# Some Observations On Mange Mites



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

*Point #1. You can't reliably cure a goat of mites with any "quickie" treatment.* If they appear to go away, they will likely just come right back. I have learned this by reading of other people's battles with mites. Never tried a chemical treatment myself.

*Point #2. Contrary to popular belief, mites are not contagious* except to goats that are already compromised in health. I know this because I had two does for a while who didn't have mites, while the other goats had them. I would handle and pet them right after the ones with mites - nothing. The reason? Because they were lactating, I was feeding the does more feed. The feed contains added minerals - more feed - more minerals. Their coats also looked much better than the other goats'.

*Point #3. The "miracle cure" for mites is health.* Get your goats' health up - give them access to plenty of good green stuff, loose minerals (without iron for my area) and any mites will leave.

Yup, my goats have walloped their mites!  (Knock on wood)


----------



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

This is a good post. I worked with Animal Reg in CA and we would get dogs in with horrible mite problems. There are two type also, one worse than the other. Bathing, getting animal back into good health and worming are all important. One of those things that you have to treat ALL the way or you might as well not treat at all!


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

I do believe that both the scarcoptic and demodectic types are transmutable from goat to dog and vice versa. Yes the animals with compromised systems are more susceptible.


----------



## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

I do know that both types are transfered from dog to dog and even to cats, but I don't know about goats. Being a mite I would think it would be transferable from goat to goat. If I had mites I would just take the side of precaution and seperate the one with mites until they were gone, but that's me!


----------



## EstellaMA (Feb 4, 2011)

I thought the mange mite was a naturally occuring skin mite that some dogs are allergic to? As well as the unhealthy, run down animals who get over run with it.


----------



## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

EstellaMA said:


> I thought the mange mite was a naturally occuring skin mite that some dogs are allergic to? As well as the unhealthy, run down animals who get over run with it.


One type of mange is and that is the demodectic mange also known as red mange. It is not transferable from animal to animal. Only animals with compromised immune systems get it. It will not go away with a mite bath in sulfurated lime like sarcoptic is and can only be cured by either good health or ivermectin.

The other mange is sarcoptic also known as scabies it is highly contagions to humans as well as other animals. While it can and will infect healthy animals it is just a little less likely to. It can be cured by weekly dips in sulfurated lime or ivermectin.

I have dealt with both in goat as well as dog and have actually gotten a light case of sarcoptic from handling an infected kid regularly.


----------



## EstellaMA (Feb 4, 2011)

and the only way of knowing which one it is, is to do a skin scrapping and look under a microscope?


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

EstellaMA said:


> and the only way of knowing which one it is, is to do a skin scrapping and look under a microscope?


Yes to be sure.


----------



## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

There are some slight differences that you can see but to be absolute yes you need a skin scraping. The demodectic makes the skin look red and swollen with flakes almost like a road rash. It also has a tendency to start in one spot and spread from there. The sarcoptic is flaky itchy dry hard skin and almost looks a bit grey. It seems to start in many places and spread all over but this is not so in all cases often times they look the same.


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Sounds funny but, Demodectic mange smells like mice. Just for a preliminary diagnoses.


----------

