# Mites and Lice



## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

Its the time of the year to be checking your goats for lice and other obnoxious little critters. They seem to be the worst during the winter months and you should check your goats carefully every few weeks by separating the hair and looking at the skin to see if you see anything moving around under there. We use Ivormec when doing our fall worming which helps, then treat with cattle dust as needed through the winter months. We buy the cattle dust and transfer small amounts to a small can with holes in the lid. It makes it like a big salt shaker and is much easier to apply on the goat. You should apply the powder down the top line of the goat starting between their ears clear to their tail. If you apply liberally it will work its way down over the rest of the goat.


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

ERRRR! They have been a bit of a thorn in my side this year. You must have better eyes than I. I can't seem to see anything moving. I think I hate the mites because all of a sudden it seems to be a problem. I like to prevent not treat problems. 

I used Ivermectin paste 1.87% in Sept and again in March. June and Dec I deworm with Safeguard. It has worked very well as far as worms go. I just did fecals and all were negative...in fact they said there was no visible eggs...seemed to negative to me but I can complain. 

Mites on the other hand seem to be bad this year for me. I have also dusted too. I dust everyone and their beding areas. I'm thinking I need to do it more consistantly. Like I kill one egg hatching and not the next. So it goes away for a bit and then comes back. 

How often is "as needed" for dusting? 

Is it really as bad as the lable says? I get a bit worried. It says don't get on skin, or in eye, or inhaled. I don't like putting things that are harmfull on my critters? And when I do dust I get it all over me too it seems.

What about this? My vet recomended giving Ivermectin 1% injection (either orally or injected) every 2 weeks - rate 2ml/110lbs or 1ml/55lbs.

I try to keep a pretty clean barn but...are lice/mites worse with a dirty living area? Is there a bedding product that is best? Like Cedar wards off lice in dogs? Or are they just there and we have to deal with them?

Good topic. It is really wet and rainy here...way to much mud this year. maybe that is why it seems worse this year.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Lice don't live very long on anything but the goats, but a dog can be an intermediate so you want to treat your LGD's at the same time. I use Atroban or another liquid spray on mine, I find it works much better than the dust as it adheres to the hair better. Make sure you are hitting the skin not just hair.

It's not a matter of having a drity barn, but of course they will fall on the ground off of the animal and immediately jump on another one. I've had the best result treating every week for two weeks and then every three weeks after that, if I see any digging or scratching. Little twists of hair that look like they've been spit on are an indication the goat has a skin problem causing itching.


Treat between the legs and around the penis very thoroughly, and between the front legs. They like it where it's warm. They also take a 24 hour trip around the goat's body so if you clip a line down the topline of the goat and treat that skin, if they are really bad, then you will eventually have them all pass through the zone.


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks...I'll look into that. I found this at Valley Vet. Is it the same stuff you use?

Atroban 11% EC

(Schering Animal Health) Contains permethrin. Gives long lasting control of horn flies, face flies, stable flies, house flies, horse flies and lice on beef and lactating dairy cattle, horses, sheep, goats and premises. Makes up to 50 gallons of spray.


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

Thanks. I'm glad I found the right stuff. I'll look into trying that.

So what if you have a poor goat that is infested and even though you have treated or started the treatment he is still iching himself raw. 

Anything you can do for relief? Some anti itch or something? 

One of my guys was just digging at himself for awhile until I got the bugs gone....I was almost thinking about getting a cone collar like they do with dogs. He just wouldn't leave it alone. He's fine now but would like to be more prepard if it ever happens again.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

never had a goat that would itch itself so hard but I had horses with sweet itch (allergy to biting insects) and used several lotions to relieve the itching over the years.

Don`t know what`s available in the US, if horses there have sweet itch in the same amount as here.

What helped was f.e. lavender oil (essential oil, use only on small amounts) on the itching parts; tea tree oil lotion - don`t know if goats are allergic to it; Bach flower rescue remedy lotion or salve


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

You can give them a tablet of bendryl to stop the itching, or if it's little goats, the liquid human kid version.

Horses get sweet itch here too. Topical benedryl lotion works.


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

Duhhh! I even have benadryl in my first aid...there and ready to use. Well....I'll try to remember that for next time.


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## tiger408 (Jan 13, 2009)

I went out and checked my doe today and it appears she has lice.... none of the boys do though. What is safe to use to get rid of the lice? She is about 2 1/2 months pregnant so want to make sure it is something safe to use on her.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Atroban is safe as are any of the powders made for poultry.


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## Huckleberry (Mar 12, 2010)

Looks like my kids have lice. I'll treat based on the above advice, but does anyone how easy this would be for me to get from them. They're all still pretty young and we have lot's of bonding time, meaning they're all over me. Especially during our nap time!


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

We do not get fleas here. So not sure about lice.
Dry/cold/pumice I was told keeps them away.

For rabbits in the past we always used the cattle injectable Ivomec for lice. A drop behind their ears. Like you do frontline
on the dogs. Wonder if that would work on goats.

But I was wondering about mosquitos. We get lots of those.
What would I use for those?


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## cryptobrian (Apr 26, 2012)

Huckleberry said:


> ... my kids have lice ... does anyone how easy this would be for me to get from them.


Fortunately, lice are pretty species-specific. The lice that infests a goat is different from the lice that infests a human which is different from the lice that infests a dog and so on. So while a goat louse may transfer to you via contact, it simply won't survive on your body.

But you may walk around for a day with that paranoid sensation of phantom itching and feeling like things are crawling all over you. Or maybe that's just me. ;-)


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## Huckleberry (Mar 12, 2010)

Oh, I got the creepy crawlies alright! I walked around scratched my head all day :lol: Anyhow, the only spray I found was Permethrin 10% concentrate. Does anyone know if this is safe for kids, 3-4 months old?


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