# I need a listening ear. :( Maybe not mites???



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Last year my goats had what I'm pretty sure was sarcoptic mange mites on their ears. I never got a vet's diagnosis; I just did a lot of research online and it looked like that's what it was.

Over the summer, I changed their minerals and improved their diet with more green browse, and the mites went away.

Now they're coming back.  My guess is that even when the goats showed no symptoms, a few mites were still there, and with the cold weather they were able to repopulate.

It's been such a small problem in my goats that I wouldn't worry too much about it, but my goats are not just pets. I need to sell goats sometimes, and I am not going to knowingly introduce mites to someone else's herd. So I HAVE to find a solution before the goats kid in February.

I much prefer natural treatments to chemical ones. But I can't find a good natural treatment that I know will work. They all either involve bathing the goat again and again (a lot of work, and impossible in cold weather), applying something to just the affected area (but there are surely mites elsewhere on the body), OR building up the goat's immune system - in which case the goat probably still carries them.

So I've been looking into Ivomec pour-on. It looks like that might be a sure-fire solution; there's just one problem. Since there's no established milk withdrawal, you're not supposed to use it on dairy cows of lactating age. And I milk my goats.

Sigh. Thank you for reading this. I need some help and encouragement; I'm feeling defeated.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

What about applying either Vet Rx or oil to the ears?


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

I don't know how to get rid on the mites but I sure hope there is someone that knows how to treat it. That stinks


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## iddybit acres (Feb 18, 2011)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

Sorry i can't help you here :sigh: hope you get it figured out soon! :hug:


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

I had a doeling that I got that ended up having mange this year. I tried oils, and that heaing water stuff forgot what its called, and some other stuff nothing worked. I bathed her in an organophosphate dip also called Paramite every two weeks until it was gone. I have used it on dogs that literally had no hair and it works great. Even if its not mange it will get rid of them. You can also use a Lime-Sulfur dip or Mitaban dip but have never used them before so I cant tell you if they work.


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## SandStoneStable Farm (Dec 8, 2010)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

Like Nancyd said, the Vet Rx actually worked for mites. It is my understanding that if you have a goat that is susceptible they will continue to reinfest unless annihilated, however last year I had a boy that kept getting it around the ears and nose. I smothered the mites with Vet Rx until it was under control. Through the summer he was fine, we'll see if they come back this winter...
There is a TGS user here that had a big mite problem, and posted instructions to finally get rid of a chronic mite problem, I think it was cdtrum... I think her regiment included ivomec injectable.


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## cdtrum (Aug 25, 2008)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

I feel your pain....I just noticed yesterday that they are back here to!!!! It happens every year with my one goat. Last year I did use Ivomec Injectable, but I also used other things to....I have tried the Ivomec Pour-on, Vet RX, Sevin dust, dips, permectin II......not sure what actually cleared it up. I called my vet and she has suggested Cydectin pour on, I have read horror stories about using it as a pour-on... so have not done it......I do think a lot of my vet, her family has raised goats since she was a little girl.....but I just am so scared of using it. Someone on another forum has suggested Tea Tree Oil mixed with either mineral oil or olive oil, so I did use that on his ears yesterday.....we shall see if it does anything.

It is so frustrating to have these icky critters, I keep my barn and goats cleaner than most.....I do everything right as far as nutrition and minerals.......I have come to the conclusion that once you have them, they just never totally go away....I only have the boys as pets, so I am not breeding and selling.

I feel for u and anyone that has to deal with this...please share if you find anything that works well....I will do the same!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

I would have to question the diagnosis. If so many peoples goats have Sarcoptic mange, how many of you have scabies? It's the same mite and it is HIGHLY contagious to all species. I would think that if that is truely what it is, it is being passed back and forth between you, your goats, your dogs, your cats, etc. If so, the only way you will completely get rid of it is to treat EVERY mammal on your property at the same time.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

Thanks for your replies everyone. I'm still looking around for a natural treatment.

My dad thinks the problem is dietary and/or environmental; that all goats have a few mites, but most are able to handle them. :shrug: Sounds sensible to me, but my goats are very healthy otherwise.

@goathiker - There's a different variety for each species, and while they can cross over, they can't reproduce on the wrong host.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

If this is the kind of winter mites that I am thinking it might be, try putting some mineral oil all inside of the ear or where the scabs are. This has worked for many to easily control the mites. It suffocates them. But just in case I would use this wonder cream called- Nu-Stock. It is sulfur cream and you can mix it with the mineral oil for easier spreading. If it is ear mites, it is probably just in their ears. A stronger natural solution is to try Neem oil. That will need to be warmed up as it is thick when cold. Do your goats have scabby areas inside their ears? If so-it is probably ear mites. The first goats we bought had these and I treated it inside their ears only with mineral oil and Nu-Stock. They went away. Hope this helps.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*



goathiker said:


> I would have to question the diagnosis. If so many peoples goats have Sarcoptic mange, how many of you have scabies? It's the same mite and it is HIGHLY contagious to all species. I would think that if that is truely what it is, it is being passed back and forth between you, your goats, your dogs, your cats, etc. If so, the only way you will completely get rid of it is to treat EVERY mammal on your property at the same time.


