San Clemente Island Goat Health

This page will not tell you all about nutrition, emergency care, how to treat illnesses, etc. Other people and sites can do it better. These are just some basic tips and links to help you out as a beginner or in case of emergency.

When you first purchase a San Clemente Island goat, ask the breeder for a list of good goat contacts. The list should include anyone, especially a vet, who has good goat experience, and who you can call with health questions. You should also make your own contacts—find a veterinarian in your area with goat experience. Find out who your local 4-H leader is (even if you're an oldy) and ask them who they recommend to call for advice when needed. If your goat's in trouble, you'll wish that you had already compiled a list of contacts. Keep in mind that just because a person has had goats for a long time does not necessarily mean that they have the best knowledge base. 

If you're an experienced owner, keep updating your knowledge. The science of goat pregnancy testing, deworming approaches, nutrition information, and other goat health care issues is improving rapidly. If you know a lot, please make yourself available to those who don't. Even a small herd represents a good percentage of San Clemente Island goat breeding stock, and we can't afford to lose any of them.

As ruminants, goats naturally try to keep safe from predators by appearing healthy even when they're not. Observe your goats when they don't know you're watching. Look out for limping, heavy breathing, or anything abnormal. Handle them frequently and check the condition of their hooves and coats, feel them and check for lumps or anything unusual. They should be bright, alert, and responsive, or you may have a problem. 

Here are a few links that you may find helpful—

Emergency Care:


Goat Health Supplies:

  • Hoegger's Supply   www.thegoatstore.com   800–221–4628
    (the 27A hoof trimmers are pretty good)


  • Caprine Supply   www.caprinesupply.com   800–646–7736
    (Great cheesemaking supplies, but also healthcare tools and AI supplies)


  • Premier One Supplies   www.premier1supplies.com   800–282–6631
    (Nice price on Burdizzos and probably lots of other things, as they cater to commercial ranchers).

Nutrition Information:


  • (Plug in your list of goat chow ingredients and see how good your mix is, and what quantities your goats need, using these nutrition calculators. Fairly advanced, but a must if you formulate your own feed.)


Miscellaneous Information