Contact:
Emily Harrison, DVM, CVA
E-mail: oboevet@gmail.com
Phone: (914) 420-5420

Areas of coverage:
Westchester and Putnam counties in New York and western portions of Fairfield County in Connecticut.

Goat and Sheep services offered

• Vaccinations: CDT and rabies
• Strategic deworming for intestinal and lung worms, liver flukes
• Hoof trimming
• Infectious disease testing: Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL) & Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE)
• Reproductive health
• Neonatal care
• Dehorning and neutering kids
• Medicine: diagnosis and treatment of digestive/nutritional disorders, respiratory disease, skin disorders, lameness, anemia, etc.
• Mineral/Vitamin injections and nutritional counseling
• Euthanasia

Goat Vital Signs

• Temperature: 101.7 to 104.5 degrees
• Pulse: 70-145 beat per minute
• Respiratory rate: 12-15 breaths per minute

Goat Trivia

• Goats are ruminants like cows and sheep—they have 4 compartments to their stomach
• There are over 200 species of goats worldwid
• Goats range in size from about 25 lbs (pygmy goats) to upwards of 300 lbs (some breeds of meat goats)
• The average goat’s lifespan is 8-12 although some can live up to 15 year
• A goat’s age can be determined based on the configuration and wear patterns on its teeth
• Most goats live in herds of 5-20 members
• Goats are browsers and have evolved to live in varied climates includes mountains, grasslands, and deserts
• An un-neutered male goat is called a buck and a female goat is called a doe
• Baby goats are called “kids” and the act of giving birth is called “kidding
• A neutered male goat is called a “wether”
• There are 6 kinds of dairy goats in the US (Alpine, La Mancha, Oberhasli, Nubian, Saanen and Toggenberg)
• Goat milk is more easily digestible than cow milk because it is naturally homogenized. Goat milk is lower in cholesterol and higher in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin A than cow milk making it better-tolerated by people who cannot drink cow milk.
• Domestic goats have cloven hooves, a long beard, a short and upward-turned tail and horns that grow upward from the head instead of twisting to the sides like those of sheep. Both males and females have horns and beards.
• Male goats reach sexual maturity as early four months. Females are generally sexually mature by 7 months although it advisable to wait until the doe has reached 60-75% of her body weight before breeding.
• A goat’s gestation is approximately 150 days (5 months)
• Goats are seasonal breeders (they breed from late-August to early-January)
• Goats deliver anywhere between 1 and 4 kids—twinning is very common
• Goats have unique rectangular pupils and excellent night vision
• Goats have no upper teeth in front—instead they have a gum pad

Sheep vital signs:

• Temperature: 102-103 degrees
• Pulse: 60-90 beats/minute
• Respiratory rate: 12-20 breaths/minute

Alpaca/llama vital signs:

• Temperature: 100.5-102.5 degrees
• Pulse: 70-130 beats/minute
• Respiratory rate: 6-18 breaths/minute

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