# Mange? Rain Rot? Pics provided



## CheesyComestibles (Aug 22, 2013)

I just noticed my goat's legs looking like this yesterday. I will be taking him to the vet, but I just like to hear other people's opinions. He's about a year old Boer wether. None of the other goats show any sign of this.


----------



## Hollowdweller (May 5, 2011)

I've had that before years ago. Only some does seem to be susceptible.

I actually sprayed it regularly with a fairly strong bleach solution and then changed all the bedding and stuff to make sure the sleeping/loafing area was very dry. 

I can't remember if it's like a mange or some kind of mite.


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Definitely looks like mites to me. I would apply NuStock livestock ointment generously and inject Ivermectin subcutaneously at 1mL per 40 lbs and repeat in 10 days.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree.

Is the goat limping? If so, you may have to start antibiotics because of secondary infection.


----------



## CheesyComestibles (Aug 22, 2013)

Thank you all for your input. The vet believes it is rain rot and gave me a gallon of Chlorhexidine to scrub on his legs. It's just really weird since there's no mud or wet spots for him to stand in, but I'm hoping this clears it up. Just glad it's not contagious!


----------



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

I've never heard of rain rot. I mean, I've heard of hoof rot (and I've smelled it - ugh!) But what IS rain rot? Is it fungal from all the moisture?


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Looks like mites to me...I would do ivomec injectable as Salty suggested


----------



## AmyJoe (Jun 10, 2015)

groovyoldlady said:


> I've never heard of rain rot. I mean, I've heard of hoof rot (and I've smelled it - ugh!) But what IS rain rot? Is it fungal from all the moisture?


Rain rot is fungal...i've only heard of it in horses and cows. I'm sure any animal housed outside could get it.

I agree though with others. Looks like mites. If it were on a dog I would say mange...mange is a mite.


----------



## CheesyComestibles (Aug 22, 2013)

Vet says rain rot.

She checked for lice and obvious mites and didn't see any. Said he would be itchy if it was mange, and he's not itchy. The other goats aren't affected either. So we're treating for rain rot and giving it a few weeks to clear up. She did give him a shot of antibiotic in case of infection too and holy cow, I've never seen a reaction to injected antibiotic like that before! She warned me that it stings for goats, and that he'd probably be upset. This goat is pretty chill, but the second that needle went in he was bawling!


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I've had something similar. I tried to clear it up for a year, treating for rain rot. 

It was mange. lol

Even the vet didn't find the mites on a skin scraping. I did some pretty heavy ivermectin to clear it up.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It is mites. Did the vet look under a microscope to try to see them? If not, they are not visible to the naked eye.


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

toth boer goats said:


> It is mites. Did the vet look under a microscope to try to see them? If not, they are not visible to the naked eye.


right!

I'm curious why the question was asked if the vet already knew the answer and there was a solid treatment plan in place.

I'm still going to say its mites, and very much disagree with that vet.


----------



## whiteclover (Jun 28, 2016)

I had the same problem. I posted on it with pictures , looked the same with the little " bug" holes. Never got it diagnosed but I thought it was mange mites. I shaved back area but it's probably too cold for that. I applied nustock to raw area. I also applied the diluted bleach solution and then brushed the goat regularly and got a chemical dust safe for goats. From my perspective it looks the same and the sooner you treat it the easier it is to fix. Nustock and a dust are inexpensive andmost likely won't hurt if it is something else.


----------



## CheesyComestibles (Aug 22, 2013)

Dayna said:


> right!
> 
> I'm curious why the question was asked if the vet already knew the answer and there was a solid treatment plan in place.
> 
> I'm still going to say its mites, and very much disagree with that vet.


I hadn't taken him to the vet yet when I asked the question. I wanted to be informed on different possibilities prior to going to the vet as I don't have much experience with goats yet.

She looked through his fur just with her eyes, no skin scrapes or anything else. I've been looking through his fur every day too and see no obvious evidence of mites. I think the other reason she thinks rain rot is because none of the other goats show any signs of this.

But I'll keep mites in thought if this treatment doesn't work.


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

It's mites. I agree that the vet misdiagnosed and Saltey has the right treatment. Treating one of mine for it right now.
The evidence you will see is what I see in the pictures for mites.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

As I mentioned prior, you cannot see mites with the naked eye, only under a microscope.

The longer you wait on treatment, secondary infection will set in and they may start limping. 

Not all goats gets them even housed together, only a few.

But do what you think is best. Good luck.


----------



## CheesyComestibles (Aug 22, 2013)

Just curious on mites, would the affected area get larger? How soon if it would? Right now, it's on his legs and has not spread anywhere. It has not gotten any worse since I started the rain rot treatment. I know with dogs, mange can spread all over there body.

I think, for now, I will continue with the vet's treatment as she saw him in person. She said to give it a few weeks. If it hasn't cleared in a few weeks, I'm going to suggest mites.


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

CheesyComestibles said:


> Just curious on mites, would the affected area get larger? How soon if it would? Right now, it's on his legs and has not spread anywhere. It has not gotten any worse since I started the rain rot treatment. I know with dogs, mange can spread all over there body.
> 
> I think, for now, I will continue with the vet's treatment as she saw him in person. She said to give it a few weeks. If it hasn't cleared in a few weeks, I'm going to suggest mites.


I've had a goat get bad mites, only in the cracks of the hooves and lower legs, they never spread anywhere else. I've had goats get mites on their ears that never spread anywhere else.

Once I had a goat that had an allergic reaction to the mites, I couldn't get them under control and she got a horrible infection inbetween two of her toes and her hoof started to rot. (it was not hoof rot as I thought, it was mites) so I ended up stopping hoof rot treatment, treated for mites and had to treat with antibiotics for 10 days for secondary infection, then I had to treat her rumen for the antibiotics, it was a horrible ordeal for her.

In no case could I ever see any critters and the situation only got better when I treated for mites.

Just a thought, it won't hurt the goat to treat for mites while you are using the chlorahexadine. But if you wait too long you'll be having to do antibiotic injections along with everything else and with more medications like that comes more possible risk to the goat.


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Very well said and so correct Dayna.

If the rain rot treatment has oil base in it, it may be suffocating some mites.

Mites usually start around the declaws and ankle area, then will spread upward. It has been going on a while as high as it is.

After any correct treatment, you should she improvement a lot sooner than what your vet is suggesting.

Here is 2 other ways of treatment and suggestions.
http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f186/leg-mites-140020/

Good luck, hope you get it under control soon.


----------



## CheesyComestibles (Aug 22, 2013)

Hi again. So my original goat was treated for rain rot per the vet. It's taken a while, but seems to be better. I now have another goat with a similar issue around his hooves. I would like to try treating it as if it were mites instead of rain rot.

None of the farm stores here carry ivermectin as an injectable. Looking online, I can find noromectin, which says it's just generic ivermectin. Just want to double check, is noromectin still ok to give as an injectable for goats? It's so frustrating how livestock labels never ever mention goats!


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yes, that is the stuff.


----------

