Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma in Goats: Infectious Lung Tumor Signs to Watch For

Quick Answer
  • Pulmonary adenocarcinoma in goats is a rare but serious infectious lung tumor linked to jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus, a virus spread mainly in respiratory secretions.
  • Goats may show chronic weight loss, exercise intolerance, faster breathing, crackles in the chest, and sometimes watery or frothy nasal discharge. Some goats stay subtle or subclinical for a long time.
  • This condition is progressive and considered fatal once tumors are established. There is no proven curative treatment, so herd management and biosecurity matter as much as individual care.
  • Your vet may recommend chest ultrasound, exam findings, herd history, and sometimes necropsy or lab testing to support the diagnosis and rule out pneumonia, CAE-related lung disease, abscesses, or other causes.
  • Typical U.S. cost range for workup and herd decision-making is about $250-$900 for an exam, farm call, and imaging, while necropsy with histopathology often adds about $150-$325 plus transport or disposal fees.
Estimated cost: $250–$900

What Is Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma in Goats?

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma in goats is a rare infectious tumor of the lungs. It is better described in sheep as ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma, or OPA, but goats can also be affected. The disease is caused by jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV), which triggers tumor growth in lung tissue rather than acting like a typical bacterial pneumonia.

This condition tends to be slowly progressive. A goat may look normal for months or even years before signs become obvious. When signs do appear, they usually involve weight loss and worsening breathing effort, especially with movement or stress. Some goats have only subtle signs, which can make early recognition difficult.

For pet parents, the most important point is that this is not a routine respiratory infection. It is a contagious disease within a herd setting, and once tumors are present, the outlook is poor. That is why early veterinary evaluation, separation of suspect animals, and herd-level planning with your vet are so important.

Symptoms of Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma in Goats

  • Chronic weight loss despite eating
  • Exercise intolerance or lagging behind
  • Increased breathing effort or shortness of breath
  • Crackles or moist lung sounds
  • Watery, frothy, or serous nasal discharge
  • Open-mouth breathing or marked respiratory distress
  • Poor thrift or progressive decline without fever

See your vet immediately if your goat has labored breathing, open-mouth breathing, blue or gray gums, collapse, or severe weakness. Those signs can happen with advanced lung disease, but they can also occur with pneumonia, aspiration, severe anemia, or other emergencies.

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma often looks like a slow, chronic respiratory problem rather than a sudden illness. That means a goat with mild weight loss, reduced stamina, or recurring breathing trouble still deserves a prompt exam. Early evaluation helps your vet separate infectious tumor disease from more common problems like bacterial pneumonia, lungworms, abscesses, or caprine arthritis encephalitis-related lung disease.

What Causes Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma in Goats?

The underlying cause is infection with jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV). This virus is shed in respiratory secretions and is thought to spread mainly by aerosol or droplet exposure, especially when animals are housed closely together. Merck also notes that transmission may occur through colostrum and milk.

Unlike many viruses, JSRV is important because it can directly contribute to tumor formation in the lungs. In other words, the infection and the cancer process are linked. A goat can carry the virus for a long time before obvious tumors develop, which is one reason herd control is challenging.

Cases in goats are considered uncommon to rare, and some infected goats may remain subclinical or have less dramatic signs than sheep. That said, a rare disease can still matter a great deal in a mixed small-ruminant herd, because introducing one infected animal may expose others before anyone realizes there is a problem.

How Is Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma in Goats Diagnosed?

Diagnosis usually starts with a history and physical exam. Your vet will look for chronic weight loss, abnormal lung sounds, breathing effort, and whether the goat has had a long, progressive course rather than an acute feverish illness. Herd history matters too, especially if sheep are present or if there have been unexplained chronic respiratory losses.

In live animals, thoracic ultrasonography can help identify superficial lung lesions and support a presumptive diagnosis. Merck notes that ultrasound can detect superficial lesions as small as 1-2 cm, and other references describe ultrasound as useful for identifying tumors larger than about 2 cm. Chest imaging is often paired with testing and exam findings to rule out more common conditions.

Your vet may also discuss differentials such as bacterial pneumonia, lung abscesses, caseous lymphadenitis involving the chest, lungworms, or lentiviral disease. In some cases, fluid or airway samples may be submitted for PCR-based testing, but there is no simple, reliable screening test for every live animal. Because of that limitation, necropsy with histopathology is often the most definitive way to confirm the diagnosis in a herd.

