12/18/2023 0 Comments Mythological caprine![]() ![]() We see these wild goats living in deserts and impossible, rocky crags where the only growing thing seems to be a small scum of lichen, and we think, “Aha! Goats can survive on anything.” Also Wild Kingdom, Planet Earth, and just about any other wild animal documentary you can think of. Cui bono? Who profits? In this case, only the goat, and he isn’t footing (hoofing?) the bill. This is the reason that you don’t see a lot of glossy goat-wellness flyers or “Vaccinate your Goat” campaigns. Not a good sentence to be taken out of context.) Unfortunately, whether we like it or not, most owner-education resources in the livestock and pet industries are driven by drug dollars. Great! No big, bad pharma to get in the way, right? Goat husbandry can remain pure. There are very few (less than a handful in common use) drugs or vaccines that are federally labeled for use in goats. From the perspective of the pharmaceutical companies, this means that goats aren’t worth many research dollars. Goats - and sheep - are not major economic elements in U.S. ![]() Goats are classified as a “minor species.” This designation has nothing to do with age, though the vast majority of goats are ineligible to vote, and everything to do with money.Several factors are conspiring against the poor caprine creatures (dogs are canine, cats are feline, sheep are ovine, and goats are caprine). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if someone told me they read on a message board about a new breed of flying, purple, people-eating goats that have only one horn. For reasons that aren’t at all clear, the goat has been the victim of some of the most pernicious animal husbandry myths that a technological age can provide. It all falls apart when we consider the goat. Even alpaca owners are better educated about the needs of their long-necked teddy bears than the majority of veterinarians. The majority of horse owners have grasped that a horse is not, in fact, a large dog and have at least a rudimentary notion of how to feed and house that half-ton lawnmower. Most pet owners seem to have a fairly good handle on dog and cat keeping – though I’m still not sure why anyone thinks that a dog really cares how well dressed he is.
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