Itchy Goats - The Skinny on Skin

Ringworm, blood-sucking lice, burrowing maggots, viral pustules...just what you want to think about at the start of a new year, right? Since I didn't have any real topics to explore, I was planning to write a funny blog about the goats and their New Year's resolutions, but the boys had other ideas...

We noticed a about a week ago that Elliot had some scabbed areas on the inside of his front legs, as well as his chest and neck. He was always rubbing against things, even rolling on the driveway, and when we petted him there were flakes of stuff coming off everywhere. I had earlier brought in a new straw bale for them to make a cozy sleeping area, but they just made a big mess of it so we got rid of it after a few days - maybe a contact dermatitis from the straw? He didn't seem to be improving, though. Right, it's Christmas, it's freezing cold out here, and what on earth do I know about goats and skin problems? Time for a good Google search...Here's a few things I learned.

Caprine skin issues fall into four categories. Ringworm (fungal) is contagious to humans. Lice (parasitic) can be either the biting (annoying) variety or the more dangerous blood-sucking kind which causes life-threatening anemia. (Neither of the goat lice, however, affect humans.) Viral infections lead to feeding and reproductive issues, and staph infections (bacterial) usually result from open wounds.

Based on Ellie's symptoms (and a ziploc bag of his hair I took to our local feed store), I guessed parasitic - but the recommended over-the-counter treatment (an injection I would have to give) only covers one type of lice and also is only sold in the 100-dose vial, at a cost nearly as much as a vet visit. Seriously, how many people really have 100 goats?!! Imagine if you went to the pharmacy when your child had an ear infection and had to buy enough antibiotics for 100 children (and they expire in a year). Also, according to my internet sources, goat skin infections are among the hardest to diagnose, and if you give the wrong treatment you'll just make it worse. A more experienced goatherd might tackle this - but not me.

I called the vet. She did a thorough inspection (Ellie wasn't too happy to see her but Emily and I both held him down). She saw evidence of lice infestation but no active critters - possibly a reaction to the straw but now with some bacterial infection. Without laboratory analysis of skin samples we'll never know for sure. So, Elliot got two shots - one an antibiotic and also a steroid for the itching, plus a topical medicine that covers both types of lice and other external parasites (foul-smelling purple stuff...the shed now reeks like turpentine). We have to comb him with a fine-toothed comb and wash the scabbed areas with betadine scrub. We also scoured out the goat shed. As a bonus, brother Emerson got a nasty horn scur removed while the vet was here anyway (it was growing down into his head).

Happy New Year, goat boys! One hundred goats? I can barely manage the two we have!! Don't even ask me about my New Year's resolutions!