# Can someone give me some advice about mites?



## cdtrum (Mar 28, 2009)

Ok.....so this seems to be something I am dealing with every time the seasons change......I had the vet out this past Tuesday and she did skin scrapings......although she could not find anything on scrapings, she said she felt it has to be mites with them all 4 coming down with itchiness and hair falling out at the same time and we have been through this before! They have no sores, just very itchy and hair falling out from roots! So she gave them injections of Ivermectin and said she would check them in a week........but they are itching still like crazy! Should they still be itching so much? These are 4 wethers by the way........just pets........I have cleaned their pen, sprayed it down, limed it, new bedding and treated the bedding with sevin.......they were just wormed with cydectin the week before this happen and I copper bolused them. I try to give them benydral, but they spit it out and foam at mouth like I'm killing them. 

Anything else I should try?


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Did she use ivermectin plus? Did she do a fecal? Could it be meningeal worm?


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## cdtrum (Mar 28, 2009)

Anita....I just did fecals and they were clean.......she used regular ivermectin.......I just got off phone with my other vet and he said to start them on steriods and get them out of the barn they are in and clean pen with bleach water and then permectin spray and keep them out of there for a while if possible......since this seems to be a continuing issue he thinks the pen might be the problem even though I clean it all the time!........so I am going to move them to another barn today and see what happens.

Thanks for your thoughts.....keep them coming!


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Mites are so tiny that they can hide anyplace, even places you cannot get to to clean.

Steroids might just take care of the itchies. Mites burrow. Even when killed, they die under the skin. The body goes thru a reaction to the critters, even when dead, so the steroids will stop that reaction. The meds might have already killed the mites, but their bodies are still under the skin.


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## cdtrum (Mar 28, 2009)

Thanks Sully....that does make since....just got back from vets with steroids to start them on and will get them moved to new barn and clean old this afternoon! Hope this helps!

Would using lime-sulfar dip help at all or should I let them be for now and retreat next week with ivermectin?


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Not sure about the lime/sulfur stuff, I've never used it. If it were me, I'd let the medications do their job, but that's just my opinion. Other who have dealt with L/S might have different advice!


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I would let them be and give this a chance to work, repeating the ivermectin when it is time.


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Sub-Q Ivermectin? It works better when it is Sub-q. And I also would be using Ivermectin Plus, along with a hosing down of the pen/barn with a disinfectant like chlorhexiderm. Sometimes just a good wash down gets them buggers taken care of in houses and yards. Ours are very dusty this time of year...perfect for mites. So I do hose things down. Never have had to go to the vet over this...just took care of it with research and action.
Tam


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

What med/dosage/length of time did he give you?


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## cdtrum (Mar 28, 2009)

Ok.....so I went and picked up the prednisone, but not sure about giving it as I read where it brings down their immunity......well isn't that why they have mites because their immune stystem is stressed for what ever reason. He gave me 20mg tabs, I forget how the dose goes.....but he lessens the dose every couple of days......I guess to wean them off.

This morning we bathed the boys and went ahead with the lime sulfur dip........not sure if right thing or not, but they seem to feel better......2 boys are still itching though, but not as much.

I stripped their barn pen completely, including benches and sprayed every thing and every nook and cranny with premectin.........then limed and all new bedding from new source and sprinkled sevin lightly.

I'm suppose to call vet tomorrow and give report and go from there.......she thought one injection would do it, but I think they will need more! I have had issues with these goats since I got them as babies and it is always skin issues......I have never had a worm issue, thought I did but it wasn't. Both vets say the boys look so healthy and well cared for, but there is something I must be doing wrong to keep having this issue......it happens every time the season starts changing. They were treated back in March when the season changed.....they had 2 Ivomec injections at 10 days apart and now their back!

I'm wondering if these guys could have a chronic case of mites, gets better but never really goes away???? If so what do you do?


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

I have never found prednisone to cause immunity problems unless you use it for a long period of time. My horse was on large doses of it for breathing issues and was never bothered. My dogs take it for insect bite allergies in the summer, and it's never caused them issues beyond drinking more water than normal. I use it for poison ivy also and have never had immunity issues either. I would weigh the itchiness and inflammation against the minor possibility that it might effect their immunity over the short time they will be getting it. Bad itching is enough to drive you mad, and if they get to scratching it can lead to skin infections.


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## cdtrum (Mar 28, 2009)

Thanks Sully....I did go ahead and started them on the prednisone after talking with my vet again......she is really stumped as to what's going on and why we have this issue every year........next she is planning on doing a skin biopsy and see if there is mites really deep or if this is a fungus......which she does not believe.....there is no sores, just hair loss and really itchy. This vet has raised goats her whole life and does so now with her husband, so she knows goats.

My other vet said he wonders if this has something to do with my barn....it is an old large Morton Building barn.....we bought the farm 9yrs ago and not sure how long ago, if ever animals were housed in it.....I have sprayed their pen down several time over the years, but still have this issue every year......I was going to move the boys out, but the other barn is really not secure enough.

I am really getting discouraged with trying to keep these guys healthy.......which is always skin issues!


