Goats rubbing against/cage losing fur

[incubatingisfun]

Okay so I fed my goats this morning and they where fine acting normal eating/drinking and when i got home they where making more noise than normal so i checked on them again and there was fluffy fur everywhere and they where rubbing against the cage vigourously.upon closer inspection there was some spots of fur completely rubbed clean or close to it on one in the face and on the other on the side.No change in diet I have had them for 2 years and they have been happy and 100% healthy the whole time both are nigerian dwarves wethers i beleive around 4 years old,what is concerning is that this happend over a 6 hour period what could be the cause?mites or some other parasite?if so what course of action do I take in treating it?thanks in advance for any info

 

[Sonya9]

My first thought would be give them Bendaryl to help relieve the itching (google to make sure it is safe for goats).

Is there anything new in their environment? Anything at all? New food, new plants, new animal they were exposed to etc... Has their been a drastic change in weather (warmer temps) that could have activated mites or other nasties? This is happening to both of them right? Not just one?

I am not a goat person and not in Alaska so not sure what type of bugs and other things you have there.

If they are losing a lot of fur I would be calling a local vet that knows livestock or consulting with goat savvy folks.

 

[Stacykins]

When a goat is rubbing fur off (to the skin, not just normal shedding itching), the first thing to suspect is mites or lice. Take a close look and go through their fur. Mites or lice is especially probable because they tend infest animals heavier during colder months. Which is why shaving the goats down during warm weather is a great preventive measure, for that time of year, as you can imagine, it is a bit too cold for that method.

The only way to confirm mites is a skin scraping under a microscope. But you can physically see lice, especially if you use a nit comb to help you find them. Don't worry, goat lice will not infest humans, dogs, etc. they are rather species specific.

I'd recommend treating the two with ivermectin pour on. It is dribbled down the base of the spine, making sure to get it to the SKIN with the applicator (I use a needleless syringe to apply it) by parting the fur. If it gets just on their fur and not down to the skin, it won't do any good Repeat the treatment in 10-14 days, then again, in another 10-14 days. This is to kill the buggies at all stages of the lifecycle. It is applied to goats topically at a rate of 1cc per 20lbs of goat, and it is hard to overdose, so don't worry if you overestimate a little. If you underdose, it won't work as well, and your goats will not get relief.

Also, it would be a great idea to remove all their bedding. When you add new bedding, either dust it down with diatomaceous earth of PYthon dust. One is a chemical, one isn't and kills buggies through mechanical means. It will be extra insurance to make sure they are cleared of whatever is infesting them.

 

[incubatingisfun]

Thank you both for the quick replies will take it all in to consideration and make a plan of attack.Today they seemed alot less stressed and didnt see any more fur or rubbing going on but im sure they still are just a little less at the moment. oh and to answer your question a few days ago I did have to give them grain because I was out of hay that day,a rare treat for them since i read wethers arent supposed to get alot of grain is that true?and it has been an unussualy warm winter you think either of these things have any significance in relation to the fur loss?

 

[incubatingisfun]

Okay there is large patches missing now!I looked at the skin and it wasnt red and there was no sores or anything also couldnt see any bugs not to say there isnt any.They dont seem stresseD and are eating and drinking normaly also poop looks normal but something is very wrong should i buy the medicine you suggested and just treat anyway while looking for the cause of this?

 

[cassie]

If the goats were mine, I would go to the feed store get some louse powder, and dust them liberally paticularly along the length of the backbone. Sometimes you just can't see lice. I would also get a can of Blu Kote and spray the bare patches. If it is a fungus causing the hair loss, the Blu Kot will take care of it. If they have lice, the powder will take care of it. Neither treatment is expensive and neither will harm the goats in any way.

 

[incubatingisfun]

ok thank you I will do that,if it is that and I treat them how/when will i know it worked and what happens if they lose all there fur?

 

[Stacykins]

If you kill what is causing the fur loss, which is almost certainly an external parasite, the fur loss will stop when the goats stop itching themselves bare. Think about it, they ITCH, badly! If you've ever gotten poison ivy, or had the chickenpox at an age you can remember it, or just anything itchy enough to drive you nutty, you'd understand. The rubbing is the only thing they can do because they can't coat themselves in soothing ointment and calamine like we can. They won't go bald if you treat what is causing them to itch.

I still recommend ivermectin pour on because it lasts longer on the goat. Whatever you decide to use, you will need to treat several times. The powder does not last as long on the goats, so it needs reapplied more often than ivermectin pour on to make sure it kills all the external parasites, and gets them at all stages of their life cycle. Most treatments don't kill the eggs, so if you treat once and stop, the goats will be reinfected from eggs in the bedding and in their fur. Which is why getting rid of the old bedding, and treating the new bedding with the powder is highly recommended.

 

[incubatingisfun]

Alright thank you very much I will pick up some ivermectin pour as soon as possible and begin the treatmant I will clean out the bedding in advance tommorow.

 

[cassie]

Check out the label on the ivermectin. If memory serves it will kill either biting lice or sucking lice but not both.