How to Treat Lice on Goats

If you're a goat owner, your animals' health and comfort is of utmost importance. And if your goats have lice, you'll want to take care of this problem as soon as possible. Lice can cause a goat significant irritation, as well as lower its milk production. Fortunately, several treatment options are available.

Instructions

1. Isolate affected goats. The best form of treatment is prevention, so keep any affected goats away from the rest of the herd.

2. Apply louse insecticide to affected goats. This is most often found in spray form. Spray the affected animal several times per day, covering the entire goat. Unfortunately, these insecticides are effective at eliminating adult lice but will likely spare any louse eggs.

3. Comb through an affected goat's hair to get rid of lice eggs, called nits. To be thorough, throw nits into a bucket of hot water to kill them. This process may seem laborious, but it's the only way to ensure that your lice infestation does not persist.

Tips & Warnings

• Adult lice lay eggs when they are about one month old; try to eliminate the infestation before they have a chance to lay their eggs.

References

• Goat Lice