# Balding Goat



## annanicole18 (Apr 7, 2010)

Less than a week ago my goat started balding as first i thought it was extreme shedding but now she has very little hair on her back. large chunks of hair coming out at once.  She was wormed with Ivermectin on sunday.   Any advice tips ideas.  I've had a really bad day and don't want to spend all night searching for possible problems on the internet.   Thanks


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## Roll farms (Apr 7, 2010)

It could be mites or it could be a deficiency (selenium or iodine come to mind)...the easiest way to know would be have a skin scraping done.

Is she on a good loose goat mineral, specifically made for goats, free choice?  

If that's the case, it's more likely to be lice / mite / mange issue.


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## michickenwrangler (Apr 7, 2010)

Look at the hair just around the bald spots. If you see tiny bluish-things with reddish legs stuck to the skin, those are lice. Again, not on the bald spots, but in the fur just beyond them.


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## annanicole18 (Apr 7, 2010)

Sadly I do have the Manna Pro Goat Mineral but I don't have a place to put it without a mess.  How much should I make sure that my goats are getting?  If it would be mites or lice wouldn't my other two goats have it also?  The type of lice and mites that they would have wouldn't be transferable to my dogs, chickens and rabbits would they.  What would I do to treat the little bugs?
She is almost a year old saanen cross.  On Noble Goat getting 1/2 of my scoop (not sure how large the scoop is).  She also is experiencing a little weight loss she looked great one day then over the next few she was looking ribby so I upped her grain and am now feeding her separate from my other doe she has yet to put the weight back on if the weight loss is from worms I've got it covered but she wouldn't have an allergic reaction to the wormer would she?
Thanks again


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## Roll farms (Apr 7, 2010)

Lice and mites don't all look alike...Looking and not seeing a bug does not mean they can't have a bug infestation....

Demodectic mange and sarcoptic mange mites can make a goat bald in no time.  

There are several different species of mites and lice, a skin scraping taken by a vet would be your best bet for a positive diagnosis, and in my area, ivomec (ivermectin) is most effective against both...but it won't do much good to have a scraping taken after you give them ivomec (if the bugs are dead, they fall off, and won't be as easy to see in the sample.)

Dosage is 1cc ivermectin injectable per 25# of goat, given orally, then repeat in 2-3 weeks to get any 'stragglers'.

Usually parasitic mites / lice are species specific, so they shouldn't affect your other animal types.  And yes, one animal CAN have a worse reaction / outbreak.  Typically a goat w/ a lowered immune response will be the one who's hit the worst....either from a heavy worm load, mineral deficiency, or myriad other causes.

As far as deworming, I wouldn't think it's an allergic reaction to dewormer.

What did you deworm her with?  What worms were you after?  Did you have a fecal ran to make sure it worked, and then follow up w/ another dose if needed?

(My point is, if you just deworm them w/out knowing what you're after, or if the dewormer used will even work on the type of worms you're out to kill, is a waste of time and money...)

There are many types of parasites that prey on goats, and not all dewormers work on all types.   

And if she also has a heavy worm load, the ivermectin might help that, depending on what worm issue she has.

Here in IN, ivermectin works great for mites / lice, and lungworm...but won't do a thing against barberpole worm or liver flukes.  I have to use other dewormers for that.  

Have you looked at her eyelids to see if they're pale (a sign of anemia, which both mites / lice AND some worms will cause)?

Farm stores sell mineral feeders for small ruminants.  Ours are mounted in the stalls, and they're filled as needed w/ fresh mineral.   Providing minerals can go a looong way in preventing some common problems.  You can also make a mineral feeder out of 6" pvc pipe and an elbow if you have to.  I top dress our goat's feed w/ mineral as well.

If it was me, I'd have a skin scraping done AND a fecal ran...then learn what dewormers to use for what problems.

On a side note, I'm sorry you had a bad day...but each of us here who have a bit of goat knowledge had to do the research ourselves and find out these things the hard way...I answer you because it might help the goat, but you come across to me like "Fix this, I can't be bothered" (and I'm hoping that wasn't your intent.)

But...What if I said, "I've had a long day and I don't feel like sitting here and typing out a reply."


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## annanicole18 (Apr 8, 2010)

Normally I would have spent hours on searching for answers on my own but yesterday was a day that just needs to be put behind me.

