Help! New Nigerian Dwarf Doe has horrible dandruff

[idnatalie11]

We recently got this 3yo Nigerian Dwarf Does sweet as can be but she looks terrible. Hair all frizzy and terrible dandruff. I've inspected her for lice and don't see any evidence (bugs, eggs in hair shaft, etc...) Not sure what food/minerals/foraging she's had in the past but she has all of that readily available now...just seems we have our work cut out for us. We de-wormed her with Safeguard and may repeat in another 2-3 weeks and I'm giving her a tablespoon of BOSS 2xday. Just don't know where else to go with this unhappy looking coat. Should I 1) buy a medicated shampoo like Mane and Tail or 2) shave her down 3) do some sort of mineral bolus, etc...(?). I do know she just finished weaning twins and she def needs some weight put back on her. Any firm suggestions / line of treatment ideas would be greatly appreciated! It's a bit overwhelming knowing where to start but I know with help I can nurse her back to good health! Thanks!

 

[Fishychix]

We recently got this 3yo Nigerian Dwarf Does sweet as can be but she looks terrible. Hair all frizzy and terrible dandruff. I've inspected her for lice and don't see any evidence (bugs, eggs in hair shaft, etc...) Not sure what food/minerals/foraging she's had in the past but she has all of that readily available now...just seems we have our work cut out for us. We de-wormed her with Safeguard and may repeat in another 2-3 weeks and I'm giving her a tablespoon of BOSS 2xday. Just don't know where else to go with this unhappy looking coat. Should I 1) buy a medicated shampoo like Mane and Tail or 2) shave her down 3) do some sort of mineral bolus, etc...(?). I do know she just finished weaning twins and she def needs some weight put back on her. Any firm suggestions / line of treatment ideas would be greatly appreciated! It's a bit overwhelming knowing where to start but I know with help I can nurse her back to good health! Thanks!


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You can try posting on BYH - backyard herds. You will likely get an answer over there.

 

[cassie]

If she was my goat the first thing I would do is clip her. Then I would give her a good scrubbing with an anti fungal shampoo. As for lice, just because you can't see them it doesn't mean they aren't there. The little buggers are hard to see. There are three things I have seen in my own goats that caused dandruff. They are lice, a fungal infection, and a lack of vitamins. Or all three. Clipping the goat will let you get a good look at the skin. It will let you see the lice if any, and if the skin itself is thickened and scaly and feels greasy, that is a good sign that a fungal infection is the cause. Anyway, the clipping and a bath are the first steps to identifying the problem.

 

[Melly-Mae]

My first though was lice and possible copper deficiency. I agree with clipping and fungal bath. Does she have access to a mineral block with copper in it?

 

[idnatalie11]

Thank you for your replies! I did post on backyard herd and am getting very similar responses - this is great! I love these forums . Yes, she has access to loose minerals (manna pro) and I've ordered a copper bolus I'll give her asap. Headed to get her a medicated shampoo today-we've had a turn of cooler weather so I'm a little concerned about clipping her -should I with the weather turning? (We're in the Piedmont of NC). I do have a warm water spigot outside. If it gets up into the 70's today she should be ok to dry out after a good bath ya think? Thanks again for your replies! I feel so much better. Would a medicated shampoo like this Mane and Tail do the trick or would you recommend something different? Blessings!!

 

[lomine]

You shouldn't give a copper bolus unless you are 100% certain she is copper deficient. Copper toxicity can kill fast. A vet can do a blood test if you aren't sure. Don't go by the "fish tail" thing. My goats get that and if I gave them a copper bolus, I'd kill them. You can check with goat owners in your area because some areas have enough copper in the soil and local hay that all the goats need is copper in their free choice minerals. Other areas are deficient and need a bolus. If you can't find a local Facebook group or something, ask at your feed store.

If you are in a cold climate, I would try to avoid clipping this time of year and just do a bath. Or maybe just do a small area so you can see the skin better like cassie suggested. If you have mild winters, then I'd go with a bath and clip.

Ivermectin will get rid of any lice or mites. Read the bottle instructions, but I believe you need to spray every 10 days for a mouth because it kills the adults but not the eggs.

 

[Melly-Mae]

You shouldn't give a copper bolus unless you are 100% certain she is copper deficient. Copper toxicity can kill fast. A vet can do a blood test if you aren't sure. Don't go by the "fish tail" thing. My goats get that and if I gave them a copper bolus, I'd kill them. You can check with goat owners in your area because some areas have enough copper in the soil and local hay that all the goats need is copper in their free choice minerals. Other areas are deficient and need a bolus. If you can't find a local Facebook group or something, ask at your feed store.

If you are in a cold climate, I would try to avoid clipping this time of year and just do a bath. Or maybe just do a small area so you can see the skin better like cassie suggested. If you have mild winters, then I'd go with a bath and clip.

Ivermectin will get rid of any lice or mites. Read the bottle instructions, but I believe you need to spray every 10 days for a mouth because it kills the adults but not the eggs.

You shouldn't give a copper bolus unless you are 100% certain she is copper deficient. Copper toxicity can kill fast. A vet can do a blood test if you aren't sure. Don't go by the "fish tail" thing. My goats get that and if I gave them a copper bolus, I'd kill them. You can check with goat owners in your area because some areas have enough copper in the soil and local hay that all the goats need is copper in their free choice minerals. Other areas are deficient and need a bolus. If you can't find a local Facebook group or something, ask at your feed store.

If you are in a cold climate, I would try to avoid clipping this time of year and just do a bath. Or maybe just do a small area so you can see the skin better like cassie suggested. If you have mild winters, then I'd go with a bath and clip.

Ivermectin will get rid of any lice or mites. Read the bottle instructions, but I believe you need to spray every 10 days for a mouth because it kills the adults but not the eggs.

Did it sound like I meant a bolus? If so I apologize. I only meant a mineral block. The free choice minerals like you referred to I believe. I haven't heard of "fish tail" before. What exactly is that?

 

[cassie]

You shouldn't give a copper bolus unless you are 100% certain she is copper deficient. Copper toxicity can kill fast. A vet can do a blood test if you aren't sure. Don't go by the "fish tail" thing. My goats get that and if I gave them a copper bolus, I'd kill them. You can check with goat owners in your area because some areas have enough copper in the soil and local hay that all the goats need is copper in their free choice minerals. Other areas are deficient and need a bolus. If you can't find a local Facebook group or something, ask at your feed store.

If you are in a cold climate, I would try to avoid clipping this time of year and just do a bath. Or maybe just do a small area so you can see the skin better like cassie suggested. If you have mild winters, then I'd go with a bath and clip.

Ivermectin will get rid of any lice or mites. Read the bottle instructions, but I believe you need to spray every 10 days for a mouth because it kills the adults but not the eggs.

Unless you are in a very cold area if the goat is clipped now she should grow enough hair back to protect her before the cold weather hits. You can also put a sweat shirt on her. I have done that often enough.

 

[lomine]

Did it sound like I meant a bolus? If so I apologize. I only meant a mineral block. The free choice minerals like you referred to I believe. I haven't heard of "fish tail" before. What exactly is that?

Someone else mentioned giving a copper bolus.

Fish tail is a term where the hair at the tip of the tail is missing. The longer hairs alone the side of the tail still stick back so it looks like the tail of a fish. {\_/} Lots of sites/people on the internet state it's a sign of copper deficiency. That's why I mentioned it.