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## squeak (Jun 21, 2012)

Hi, you sound like you are trying really hard, so don't give up! The lice that has bothered my herd in the past, that seem to appear around winter and disappear in the spring/summer, I treated with a (dry) mix of sulphur and cornflour (cornstarch in america?? - it thickens gravy etc) - the corn flour helped the sulphur stay, and I liberally coated each goat (beware the sulphur dust though!). It sounds as though the issue you are having though is more complicated than this, but heck, I thought I would post this suggestion anyhow, just in case. Friends of mine use a pinch of sulphur in the feed to keep lice down. Good luck, I'm sure you'll get there  Helen.


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## cdtrum (Mar 28, 2009)

Thanks Helen....but I think mites are harder to cure than lice


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## squeak (Jun 21, 2012)

Ooooh, drats. 
I'm not sure how you would suffocate a mite on a goat.... I would use oil or vaseline on a chicken  .... Hey, maybe that's an idea for your barn - give it a good slopping over with some used cooking oil that had eucalyptus oil or lavender in it? Or you could use sump oil, but that's a bit nasty. I'm sure you will succeed in finding a solution though, you're trying so hard!!  Helen.


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Sometimes metabolic allergies cause severe itching. If you have not bolused these fellas with copper you may want to try that, seriously copper helps tremendously with metabolic issues.. You could also try bathing them in a shampoo with added Tea Tree and Penny Royal. Since these are wethers there is no fear of the Penny Royal causing abortion  Both of these are anti-fungal and insecticidal. Just one other idea.
Tam


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## AlaynaMay (May 12, 2012)

Try dusting with sulfur. That should take care of the problem.


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## cdtrum (Mar 28, 2009)

I just copper bolused them 2 weeks ago (I copper them 3xs a year....I started that the first year we had this issue) and I am bathing them in lime-sulfur dip which is an antifugal and gets rid of mange......I guess it is a wait and see......would just like to know why this happens every year!

I also give them sea kelp and they are on Right Now Onyx free choice minerals and I add wheat germ oil to their very little bit of grain that I give them just so I can give supplements.

Thank you all for the help and suggestions!


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

Man, you have just about every base covered.


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## cdtrum (Mar 28, 2009)

You would think...but I must be missing something!


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

cdtrum said:


> You would think...but I must be missing something!


I am, by far, no expert. But this thread seems to be solely on mites. Perhaps it is not mites? Tammy mentioned this. It is something to consider.

I have a doe that had some terrible skin issue. Itchy, dandruff, scabs (I know you said no scabs). You'd have to find my thread. Vicki suggested pemphigus. I looked it up. Sounded a lot like it. An immune issue. My vet kind of poo-pooed that and suggested allergies. He admitted that the treatment would be the same. Dexamethasone. He had her on 1.5cc for 5 day, 1cc for 5 days, .5cc for 5 days. I, too, thought about the immune-lowering consequences. She needed relief. So I gave it to her. It has now been about a month and a half and she looks beautiful. I check her every day. No new scabs, no itchies, her hair has grown back. Honestly, it's the best I've ever seen her in a while.

While we did not do a skin scraping (which I really wanted to do), I treated with Eprinex anyway. On the thread where I initially asked about this, someone (I think Laverne) suggested to treat her every 10 days (3 treatments). I did.

Whatever was the problem with my doe, mites, an autoimmune disease? I don't know. But it worked, whichever it was. I, of course, will keep checking.

Good luck with your wethers.


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## cdtrum (Mar 28, 2009)

My vet did do a skin scraping, but nothing showed on it....she is thinking mites because of all 4 of them having this issue.......we shall see.....they are on prednisone for now......and yes, I had read your thread and have thought about the pemphigus that Vicki suggested.........I have read and re-read every post and thread on here dealing with skin issues not to mention searching the web for info.....my vet had been calling me Dr. Google!


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Good Denise. It shows your vet that you are taking active charge on your critters. Now to just figure out what the issue is. It is a matter of elimination. Since you have boluses and it has only been two weeks it could take longer for the copper to become noticeably working. Then since nothing came back on the scraping that takes care of the mite issue. Its not mites. I would still bathe them in a shampoo 10:1:1 of shampoo: Tea Tree: Penny Royal. Do not dilute the shampoo and let it set on your goaties for at least ten minutes. I would shave them down as far as possible on the remaining hair. Then I would reshampoo them. After all that I would be giving them a capsule of Vit E for a week along with what your vet is recommending. What I am asking you to do is no more than a good shower shave shower, those essential oils will not harm your goats, I use it here on our bucks. I mean what could it hurt?
Tam


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## ragingbull (Feb 8, 2010)

Ive used Cydectin injectable and Lime Sulpher dip and got rid of mites quickly. Hair grew back really fast using either MTG oil or Veterycin spray.


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## Laverne (Apr 4, 2010)

My goats with mite symptoms cleared up fine with the Eprinex but the Nigerian didn't fully clear up, there was bald patches still in her coat even though her coat grew back, mostly. Her ears, and on top of her nose, had a terrible crust that would not go away even though I switched to Cydectin pour-on directly on her ears. I figured she had a fungus, so I finally put Gyne-Lotrimin vaginal cream for women on her ears and on her bald patches in her coat and that stuff really is clearing it up fast. The crust on the ears quickly fell off. I am spot treating it on her body, but I may do a thorough whole body treatment later with something to make sure it's gone. So the mites set her skin up for a fungus getting a hold on, then growing, is my hypothesis. But her immunity isn't as good as the rest of the goats, since they didn't get any fungus.


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