Goat losing hair on shoulder, getting very thin

Goatguy · #1 10/10/08, 08:12 AM

I have a Boer doe. She is about 2 years old gave birth about 4 months ago to a single doeling. The doeling is still on milk.

Last week I noticed the goat getting very thing and frail. I gave her a large dose of wormer. The next day she got a case of bottle jaw (I think thats the term). I assume it is from some worms. I gave her another dose a few days later, and a final dose a few days ago. The bottle jaw is gone, and she seems to have energy again. However she is still very frail (worms and a kid still on milk really must be really hard).

I noticed last night that she is getting a large patch (2 in diameter) of missing fur on her front right shoulder. I couldn't figure out what was causing it until I saw her a few minutes later raise up her rear left leg and itch her shoulder with it. This itching, I assume, is causing her to lose the fur there.

What would be causing this itching? (isn't Ivermec supposed to kill skin parasite too?). What can I do to help supplement the weight she lost and get her back up before the winter cold sets in anymore? Thanks for the help!

fishhead · #2 10/10/08, 08:39 AM

What are you feeding her?

What kind of minerals does she get?

I would wean the doeling as soon as you can so that momma can put all her energy into regaining her weight.

Goatguy · #3 10/10/08, 09:09 AM

She has been getting hay 1x/day (clover and timothy, mostly clover). And eating lots of the pasture that is still up. When the pasture is goes down, they will go to 2x/day hay feeding. She also gets maybe a pound-2 pounds of horse sweet feed each day. The goats share a goat specific 50lb mineral/protien block, they get a new one 1x/week and eat it in 4-5 days (14 goats).

I just dont' knw what kind of parasite (assuming) would cause her to itch her fur off like that...

fishhead · #4 10/10/08, 09:12 AM

You may want to look into a loose goat mineral (with 1,000+ ppm copper) because it seems well accepted that goats can't get enough minerals from blocks.

She may be itching just because her skin is dry from the stress of losing weight and producing milk.

I fed my wethers alfalfa last winter and they bulked right up.

Nancy_in_GA · #5 10/10/08, 09:20 AM

Does the skin have it's normal texture where she's scratching off the hair, or are there bumps and crusty places? it could be a patch of ringworm (a fungus).

HappyFarmer · #6 10/10/08, 08:01 PM

I'm thinking either mineral related or external parasites. I would ensure she has good minerals, and treat her topline with Permethrin or similar, repeat in 10 days.
HF
Edited to add: missed the weight loss part. You can add sunflower seeds to put the weight back on. Seems she shouldn't be in such poor condition with just a single kid, sounds like perhaps a heavy wormload. If you havn't done so, wean that 4 month old.