Polioencephalomalacia (PEM) in Goat

Polioencephalomalcia (PEM) ,also called as Cerebrocortical Necrosis ,is a neurologic disease which is commonly affect the Cattle,Sheep and Goat worldwide.

Etiology:

• Thiamine deficiency(Vit B1) due to high concentrate feed and low roughage intake
• High sulphur intake

Clinical findings:

Blindness --> Recumbency --> Tonic-clonic seizures --> Coma

• Absence of menace reflex
• Recumbency,convulsion and paddling of limbs
• Incoordination
• Head pressing
• Nystagmus
• Grinding of teeth
• Staggering gait
• Ataxia
• Torticollis

Goat shows Torticollis

At field level,farmer says that goat walk somesteps and suddenly fall on the ground or in pasture land shows convulsion like signs

Lesions:

• Brain swelling
• Necrosis of cerebro cortical neurons

Differential diagnosis:

Cattle

• Lead poisoning
• Rabies
• Vit A deficiency
• Histophilus meningioencephalitis

Sheep and Goat

• Listeriosis (PEM must be differentiated from listeriosis)
• Pregnancy Toxaemia

Treatment:

1. Administration of thiamine(Vit B1): 10-20 mg/kg IM or slow IV (diluted with 5% DNS or NS ) 4-5 days

2. Dexamethasone: 1 mg/kg IM ( to reduce cerebral edema)

3. B-complex is also given orally.

Prevention

1. Give adequate amount of roughage to enhance the production of Thiamine by rumen microbes
2. Avoid feeding of plants like Brackern fern which contain Thiaminase I enzyme.
3. Restrict intake of more sulphur containing materials like byproducts of Sugar cane,Beet processing products.