Rickets in kids: causes and signs, treatment and prevention

If the rules of feeding are not observed, the lack of a balanced diet in goats develops rickets. The disease is caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus in the body of an animal. To avoid the risk of disease, the farmer must follow the rules for feeding pets. Every breeder should be aware of the clinical signs of rickets in kids, the symptoms and treatments.

Reasons for appearance

Rickets is a violation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism in the body of kids. The risk of the disease is especially high in winter, when there are no green fodder, the quality of root crops is low.The consequences of the pathology are malnutrition, insufficient number of walks in the fresh air.

Rickets can occur due to the wrong ratio of nutrients in the feed. Often this is manifested in the one-sided feeding of young individuals with feed containing a low percentage of useful elements: calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D. The appearance of the disease can provoke a lack of vitamin A, protein. With insufficient exposure to ultraviolet rays, a violation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism occurs.

Therefore, the breeder should regularly walk the cattle in the open air, and apply artificial ultraviolet radiation in winter.

The development of rickets, mainly observed in young animals, is manifested as a result of improper feeding of pregnant and lactating goats. The result of a lack of useful trace elements negatively affects the offspring. Goats are born with weak immunity.

Signs and symptoms of disease

If a goat was born weak, the farmer should closely monitor its growth and development. The first signs of the manifestation of the disease include:

• loss of appetite, lethargy of the animal, signs of exhaustion;
• goat begins to lick the feeder, walls, eat dirty bedding;
• digestion disorder observed: diarrhea and other manifestations;
• there is a curvature of the spine, limbs, it becomes difficult for the kid to move.

In this disease, the animal's body lacks vitamins involved in the formation of the skeletal system. Kids become weak, their metabolic processes are disturbed, which leads to developmental delays and other ailments.

Diagnostic Methods

Rickets in young animals develops gradually, the farmer may not notice the first signs immediately. The veterinarian diagnoses the disease based on the animal's living conditions, symptoms, laboratory tests.

If necessary, a specialist conducts a histological examination of bone tissue, makes an x-ray.

When conducting a differential diagnosis, the doctor excludes:

• osteodystrophy;
• paresis;
• rheumatism;
• diseases of the biogeochemical sector and a number of other diseases of a specific nature.

When the first signs of the development of the disease are detected, timely complex treatment and normalization of the diet, the animal quickly recovers. At the advanced stage of rickets, various viral and bacterial infections are added.In this case, immunity decreases, the prognosis is usually unfavorable.

Methods of treating rickets in kids

Treatment of kids should be comprehensive. A sick animal is separated from the rest of the livestock, and conditions are improved. Organize a dry, clean room, lay fresh bedding. Increase the number of walks in the fields with fresh grass, mainly in clear weather.

In the diet of kids with rickets, add:

• dairy products;
• high protein foods;
• calcium;
• phosphorus.

Food should be balanced, easily digestible. Mineral top dressing, bone meal, calcium chloride, chalk are added to the diet. Medicines are administered to the animal: "Trivit", "Trivitamin", "Tetravit". Vitamins D2 and D3 are administered intramuscularly.

Prevention

The appearance of rickets can be prevented if the necessary preventive measures are taken in a timely manner. Animals should be provided with regular exercise outdoors, as ultraviolet light helps the absorption of vitamin D.

Kids should be kept dry, clean and well ventilated. There should always be fresh and clean bedding. Newborns are provided with a place that meets sanitary and hygienic standards. Organize ultraviolet irradiation.

In order to prevent the development of the disease in animals on farms, a group of young animals is isolated, from which blood serum is taken every 2 weeks to study the content of phosphorus and calcium in it.

Compliance with sanitary norms and rules, increased attention, quality care and balanced nutrition contribute to the appearance of he althy litters, the growth and development of kids. Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. If you follow these rules, the animals will always be he althy.

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