Test results in. WHAT?????

Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians · #21 05/31/08, 12:43 AM

Has she had a major stress before this happened? How much fat is in her diet? You want her fat around 3% and you do know that fiber goats need alot more protein than dairy or meat goats.

Also do a search on pemphgus...although this all started as stress and a blown coat (like bitches do when there nutritional needs aren't met at whelping) there immune system can kick into overdrive cuasing skin to slough at a slower rate than it is built back (like shingles in us). Dexamethazone a steriod is used.

I know you want her fiber but can you shave her off and let her start over? I know getting sun to our dairy goats skin this time of year sure cures up lots of wierd skin stuff going on from our humidity. Vicki

**mygoat** · #22 05/31/08, 07:32 AM

Quite honestly, I find the 'sun allergy' diagnosis baloney.

I know of another person who has a goat like that, nothing they do clears it up. BUT, I HIGHLY doubt it is common enough that I would know 2 people with goats with sun allergies, and I think I saw claims of others having similar symptoms. It's extremely, extremely rare to be allergic to the sun.

As for breeding her, personally I find it selfish to breed animals with defects - for myself, for the specimen, and for the entire industry. And it's not just breeding, can you really believe she's comfortable with all that dry, tight, cracking, itchy skin? Cashmere goat or no, I'd have her constantly shaved with baths, sprays and dips 24/7 if I had her has a pet. Simply, problems like this are NOT economical and therefore not the point of raising livestock to most of us. That's MORE than a little dry skin...

crazygoatgal · #23 05/31/08, 08:51 AM

I believe that if 2 different results from 2 different places had the same conclusion, then it is pretty safe to say that that is probably the problem. I am no expert, but I would trust the same diagnosis of 2 different facilities. I am sure you're doing the right thing and only time will tell if she clears up.

goatkid · #24 05/31/08, 08:55 AM

A friend's goat gets funny dry patches on her body and has also sent skin scrapings in for testing. She, too, was told its an allergy. The goat is otherwise healthy and has not passed this trait to her kids. She's a dairy goat and her production has been good.

**mygoat** · #25 05/31/08, 09:43 AM

Even if it's not passed on to the babies as dominant traits, she could still be passing it on recessively, which means it doesn't just go away but waits in the bloodline for an opportune breeding to pop back up again... at the first sign of an offspring having the allergy, what would you do then? What if it was more severe?

An allergy or deficiency I can agree with. Allergic to the sun... highly unlikely. Keep in mind this was a guess - by reputable sources, yes, but very little is actually known about goat diseases and I find it hard to trust the decisions of many vets or scientists. My hypothesis is a recessive genetic defect that causes a lack of oil production, elastin, too many skin cells, or something along those lines.

Ernie · #26 05/31/08, 09:56 AM

I make a great deal of money fixing problems that "experts" have caused or failed to fix. By definition, in our society an expert is someone who knows a lot of facts about one particular topic but is universally ignorant outside of that topic. So yeah, they may have discovered that it's an allergic reaction because they are biochemists, but because they aren't botanists they don't realize that she's been standing all day in wild mustard patches which she's allergic to, or perhaps has a gluten allergy and is having a reaction to a specific type of feed.

Keep in mind that all of the great disasters of this century ... Chernobyl, the Hindenburg, the structural collapse of bridges and buildings ... all caused by experts.

If this does turn out to be a genetic problem, and you breed this goat, you are doing a great disservice to many generations of fiber goat owners and fiber goats. Yes, it's possible that some future variety of bald goats could become a fad, similar to the way fainting goats have become somewhat of a fad (also a genetic problem), I think it's highly unlikely and poor stewardship.

Even amateur and backyard breeders have a responsibility towards good animal husbandry.