# Goats + lice + people?



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Hey everyone I've been MIA for a few days, not posting much at all this month, feels so strange to be spending less time on the computer! I am beyond backlogged LOL 

I am wondering something... I know that I've read everywhere that people don't get lice from goats - species specific. 
However, My oldest daughter has gotten lice a few times since we got goats, NEVER before that. 
We treated for lice last month, but hubby never did the 2nd treatment!
I noticed the goats were scratching a little too much the other day, then Thanksgiving night I was brushing my oldest daughters hair and found she has lice again  I thought it was dandriff, because she has it right now.

I treated my daughter yesterday.

Went out to do feet and a final 'dip' of permectrin II on the goats before cold weather sets in, and they had lice too. The buck seemed to have it the worst on his neck, the girls didn't seem to have much. 

Can people REALLY get lice from goats?

I just don't know....I wonder if she must be getting it from the school, or could she really be getting it from the goats? She's the only one who got it. 

It's frustrating....I think to play it safe I'll go ahead and contact the school this time and see if maybe they can get some of the kids checked for lice, because I am so tired of dealing with this.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

No, I don't believe there is a lice that both people and goats share.


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

I believe the goat lice is only shared between goats and sheep.


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## Willow (Jun 12, 2011)

It is a good idea to contact the school anytime your child has something contaigious. With head lice you have to treat the whole house - all the bedding. A hot dryer works well as well as bagging up all soft toys, pillows blankets etc and freezing them for 2 weeks. Its a nightmare! Good luck. :hug:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Lice is species oriented only.....


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

It's that time of year for people lice and goat lice. - From everything I have read and read about the lice. - It is species specific and will not remain or thrive on people. I think that they can perhaps bite people but will not survive and thrive on our heads from everything that I have read and that does appear to be true. Our goats get tiny hair lice every winter. I only treat them now if they seem to be scratching and itching a lot as they seem to go away when the weather warms. They have very few on them at this time and their bodies are keeping them in good control so far. We have never had a lice problem from goat to people so far but I still don't hug my head to them much as I am sure they will get me. Get a microscope and look at the ones in your daughter's hair. People lice I think are quite big compared to goat lice. Goat lice are tiny and are often light colored.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

There is a blood sucking goat lice that is larger and easy to see and those should be treated to irradicate. (still species specific on goats)


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks so much everyone I greatly appreciate your help! I am calling the school tomorrow, didn't get to do it yesterday or today. I'm wondering if we didn't get rid of them all last time, but the doctor gave me a prescription for a strong lice medication that is supposed to kill eggs, but knowing my luck I missed one and it wasn't dead! I washed her sheets, pillow cases, blankets, and sprayed her pillows and mattress with the lice killing stuff.

Neither myself or my 5yo have them, but because every 'itch' makes me worry, I treated myself and my 5yo. I hope the school will check kids in her class, just to make sure, I really don't want to deal with this again 

BTW, I did see some goat lice on the goats, not horrible that I could tell, but it was warm last Saturday so we gave them all a good soaking of permectrin II. I'll treat them again in about a week with powder. I treated them last month, but found out while I was busy doing horse stuff that my husband never gave them a second bath to kill eggs that hatched.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Everything I have ever read says they are species specific and people can not get them fro the goats. 
Does your daughter ride a bus to school? If so it may be coming from kids in a different grade or class than your daughter.


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## Applebyfarms (Apr 9, 2014)

My daughter plays w our goats all the time. The lice on my daughters head looks EXACTLY like the lice on my goats!!!! Goat lice will only live about 24 hrs off the goat, & will not be able to reproduce (cause our hair is not the right environment). I just pick them out if her hair & move on & treat the goats.


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## LuckyOne (Apr 6, 2017)

I am glad I found this. My daughter went to my uncles farm yesterday. She scratch all night I though it was the shampoo my mom used when she washed her at her house. When we woke up I checked her head and found lice. She had about 10 of them I picked them out. So I know for sure they can come from goats to humans. The only thing I don't know is will they last or lay eggs I can't find any information on it.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Eeew. I am itching just reading this. *shudder* My does have been scratching a bit, but I was just chalking it up to shedding, etc. Maybe I should take a closer look...

(With my hair covered...just in case....)


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