# Questions about CAE testing



## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Hi everyone! I'm about to get my very small herd tested for CAE and just wanted to get all your thoughts before I send the test. I have had my Nubians for about a month or more, the buckling is almost 2 months old and the doeling is almost 4 months old. The rest of my herd is non breeding goats but I want to get them all tested just to be safe. My questions are:

How old should the kids be when I test them? ( I have heard 6 mo. Is that correct?)

I am getting a 2 year old from a CAE free herd next month but I don't think she has been tested this year, should I wait till I get her and get all their samples sent together?

How long does it take for the virus to show up on the test if they have been exposed?

I have a ND cross who was born here at my farm, if his dam is neg and so is the rest of my herd can I assume he is? ( he is only 3 weeks, too young to test I think)

I think that is all for now thank you all so much!



Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## mountaingoats12 (Dec 31, 2013)

Yep, they have to be at least 6 months in order to test. I would wait and just test them all, better safe than sorry. Then you'll know for a fact that they are all negative, CAE free herd or not. I'm not sure sure on the virus part...

Good luck, I hope you have negative goats!


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## mountaingoats12 (Dec 31, 2013)

Well, I mean wait a month and test all but the nd wether, then when he's old enough you can test him too if you want...


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Thanks for the reply mountain goats! I was thinking about testing all but the babies next month when I get the new one then test the 3 kids in about 5-6 mo. What do u think?


Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## lorit (May 10, 2010)

That sounds like a good plan - adults first and all kids when the youngest is 6+ months old. 

I always retest at least yearly - usually when sending in pg test. Bucks get done once per year, usually sometime summer before breeding season. 

There are differing opinions on conversion so never rest on your laurels.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

Thank you  I have heard people get young or new goats tested every 6 months. Is this a good idea for any specific reason? 


Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## mountaingoats12 (Dec 31, 2013)

Hmm, it's being safe but not necessary IMO. Testing yearly should be good enough unless you're suspicious of a certain goat..


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I would to test until you get your new doe also. i like having all my goats listed on the test results page so any buyer will be confident. With my kids, I just wait and they get tested with everyone else the next year. If they are new and you are concerned, you can get a dna based CAE test done with WSU/WADDL. This tests for the the presence of the dna of the cae virus, not just antibodies.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

doublebowgoats said:


> I would to test until you get your new doe also. i like having all my goats listed on the test results page so any buyer will be confident. With my kids, I just wait and they get tested with everyone else the next year. If they are new and you are concerned, you can get a dna based CAE test done with WSU/WADDL. This tests for the the presence of the dna of the cae virus, not just antibodies.


Can the DNA test be done at any age or do I have to wait until they are 6 mo old for that too?

Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## ksalvagno (Jul 8, 2011)

DNA test can be done at any time.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

Kids can be ELISA tested before 6 months. Negative is negative. If the kid is being fed pasturized milk from a positive doe, then the test will show positive from the antibodies until they clear it's system. If only fed raw milk, then positive is positive.


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## HappyCaliGoats (Apr 2, 2014)

[email protected] said:


> Kids can be ELISA tested before 6 months. Negative is negative. If the kid is being fed pasturized milk from a positive doe, then the test will show positive from the antibodies until they clear it's system. If only fed raw milk, then positive is positive.


So I'm feeding pasteurized milk from an untested doe and I'm waiting to test her until I get my last goat for the year In a couple weeks. So I should wait until my kid is weaned to test him in case the doe is positive so he doesn't show up with antibodies? How long does it take the antibodies to get out of their system?

Newbie to Nubian dairy goats. Also have 1 alpine/guernsey wether, 1 boer doe, 2 Pygmy does, and 1 Pygmy/Nigerian wether.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

I think it is 3 months after weaning, but you could call Chuck at Biotracking to be sure.


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## featherbrained (Mar 6, 2013)

*There can be false positives and false negatives*

If you get a positive result, don't panic. Because the test is so sensitive, many things can throw it off--other illnesses, vaccinations, stress, etc. They will tell you to retest again after a certain amount of time (14-30 days). There is a probability of 4 false positives per 1,000 samples tested in the ELISA assay in goats. There is also a possibility of false negatives, so don't assume if you get one "clean" test you are home free. For the first test, it is recommended you retest again in 6 months, then yearly after that.


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## TRF (Jul 1, 2014)

featherbrained said:


> If you get a positive result, don't panic. Because the test is so sensitive, many things can throw it off--other illnesses, vaccinations, stress, etc. They will tell you to retest again after a certain amount of time (14-30 days). There is a probability of 4 false positives per 1,000 samples tested in the ELISA assay in goats. There is also a possibility of false negatives, so don't assume if you get one "clean" test you are home free. For the first test, it is recommended you retest again in 6 months, then yearly after that.


Yes and yes.

So many things can throw off the tests (see above) as well as human error, bad tests, mixed up samples, intentional and accidental and many more.

If tests are a major concern for you then you should always have the test pulled yourself on any animal your are looking to purchase and test for all that are important to you. A 3 month old test for CAE is not current either. Lots of things can happen at any time. The list is long. Just because a goat has a clean test or many tests is not a guarantee. It just means at that moment the test was done the test was negative.


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## AlfaOnTheFarm (Mar 14, 2014)

I just had one of my nannies tested and it came back positive on the ELISA test. She is 4 years old. I'm having her retested in 6 months because there was so many things going on here that day that could have been a stress factor. I had to have one put down while my goats stood outside the pen and just stared. It was a sad day for all of us here.


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## ksalvagno (Jul 8, 2011)

Who did you use for the testing?


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## AlfaOnTheFarm (Mar 14, 2014)

I would have to look on the papers but it's a lab my vet uses. Right now it's 1:30 in the morning here and I don't want to wake up my boyfriend looking for the papers but I will post the lab name tomorrow.


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## AlfaOnTheFarm (Mar 14, 2014)

It's Harrisonburg Regional Animal Health Laboratory. They tested for CAE(ELISA) and it was positive. The bercellosis wasn't. That was on Cheese, the one I had put down. They same place tested Missy and she is positive for CAE from the ELISA test.


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## LittleBits (Aug 6, 2013)

I've never heard of that lab. I've only used WADDL. It might be possible you had false positives^?


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## AlfaOnTheFarm (Mar 14, 2014)

I'm 100% sure Cheese had CAE. Missy not so sure. 

Cheese had the classic signs of CAE with the low udder and no weight gain no matter how much I fed her. Missy is a huge fat goat. Her udder attachments aren't the best either but not as bad as Cheese.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Udder attachment has absolutely nothing to do with CAE.


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## Tim Pruitt (Oct 26, 2007)

WADDL is considered as the gold standard of CAE test by some. Biotracking however is very reliable and often preferred by many. Signs of CAE are hard udders with almost no milk, swollen knees or hocks, and sometimes pneumonia like symptoms. I recommend that everyone test their goats and do their best to eradicate this disease. We have had over 20 years of negative testing. It can be done.


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