4 week old indoor baby goat with lice. How do I treat?

[chicks & ducks]

Hi all,
I've recently inherited a 3(now 4 week as of today) old baby dwarf pygmy that was rejected by his mama at birth. His previous owner had him inside, but is no longer able to keep up with the feedings because of work, so now he lives here.

BUT today...I found what looks like eggs....and then a bug among them. Google searches tell me it's goat lice. Keep in mind, he lives IN the house! GAH.

I've just dusted him with food grade diatomaceous earth, but I really don't want to mess around with bugs in the house! I've read that a couple people use fly spray for horses and dogs(and I do have a great dane that lives inside as well and, incidentally, did not benefit at ALL from the very expensive frontline we bought for him all last summer-if I found something I could use on both of them that'd be a bonus.

Anyway, little man is 4 weeks, has lice, lives inside, sleeps in blankets and towels.
How do I treat the towels and blankets?
I've washed them in hot water twice now, but I don't think that will do much(other than make me feel like I'm doing SOMETHING).

 

[mysunwolf]

If it's truly lice, I would use injectable ivermectin, and with my dogs I use oral ivermectin.

Cute baby goat

 

[Hens and Roos]

not sure what would be good to use given he is 4 weeks old but will tag others

@babsbag @OneFineAcre @Southern by choice @Goat Whisperer @Wehner Homestead

 

[Southern by choice]

There are many brands but you want Permethrin 10% concentrate.
Dilute according to directions.

Typically when we get in a goat this is what we do...

Because he is indoors its even easier.
Use your tub and a sprayer (sink if you don't have sprayer in bath)
Take some dawn dishsoap and mix with warm water, about 16 oz add to that you made up gallon of "dip"
wet goat
with wash cloth (wear gloves) wash goat from head to toe with mixture.
rinse all soap
take remaining dip and pour over goat, getting all the nooks and crannies
On baby goats we do a light rinse and then towel dry
blow dry the rest of the way

Repeat in 10 days

This is on label for goats and kills lice and mites

 

[chicks & ducks]

There are many brands but you want Permethrin 10% concentrate.
Dilute according to directions.

Typically when we get in a goat this is what we do...

Because he is indoors its even easier.
Use your tub and a sprayer (sink if you don't have sprayer in bath)
Take some dawn dishsoap and mix with warm water, about 16 oz add to that you made up gallon of "dip"
wet goat
with wash cloth (wear gloves) wash goat from head to toe with mixture.
rinse all soap
take remaining dip and pour over goat, getting all the nooks and crannies
On baby goats we do a light rinse and then towel dry
blow dry the rest of the way

Repeat in 10 days

This is on label for goats and kills lice and mites

Excellent! Thank you! How about his bedding? Can I wash it in this? Will a hot wash in the washer be enough?

 

[Southern by choice]

Just wash it ( bedding) normal wash in your washer.

 

[Mrs1885]

This is a great post! I found them on one of our babies last night but thought they were black. I looked at pictures of goat lice on line but they were brown or reddish. Apparently my eyes are showing my age because when I used my camera to zoom in on them tonight.....yeh. ugh.

Heading to the store for Iver tomorrow and will be bathing all three in the house. Should I do the adults outside too? The adults and babies are together during the day.

 

[Southern by choice]

This is a great post! I found them on one of our babies last night but thought they were black. I looked at pictures of goat lice on line but they were brown or reddish. Apparently my eyes are showing my age because when I used my camera to zoom in on them tonight.....yeh. ugh.

Heading to the store for Iver tomorrow and will be bathing all three in the house. Should I do the adults outside too? The adults and babies are together during the day.

If they are housed together then all should be treated. I strongly recommend you get some diatomaceous Earth and put that down in their living quarters.
It is best to clean out all bedding hay etc and replace. Use the DE.

Please please remember to mix according to directions. Some years ago on another forum a lady put up a post how this stuff nearly killed her sheep and she had to go and rinse the sheep... sheep got very sick. Yeah, she poured it on and didn't mix it. Understandable mistake because they make a lot of pour on products for sheep. Always read directions.

 

[Mrs1885]

I didnt realize you had to mix DE!!! Im so glad you posted!

Definitely will change bedding. Once they go out in the morning we take out the tarp with bedding, dump in the burn pile, hose off the tarp and bleach it, then rinse it off ten minutes later and leave in it the sun all day. We rotate two of them and they have fresh hay, water and pineshavings each nigbt when they come in.

Babies and adults arent housed together, but are together during the day and will come up to the backyard and nap together, so Im thinking everyone gets bathed!

Oh, did you mean mix the shampoo to bathe them? Not the DE? That would make way more sense. Duh! Clearly I have not had enough coffee this morning!

 

[Mrs1885]

If they are housed together then all should be treated. I strongly recommend you get some diatomaceous Earth and put that down in their living quarters.
It is best to clean out all bedding hay etc and replace. Use the DE.

Please please remember to mix according to directions. Some years ago on another forum a lady put up a post how this stuff nearly killed her sheep and she had to go and rinse the sheep... sheep got very sick. Yeah, she poured it on and didn't mix it. Understandable mistake because they make a lot of pour on products for sheep. Always read directions.

Ok so to clarify Im mixing a gallon of warm water with dish soap and the amount of the liquid specified for a gallon of water? Or bathe first with dish liquid then mix the medicine and pour over like dip? Sorry. Brain isnt grasping it tonight.