Lice Treatment in Goats

Identification

There are six types of goats: pygmy, cashmere, Boer, dairy, Nigerian dwarf, and mountain. Goats are not self-sufficient, and require a lot of daily work to ensure their general care and well-being. Owners need to check for any typical farm-animal diseases--one of which is lice. You can detect lice by looking for the following symptoms: small, grayish, oval-shaped flecks on the hair; a dull, matted coat; dandruff; patchy bald spots; and excessive itching and rubbing.

Left untreated, lice can cause severe anemia and death.

Lice

Lice are external parasites. They attach themselves to the animal's hair and feed on the skin or blood. There are two types of lice: biting lice and sucking lice.

Biting lice feed on the hair and the surface of the skin. Sucking lice are more hazardous than biting lice, and can cover the entire body. There are four kinds of sucking lice: the African Blue Louse, the foot louse, the goat-sucking louse and the long-nosed cattle louse. A case of lice can occur during any season, but they are predominant in winter (actually, late fall through early spring).

Treatment

There are numerous products for treating lice. The two most popular methods of application are a topical spray/dust and soaking/poring of the hair and skin. Either of these applications must be made over a number of weeks (depending on the product used) to kill the lice and their eggs, or for prevention.

Resources

• Merck Veterinary Manual