Not Absorbing the Copper?

TroutRiver · #1 05/02/12, 11:28 AM

I think Mama Red is destined to be my never-ending problem animal. She was skinny when I bought her (lesson learned) and it took me almost a year of fecal testing and experimenting with dewormers to discover that she had liver flukes (I think... but I still don't have any hard data on that... only that she finally started gaining weight and looking healthy after being wormed with a chemical that kills liver flukes). She also walks with a "swagger" now from her parasite infestation that seemed to be resistant to ever dewormer I gave her for the first year. Possible meningeal worm?

Anyway, I am pretty sure that the liver flukes did some permanent damage to her liver, and am wondering if it is possible that she can't absorb the copper boluses I've given her. She has been given OVER 20 grams of copasure within the last 6 months, in 3 separate doses, the most recent was about 2 months ago. Her coat is STILL looking thin and brown, and she is blowing out a white undercoat from the winter. She should be BLACK. Is it just the way she is now, or am I doing something wrong? I also gave her a shot of Bo-Se last month.

**mygoat** · #2 05/02/12, 02:01 PM

I thought I read somehwere that overdosing copper can cause some of the same problems as deficiency.

I love that people are all freaking about flaky skin and brownign of the coats this time of the year. Coats will brown, especially on the thighs/sides and legs as goats lay in urine and get urine burn. it also damages from sun alone. When the coat dies, it gets dull and brown.

Wait until they shed out to see if it's a problem. Part the hair and look at the color at the base of the shaft.

TroutRiver · #3 05/02/12, 02:56 PM

yes, but her skin gets so flakey that the hair falls out and skin scabs over and bleeds, and none of my others look like this, it is only her.

There are also spots on her neck that are "shedding out" to just bare skin, there is hardley any hair coming in...

Cannon_Farms · #4 05/02/12, 02:59 PM

add healthy coat or more boss in her diet shes not producing enough oil so she may not be getting enough in her diet.

**mygoat** · #5 05/02/12, 05:35 PM

I doubt those problems are copper. Perhaps a different mineral.

Perhaps adding brewers yeast, biotin, vitamin E to diet may help. BOSS is good stuff as well. If it's irritated, maybe try some tea tree oil?

TroutRiver · #6 05/02/12, 05:48 PM

I have been treating the scabby spots with aloe and some essential oils, and it seems to be helping, but I know this is treating the symptom and not the problem, and I want to get to the bottom of it. She is getting some BOSS in her grain but I will add more.

I was thinking copper because of her brown coat and scraggley white undercoat, I thought maybe the problems were all connected, but at this point I know that more copper is not likely to solve the problem, she's had plenty and shouldn't need more. So either that isn't the problem, or she just isn't absorbing any of these minerals because her digestive tract has taken such a beating from being infested with parasites for years

Yikes... I bought a skinny goat thinking all she needed was better feed... now 2 years in and boy was I wrong

I will look into biotin and vitamin E also. Where do you buy brewers yeast?

**mygoat** · #7 05/02/12, 06:16 PM

Your feed store might have it. OUr grocery store used to carry small cans of it, too. I think there are some horse supplements that are brewers yeast. I'm betting if your feed mill carries it, that would be the most economical way to go.

Backfourty,MI. · #8 05/02/12, 06:18 PM

All of my goats, even the darker one's have a light or almost white undercoat that they shed in the spring.

Wish I had some answers but other than adding Zince & I believe that lack of Cobalt in their diet can cause hair loss & flaky skin.
Someone said TSC sell's a cobalt block(it's blue) but most of the time you have to have them order it I think.

Alice In TX/MO · #9 05/02/12, 07:41 PM

**mygoat** · #10 05/02/12, 07:46 PM

Yes, the light colored undercoat is cashmere... it is always lighter in color than the actual goat. Really fine and fluffy.

Mine have flaky skin now too - they all seem to get it every year, it goes away with the shedding season. They don't, however, get bald or irritated. Sometimes they itch bald patches on their sides trying to get their itchy dead hair off of themselves, but I wouldn't call it irritated.