Effect of age, sex, and county on postmortem findings in goats and sheep in Tennessee (USA), 2017–2021

by Andrea Lear, Wesley Sheley, Jessy Shanks, Brian Whitlock, Chika Okafor

Small ruminants, including sheep and goats, play an important role in the economy of American agriculture. They are susceptible to a variety of diseases that impact animal welfare and production. This study evaluated postmortem data from two different diagnostic laboratories in the state of Tennessee to discern common causes of death of small ruminants that were brought in for necropsy between 2017 to 2021. Data were prepared for analysis by selecting the predominant conditions observed at postmortem examination and risk factors including sex, age, season, and region were included in analysis. The predominant condition seen in both small ruminant species was endoparasitism. In both sheep and goats, female juvenile animals were more likely to be diagnosed with this condition at necropsy during summer months. Abortive diseases were the next most prominent condition diagnosed in both small ruminant species. The majority of these cases were due to an unknown cause and age was a significant risk factor in both sheep and goats. Neurological disorders in goats and pneumonia in sheep were included in the most prevalent diagnoses at postmortem examination with age being a significant risk factor. These findings suggest that many small ruminant deaths are attributed to infectious diseases that have herdwide implications. Producer education could be beneficial to help identify and implement control measures in a timely manner to help minimize production loss associated with common diseases.