flaky skin... still

[TroutRiver]

Mama red still has flaky, scabby skin on her lower legs. None of the others have it so I'm pretty sure it's not mites, she has also been treated with Ivomec Plus twice and I have been rubbing her legs down with diatomaceous earth almost daily, and adding it to bedding. No improvement, in fact it seems to be getting worse. She has lost quite a bit of hair on her lower legs, it looks very ugly. This happened last spring, too, and I never figured out what was wrong.

any ideas? Should I try some kind of ointment or linament that would keep the skin moist?

[olivehill]

Do goats get "rain rot"? With horses it's usually on the back, but I suppose legs could be affected. A spray bottle of listerine, sprayed on frequently is a pretty effective home remedy if that's what it is.

[TroutRiver]

When I've seen rain rot on horses, the skin is usually very moist. I think rain rot is a fungus, and having wet skin allows the fungus to grow. Her skin is very dry, the hair seems to be thinning slowly, not falling out in patches. It has been moist lately, but the bedding in their shelter is dry, and their hooves had not had problems from the moisture outside.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I know about rain rot, I don't think that's what I'm dealing with. Good thought though, I hadn't thought of that.

[olivehill]

No, the skin doesn't stay moist. Rain rot causes flaking, scabbing and loss of hair as you've described. The animal doesn't have to stand out in the rain or even get particularly wet, it's caused by an organism that thrives in warm, moist soil. Horses normally get it on their body from rolling, but maybe if she walked through some mud? Or splashed it up on her legs running around in wet conditions?