Goat Hiker. I am under the assumption that human scabies mite is not transferable to humans from goats. I think they bite humans but can not live with our type of blood. I think and hope that to be true. I imagine it must be since we have never had any problems with our goats. Our problems with mites were before goats. So it is probably just goat mites and these are common on goats.

Some years ago, here in Northern CA. There was quite a few human scabie problems. My brother is a nurse. Several workers came in contact with patients that had scabies. There were hotels that firemen stayed in and got scabies from same hotel. My son played piano at the rescue mission as we often donate music times there and we both supposedly got scabies!! I only had them on my arm. My son's were confined to his back. We got treatment right away. I read and read up on Human scabies as much as possible and later when we got into goats, I was paranoid that we would get mites or lice from them. We never have at all. The human scabie mite is aweful and is highly contagious. You can get them from trying on clothes at a store!!! or from shaking hands with someone or like us... by sitting in the chair of a very infected bum or from someone shaking your hand. So that's what I have learned about human scabies. It is believed that scabies can come in 30 year cycles according to historical medical documentation and they will thrive on other unhealthy people more. So with goats- I wonder if mites come in cycles too.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*



milkmaid said:


> @goathiker - There's a different variety for each species, and while they can cross over, they can't reproduce on the wrong host.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

Thank you for the advice, Packhillboers. I did see a scab on Kiwi's ear that looks like real ear mites. The ones I'm struggling so much with are not just ear mites; they also affect the top of the muzzle and the scrotum on the bucks.

Thank you, Goathiker. I will see if zinc is included in the mineral I am feeding. I'm also giving free choice kelp - I think that contains zinc, but I am not sure.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

Found more new info. Sarcoptic IS zoonic and affects many species. It is a reportable disease in the US and I don't think you have it. 
This has a pic of a goat with sarcoptic and some more info
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/vmi/2011/476348/


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## dobe627 (Oct 16, 2007)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

The lime sulfer dip does work great but it stinks and you have to do it quiet a few times. I think a week apart. One of the vets I worked for had a cat that was losing hair and nothing showed up on tests. So after I forget how many lime/sulpher dips it fianlly worked. I know because she trusted me to do the cat, it hated it


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

Some info I have on hair loss. I'll have to look for my zinc info , it's in the old computer.
http://kinne.net/hairloss.htm


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

*Re: I need a listening ear.  Mites again...*

Well, maybe I'll have a skin scraping done. It might not be mites after all! The symptoms do sound like a very mild case of mange, but I read in a couple places that it's supposed to be eradicated in the U.S.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

I looked at some pictures of sarcoptic mange and they don't look like what my goats have at all. Of course the pictures show severe infections.
What could it be??? I'm going to post a few pictures and see if you guys can help me.
Can lice cause bumpy skin on the ears?


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Here are a few types of mange to look up. I got this info off of Jack Mauldin's Web site. You probably have already looked it up tho. Also the Merk Vet Clinic has a lot of Info on it if you go to their site. There are several kinds of mange. One has almost been irradicated from the US (hopefully) I think that is the Sarcoptic Mange. (Not sure of the validity of what I read on that) Any way.. hope you don't have too hard of a time treating them. 
Your know a lot about this already as the internet is full of areas to research. Smiles to you. 

Mange, Chorioptic – Chorioptes caprae infest the skin of the lower leg
Mange, Demodectic – Demodex caprae invade the hair follicles and sebaceous glands of the skin
Mange, Psoroptic – Psoroptes caprae which infests the ears
Mange, Sarcoptic – Saroptes scabei burrow in the skin and lay their eggs in tunnels


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

From the pictures on your other thread, my first thought would be gnats. They live in the hay waste in damp areas and fly up to bite when they are disturbed. Even in very cold temps they are there insulated under the hay. They can get bad here in the fall and early spring and leave bites in exactly those areas where there is less hair to bite through. I just use the Bronco flyspray to help keep them away. Just a good walk through of the pens might give you an idea. Could also be fungal.

If it is a mite there's a good chance you'll have to go to a university clinic to get it figured out. Mites are no longer classified as they are in the above post. The species are the same, they just cause different symptoms in different animals. Why if you have mites on your place you must treat all animals that are suseptable to them. Some of these are reportable diseases that will cause your animals to be placed in quarenreen until the problem is resolved.


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Thanx! I didn't even think of a fungal infection.
I also read that sarcoptic mange had been eradicated in the US. That's one thing that leads me to believe it might not be sarcoptes mites.


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## cdtrum (Aug 25, 2008)

Milkmaid....there are several types of mites.... check this site out, it tells of each kind, http://www.goatbiology.com/mites.html

Also, something else.....mites don't always show up on skin scrappings, certain ones can burying themselves deep into the skin......my vet did a skin test on one of my guys and it showed nothing, but we treated him for mites and he cleared up.....I have tried several things, after going back and reading my notes from last year it seems that once we did the injections we started seeing good results...2x's 10 days apart....sometimes in bad cases I have heard 3 injections.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Denice,
Very good link.


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