ok so ive recently lost 3 of my dogs to parvo,and please dont bash me about shoulda taken them to vet or any of that cause i did and they said id have to pay up to 9000$ after the course of being in the hospital so i could not afford that i am only 17,but anyways i want to have a pet and obviously im not allowed to have a dog cause they keep geting taken away from me,so ive looked into a diffrent alternative,a pet goat,so what im wondering is even if i cleaned and bleached 4 times already the house and the yard can a pet goat get parvo or any other parvo like virus just cause of a dog befor who had it,please answer cause i dont wanna bring another animal to its doom here.ty
Answer
Parvovirus does not transfer from dogs to other species, but it is highly contagious and will transmit to other dogs who have not been properly vaccinated.
Parvo will not transmit to goats, but goats can be infected with numerous other diseases. Typical vaccinations for goats is a twice-yearly CDT injection, which prevents enterotoxemia, tetanus and pasteurella. Another common deficiency that goats should be protected against is white muscle disease, which results from a selenium deficiency. This is usually injected to pregnant does before kidding to protect the unborn kids. Also, a coccidiosis prevention regime should be used, particularly in young kids. Most adults develop a resistance to this, but it can be fatal to kids under 6 months.
Goats can pick up parasites, particularly intestinal worms, mites and lice, from other species. This can happen pretty readily if they are kept on the same pasture as dogs or deer that carry these parasites. If your puppies had worms (roundworms, tapeworm, etc.) the cross- infection risk is pretty high. I don't recommend keeping goats on pasture that has been exposed to dog feces. Deer populations also transmit listeriosis (circling disease). This is a fast moving brain fever that can kill an untreated animal in less than 48 hours, and vet treatment is required for recovery.
There are also other viral diseases that have no cure. If you are considering owning a goat, do some research on CAE (caprine arthritic encephalitis). There is also Johnne's Disease, which is a chronic wasting disease. Either of these illnesses are untreatable, and a symptomatic animal can suffer horribly.
Keeping goats (not just one, they do need a companion) is not an inexpensive endeavor. Grain, hay and basic vet care can equal or surpass the cost of keeping a dog. As you've said that you don't have the money to pay for vet care for your dog(s), I wouldn't recommend getting a goat. We do nearly all of our own vet work ourselves, but feed isn't cheap, and the cost of hay is forever going up. If you want a pet, consider something smaller - perhaps a rabbit or cavie or a couple of chickens if you have a small coop.
And if you do decide to get another pet, please do your research beforehand. Any animal can get sick or injured, and you want to know how to care for them properly before you bring a new animal home. Do your homework first. And even a rabbit is going to cost money - feed, housing, bedding and such can still add up.