ABSTRACT
Evidence of renal failure and metabolic acidosis may be seen in advanced or terminal stages. Floppy kid syndrome is a metabolic acidosis without diarrhoea or dehydration, affecting kids typically between 7 and 14 days of life. Hypocalcaemia is associated with a decrease in blood calcium levels in the periparturient period. Diagnosis is based on the clinical signs, stage of pregnancy, response to treatment and the demonstration of hypocalcaemia in ante- or post-mortem blood. Hypomagnesaemia is another relatively rare condition in goats compared with cattle due predominantly to the differences in feeding behaviour. Lactational ketosis can be a problem in does bred for high milk production, developing in the first few weeks post kidding. Goats are potentially susceptible to the generic condition referred to as ketosis, either in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, in which it is referred to as 'pregnancy toxaemia', or during early lactation when it is referred to as 'lactational ketosis'.