Treatment Options for Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma in Goats

Spectrum of Care means you have options. Here are treatment tiers at different price points.

Budget-Conscious Care

$150–$500
Best for: Goats with advanced signs, herds where finances are limited, or situations where the main goal is comfort and practical herd protection.
  • Farm call or clinic exam
  • Basic respiratory assessment and quality-of-life discussion
  • Isolation from the herd while your vet evaluates next steps
  • Supportive nursing care such as minimizing stress, heat, dust, and transport
  • Euthanasia planning or necropsy referral if the goat is declining
Expected outcome: Poor to grave. Supportive care may briefly improve comfort, but it does not remove the tumor or the virus.
Consider: This approach keeps costs lower, but it usually provides less diagnostic certainty. It may also delay herd-level answers if necropsy is not pursued.
Most Common

Recommended Standard Treatment

$250–$900
Best for: Most suspected cases where the goal is to make a practical diagnosis, protect the herd, and avoid spending on treatments unlikely to help.
  • Exam and farm call
  • Thoracic ultrasound to look for superficial lung masses or fluid changes
  • Targeted testing to rule out pneumonia or other chronic lung disease
  • Discussion of isolation, culling, and biosecurity for exposed herdmates
  • Necropsy with histopathology if the goat dies or is euthanized
Expected outcome: Poor. There is no proven curative treatment once pulmonary adenocarcinoma is established.
Consider: This tier gives better information for herd decisions, but it still may not provide a perfect antemortem diagnosis in every goat.

Advanced / Critical Care

$900–$2,500
Best for: High-value animals, breeding programs, research herds, or situations where the pet parent wants the most information possible before making herd decisions.
  • Repeat imaging or referral-level workup
  • Hospitalization, oxygen support, and intensive monitoring if severe respiratory distress is present
  • Expanded sampling such as airway fluid collection or advanced laboratory testing when available
  • Comprehensive herd investigation and biosecurity planning with your vet and diagnostic laboratory
  • Postmortem confirmation plus additional testing for herd management
Expected outcome: Still poor for the individual goat. Advanced care may clarify the diagnosis, but it does not change the lack of a proven cure.
Consider: This option can provide more certainty and herd data, but the cost range is much higher and the outcome for the affected goat usually remains unfavorable.

Cost estimates as of 2026-03. Actual costs vary by location, clinic, and individual case.

Questions to Ask Your Vet About Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma in Goats

Bring these questions to your vet appointment to get the most out of your visit.

  1. Based on my goat's exam, what are the most likely causes of these breathing signs besides pulmonary adenocarcinoma?
  2. Would thoracic ultrasound help in this case, and what findings would make you more suspicious of an infectious lung tumor?
  3. Should this goat be isolated from the rest of the herd right now?
  4. If this is suspected JSRV-related disease, what is the realistic outlook for comfort and survival?
  5. Are antibiotics or anti-inflammatories likely to help, or would they only address a secondary infection?
  6. If this goat dies or we choose euthanasia, where can we send the body for necropsy and histopathology?
  7. What biosecurity steps should we take for herd mates, kids, colostrum, milk, and any sheep on the property?
  8. Are there any state reporting requirements or local herd health recommendations we should follow?

How to Prevent Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma in Goats

Prevention focuses on biosecurity and herd management, because there is no vaccine and no reliable way to cure infected animals. The safest approach is to work with your vet to avoid introducing animals from herds with a history of chronic unexplained respiratory disease or pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Closed-herd practices are helpful when possible.

Because JSRV is thought to spread mainly through respiratory secretions, reducing close contact between suspect animals and the rest of the herd matters. If a goat has chronic weight loss and breathing trouble, isolate it while your vet evaluates the case. In mixed flocks, remember that sheep are the classic host species, so sheep-to-goat exposure may be relevant.

If a case is confirmed or strongly suspected, your vet may recommend removing affected animals, reviewing how kids are raised, and tightening sanitation and traffic flow around feeding and housing areas. Some references also discuss reducing risk by separating newborns from infected dams and using alternative colostrum or milk sources in eradication-style programs. Those plans are herd-specific, so it is best to build them with your vet rather than trying a one-size-fits-all approach.

Find a Vet Near You