One of my goats just got through a bout of CL, and I was really relieved to see him over it.
He’s been really miserable having to be quarantined, but he’s back out on the pasture now and he’s over the moon.
It just warms my heart to see it!
However, since he’s been back out, I’ve been noticing my dog being a bit lethargic and maybe in distress somehow, so naturally I feared the worst.
Could it have caught the CL? I decided to find out if this was possible.
So, can dogs get CL from goats?
No, dogs cannot catch CL from goats. They are more or less immune to this particular infection. There are some things that can be transmitted between goats and dogs, but not CL. CL is not a problem for dogs in the same way it is for goats, for a variety of reasons.
So, you’ve got nothing to worry about when it comes to your dog and CL.
There is clearly something wrong with mine, and I’ll take him to the vet to figure out what that is—but I can rest assured that it’s not Cl.
Let’s look further into this.
Can dogs catch CL from goats?
No, is the short answer.
CL is an infection that really only affects goats and sheep.
It does occur very sporadically in horses, cattle, even camels and pigs, but it is far, far more common in goats and sheep.
Dogs are more or less totally immune to the infection—unlike us!
Humans can catch it, but even then, as long as you are very careful when handling an infected goat or being near any draining lesions or exudate, you are very unlikely to catch it.
Dogs are seemingly completely immune to the infection, even when they are near and regularly interacting with the animal.
That said, you should still quarantine the goat away from everyone, even the dogs.
The dogs might not catch the infection themselves, but they could transfer harmful biowaste that might infect the rest of the goats.
But your dog itself is in no danger from CL, so you can rest assured on that.
Is there anything a dog can catch from a goat?
Can dogs catch anything from goats?
There are indeed some things that goats commonly carry that can be transmitted to dogs, although typically nothing too serious.
Furthermore, these cases are very rare, and not something you should lose sleep over.
That said, there is one infection known as Q fever.
Q fever is caused by proteobacterial organisms, called Coxiella burnetii.
Even among sheep and goats it’s really not very common, but it can be passed to dogs in the case that you do have a goat with Q fever.
Again, quarantine your goat in this case until the infection runs its course.
CL is much more of a problem and much more common in goats than Q fever, though, so you should be more worried about treating your goats than treating your dogs.
What about the other way around?
Can dogs transmit anything to goats?
Can goats catch anything from dogs?
There are not very many infections that dogs are prone to which are really a cause for concern among goats.
Generally, infections are much more common among goats since they are out grazing, whereas dogs tend to live inside.
That said, there are some examples, if somewhat indirect, of how dogs can pass on issues and conditions to goats.
For example, dog feces can be toxic to goats, and though they will generally avoid eating feces, a young and curious goat who doesn’t know better may well do.
This could be seriously problematic for their health, so make sure you clear your pasture of dog droppings regularly if you let your dogs roam out there.
The main issue comes from the meat-eating nature of dogs.
Because they are carnivores, their gut bacteria is a lot more complex as it’s needed to break down all that meat.
These bacteria can be highly problematic to herbivores like goats—and indeed to omnivores like ourselves!
In terms of transmittable infections, though, you really have nothing major to be concerned about.
What about dogs eating goat feces?
Is goat poop toxic to dogs?
So, though dog poop can be very dangerous for goats, the opposite isn’t really true.
Because goats are herbivores, their poop is just digested plant matter.
It isn’t rotting flesh and it isn’t infested with meat-digesting microbes.
That said, if I were you, I would probably still try to avoid your dog eating goat poop, or at least getting into the habit of it. it’s probably not especially good for it, either.
If your goat is infected with something like CL, I would absolutely advise keeping your dog away from its poop at all times.
Cleaning up after a sick animal, in general, is always a very good idea for keeping things clean and safe.
CL can be a really problematic thing for herds to deal with, then. it can spread fast, and cause serious pain and discomfort, even if death is rare.
However, one less thing you’ve got to worry about is it spreading to your dogs.
Dogs cannot and do not catch CL, period, and they certainly cannot catch it from goats.
In any case, you should really quarantine the infected goats completely, so that they don’t pass it on to the other goats, but the dogs are not the problem.