redtailgal
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elderly goat-problems
- Thread starter smoky73
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- #42
elevan
Critter Addict ♥
She really doesn't look that bad to me.
I'd probably just try the flax seeds for a few weeks and see if there's an improvement personally.
I'd probably just try the flax seeds for a few weeks and see if there's an improvement personally.
- Thread starter
- #44
well, I am relieved that others do not think she looks too bad. I was actually appalled by her appearance, but, maybe I am overly picky. Anyway I did dust her and bought more fly spray for the goats. I will keep giving her flax every day to see what happens and with fresh minerals tomorrow, that might help.
redtailgal
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SDGsoap&dairy
Loving the herd life
FWIW a skin scraping should not be that bad, though if I'd skip it anyway and just treat it if we had a skin issue. I'd be most suspicious of a nutritional deficiency (maybe zinc?).
- Thread starter
- #47
Could I give her Zinc pills for people? I have some, would assume the same amount as a person seeing she is about the same size as an adult person? I also ordered the Copper Bolus things. We will see how that works out. I never heard about that till just the last few days. I am sure they have never had extra copper.n.smithurmond said:
Emmetts Dairy
Loving the herd life
Love the beard too!! Very cute goaties!! 
Lice are not usually a problem in the summer months. They dont really surrive hot temps. I always found for me, it was a winter issue. But I have found a few patches of hair losening and missing hair on one of my goats from fly bites cuz she rubbed, chewed, scratched and itched it off. I freaked when I saw it, my first thought "NOOOO RINGWORM" UGGGHHH, but after investigating it..that was not the cause...thank God.
Personally, I get a skin scrapings done if I have no idea of cause. If you cannot, I would clean and debris any scally area's with iodine or betadine..whatever you have. Blue kote the area to keep clean. Once you clean and debris you can see whats going on. I would add some Boss to her diet as well. I have put some vegtable oil right on the dry spots at times to help soften the area...but flies are bad this time of year so I probally wouldnt do that in fly season...that may draw them in more.
It could be a mineral deficency for sure. I would add some pelleted goat balancer to her feed and get a good loose mineral for them. Before you give supplimental minerals to your goats I would check their feed and minerals for contents and see whats lacking in your soils for the area you live in and go from there. Sometimes we can oversuppliment and too much of one mineral can cause a bigger problems for you to fiqure out. IMO. Dont take this wrong..Im not saying copper bolus or adding zinc is a bad thing AT ALL. Im just saying read more about minerals and the parts per million needed for goats before giving them too much.
Good luck...I hope you fiqure it out soon!!
Lice are not usually a problem in the summer months. They dont really surrive hot temps. I always found for me, it was a winter issue. But I have found a few patches of hair losening and missing hair on one of my goats from fly bites cuz she rubbed, chewed, scratched and itched it off. I freaked when I saw it, my first thought "NOOOO RINGWORM" UGGGHHH, but after investigating it..that was not the cause...thank God.
Personally, I get a skin scrapings done if I have no idea of cause. If you cannot, I would clean and debris any scally area's with iodine or betadine..whatever you have. Blue kote the area to keep clean. Once you clean and debris you can see whats going on. I would add some Boss to her diet as well. I have put some vegtable oil right on the dry spots at times to help soften the area...but flies are bad this time of year so I probally wouldnt do that in fly season...that may draw them in more.
It could be a mineral deficency for sure. I would add some pelleted goat balancer to her feed and get a good loose mineral for them. Before you give supplimental minerals to your goats I would check their feed and minerals for contents and see whats lacking in your soils for the area you live in and go from there. Sometimes we can oversuppliment and too much of one mineral can cause a bigger problems for you to fiqure out. IMO. Dont take this wrong..Im not saying copper bolus or adding zinc is a bad thing AT ALL. Im just saying read more about minerals and the parts per million needed for goats before giving them too much.
Good luck...I hope you fiqure it out soon!!
Roll farms
Spot Master
Yes, you can use human zinc pills. I've been dissolving them in water and giving Penny (my doe who went bald) a couple every week for about 2 mos. Her coat looks much better - she looks fine, actually, but I can't blame the zinc alone (for sure) b/c I also tried 453,492 other things at the same time....one of them worked. 
Copper and Selenium would be my first guess.
When using Zinc you don't want to overdose it because it uses the same absorption pathway as Iron. Thus you end up with an Iron deficient goat.
When using Zinc you don't want to overdose it because it uses the same absorption pathway as Iron. Thus you end up with an Iron deficient goat.