I did not have a fecal ran not sure if any vet that I really trust that would do it for goats. We do have a vet in the area that would treat them/run test but I would rather only deal with them in extreme circumstances because they tend to take advantage of everyone.  For them to tell me the truth about the worms and such would be iffy since they have a habit of ripping people off.  If my goat is dying and you save it go ahead and rip me off but otherwise if I can spend less on my own fixing it then that's what I would rather do.     

These are my first goats so while I have looked at their eyelids and gums i have no clue how dark they are supposed to be in the first place.  I wormed her with Durvet horse paste Ivermectin doubled the horse dosage.  I also did the same with my buck but skipped on my pregnant doe.  I was planning on doing a follow up dose in ten days.   I was going to get the injectable but decided against it since I have been hoping to keep them as chemical free as possible and was looking to start a more natural dewormer.  But with her bit of weight loss I decided to go ahead and do the paste.  But if getting the injectable is whats needed then I will be done.  I'm not sure if the weight loss is from "bugs"  or just her running around like a mad goat and playing hard with my buck and I just needed to up her calories.  She ignores the hay when turned out and would rather forage all day for what little grass and weeds they have left in the yard.   

Thanks for all the information.  I am kicking myself for not working on getting a mineral feeder set up and not getting the Ivermectin injectable instead.


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## Roll farms (Apr 8, 2010)

I don't deworm my goats on a regular basis...I have some I never deworm (they never need it) and others who get pale eyelids / gums a couple times a year...

I don't think anyone really likes to use chemicals, but I've known several folks in our area that tried the herbals and not have much success.  So, if it's a choice between losing them (or them not doing as well) or a chemical, then yeah, I go w/ the chemicals.

If you took a sample of her poop in, and asked specifically if there are any barberpole or hook worms in it, I don't see how they could turn that into ripping you off...?  And ANY vet (or their techs) could do it, worms are worms (except lung worms) and a fecal float is a fecal float.

Here is my take on horse paste, as explained to me by our vet, whom I adore.  She visited a factory where they make it (pfizer, I believe) during vet school...they put the medicine in one end of the tube, then fill it w/ fluff (filler), then seal it.  As she puts it, unless you squeeze the entire tube out, mix it, and then put it back in, it cannot be dosed effectively in small increments....the first goat who gets it might be getting nothing, OR the entire dose at horse level, and vice versa, the last goat might be getting nothing but fluff....THAT, to me, is a big waste / risk of over using a chemical.  

When I see people say they used the horse paste, I just cringe internally...

I've also heard a couple other horse vets tell folks, "Regardless of weight, unless it's a foal, use the whole tube." and that would be why...if they use half the tube, the horse may not get ANY dewormer.

If you won't have a fecal ran, I'd suggest you get Safeguard liquid goat dewormer, dose her at double the labeled dose, for 3 days straight and then repeat in 21 days.  Then look at her eyelids and see if there's any improvement.
Because of over use and resistance build up, safeguard isn't as effective as it used to be here, that's why I double the dose. 

If they are extremely pale, and she were mine, I'd be giving her 20 cc of red cell 1x a day for a week.

Both safeguard and ivermectin are fairly "safe"...for kids, preggos, etc.

As far as the eyelid color, Kate posted this:   http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3791

Copper deficiency will help worms get a better grip on a goat, as well.

Something else I forgot to mention...after kidding, when a doe is at her weakest, is when every opportunistic parasite in the world will be trying to take over...and when they can least afford to deal w/ them, because they're trying to heal, make milk, etc.

Good luck.


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## ksalvagno (Apr 8, 2010)

You don't have to put out a ton of mineral. I spent about a week or so figuring out what my goats would eat in a day. Then I put out that much. Sometimes they eat the whole thing and sometimes they leave a little but I have little to no waste with it that way and it is always "fresh" for them. Also, like Roll Farm, my mineral feeders are fixed to the wall.

It would be worth it to keep looking for a vet. I would think even a dog/cat vet would run a fecal test for you, even if it is for a goat. It really is so important to find out what parasite you are dealing with. I would also make sure they test for coccidia with that fecal test. If she has coccidia, that is a whole different drug to use than for any other parasites.


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## cmjust0 (Apr 8, 2010)

annanicole18 said:
			
		

> She was wormed with Ivermectin on sunday.


How was the Ivermectin administered?


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