughout pregnancy and feeding adequate energy in the last 4-6 weeks of gestation prevents most cases.