Controlling Parasites
Controlling parasites first begins with understanding them.
Controlling parasites first begins with understanding them.
- A parasite is an organism that feeds, grows and reproduces by taking nutrients (mainly, blood) from its host, in this case, a goat.
- Parasites propagate in wet, undrained pastures and dirty pens.
- Parasites generally only attack one particular area or part of an animal. This is precisely what makes them so deadly.
- Most parasites are incredibly contagious, because eggs are constantly being shed off through the animal's waste. This is how the parasite assures its survival. Other goats pick up the cast off eggs in the pasture.
- It is estimated that it takes three years to eradicate worms from a pasture by letting it rest. Rotational grazing is suggested.
Stomach Worms: The Mighty Barberpole
The biggest threat to a goat's health and life is the barberpole worm (Haemonchus contortus) or HC. The barberpole worm is a blood sucking parasite that attaches itself to the inside lining of the abomasum, which is the true stomach of the goat. Adult worms are 3/4" to 1" long. Female barberpoles are red and white striped (like a barberpole) and the male barberpole is red. You will most likely never see a barberpole worm, either alive or dead, because they are not usually shed and rarely visible in the goat's waste. The only evidence you may see would be eggs when doing a fecal exam, but eggs are not always shed off, making it even more difficult to diagnose. There are also conflicting opinions among veterinarians about what constitutes an infestation, and what is an "acceptable load."
Barberpole worms reproduce inside the abomasum, and the population is always growing. They feed off the goats red blood cells inside the abomasum, causing the goat to become anemic, which can quickly cause death. Symptoms of a barberpole infestation includes anemia, followed by scours (diarrhea) and weight loss, and finally emaciation and death due to parasitic gastroenteritis. Due to the difficulty in diagnosing, the trick becomes catching the goat becoming anemic before the other symptoms follow. The test to check for anemia is called FAMACHA, and you will learn how to do that in the next section.
Treatment for barberpole worm:
Cydectin Pour On Cattle Dewormer dosed at 1 cc per 20 lbs ORALLY, Once every 10 days for 30 days. This schedule is most likely to catch all life cycles of the barberpole worm, including killing off all the eggs.
Milk Withholding: None.
Please note: Dosing pregnant does with Cydectin has been observed to cause birth defects in some cases, especially in early pregnancy, so use with caution. Ivomec and copper are a much better choice for deworming bred does.
Lungworms
Lungworms burrow into the bronchioles of the lungs causing inflammation, phlegm and coughing. Persistant cough is usually the first sign. Lungworms are extremely hard to diagnose. The only way to find lungworms in the feces is if the goat coughs some up and then swallows them.
Treatment for Lungworms:
Ivomec 1% given orally at 1cc per 33 lbs. Official milk withdrawal is 36 days. Personally, I withhold for only 7 days.
Liver Flukes
The liver is responsible for filtering toxins and waste products from the blood. Liver flukes burrow tunnels into the liver. The liver quickly tries to repair itself causing massive scar tissue, which is not operational. As the scar tissue grows, the toxins and waste that a healthy liver filters out build up in the body causing damage to other organs and the brain.
Symptoms of liver flukes include rough coat, weight loss, poor milk production, "bottle jaw", anemia, chronic diarrhea and stupor.
Treatment for liver flukes:
Fenbendazole (SafeGuard, Panacur) given orally at 4X the dose for horses/cattle.
Milk withholding 4 days.
Coccidia
Coccidia is a one-celled intestinal parasite caused by overcrowding, dirty wet pens, and unclean water. The organism is spread by fecal to oral contact and can spread rapidly to other goats. All goats have some small levels of cocci inside their bodies which are constantly being fought off by a healthy immune system. Cocci infestation is most common in kids, but all goats can be overwhelmed by it.
First symptoms are usually, but not always, diarrhea and sometimes, fever. Dehydration occurs rapidly. If left unchecked, the goat can easily die or cocci can cause permanent damage to the intestinal lining and prohibit the goat from absorbing nutrients for the rest of it's life.
Treatment for Coccidia:
For Kids: Di-Methoox Concentrated Solution 12.5% dosed orally at 1cc per 5 lbs daily for 5 days
or
TMP/SMZ dosed orally at 1 pill for adult goats once daily for 7 days. Milk Withholding 8 days.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are one of only two parasites that you can see in the feces, so they are easily diagnosed. Adult worms are white, ribbon-like and/or segments like grains of rice. Tapeworm eggs are small and triangular in shape. Tapeworms give little threat to adult animals, but they can obtruct the digestive systems of young kids and cause issues, and even death.
Treatment for tapeworms:
Fenbendazole (SafeGuard, Panacur) given orally at 4X the dose for horses/cattle.
Milk withholding 4 days.
Pinworms
Pinworms are small, threadlike parasites that look like white, wiggly, curly hairs around the anus of the goat. They cause no actual threat to a goat's health, but can be annoying when you are milking a doe and see pinworms a few inches from your face. True story.
Treatment for pinworms:
Fenbendazole (SafeGuard, Panacur) given orally at 4X the dose for horses/cattle.
Milk withholding 4 days.
The biggest threat to a goat's health and life is the barberpole worm (Haemonchus contortus) or HC. The barberpole worm is a blood sucking parasite that attaches itself to the inside lining of the abomasum, which is the true stomach of the goat. Adult worms are 3/4" to 1" long. Female barberpoles are red and white striped (like a barberpole) and the male barberpole is red. You will most likely never see a barberpole worm, either alive or dead, because they are not usually shed and rarely visible in the goat's waste. The only evidence you may see would be eggs when doing a fecal exam, but eggs are not always shed off, making it even more difficult to diagnose. There are also conflicting opinions among veterinarians about what constitutes an infestation, and what is an "acceptable load."
Barberpole worms reproduce inside the abomasum, and the population is always growing. They feed off the goats red blood cells inside the abomasum, causing the goat to become anemic, which can quickly cause death. Symptoms of a barberpole infestation includes anemia, followed by scours (diarrhea) and weight loss, and finally emaciation and death due to parasitic gastroenteritis. Due to the difficulty in diagnosing, the trick becomes catching the goat becoming anemic before the other symptoms follow. The test to check for anemia is called FAMACHA, and you will learn how to do that in the next section.
Treatment for barberpole worm:
Cydectin Pour On Cattle Dewormer dosed at 1 cc per 20 lbs ORALLY, Once every 10 days for 30 days. This schedule is most likely to catch all life cycles of the barberpole worm, including killing off all the eggs.
Milk Withholding: None.
Please note: Dosing pregnant does with Cydectin has been observed to cause birth defects in some cases, especially in early pregnancy, so use with caution. Ivomec and copper are a much better choice for deworming bred does.
Lungworms
Lungworms burrow into the bronchioles of the lungs causing inflammation, phlegm and coughing. Persistant cough is usually the first sign. Lungworms are extremely hard to diagnose. The only way to find lungworms in the feces is if the goat coughs some up and then swallows them.
Treatment for Lungworms:
Ivomec 1% given orally at 1cc per 33 lbs. Official milk withdrawal is 36 days. Personally, I withhold for only 7 days.
Liver Flukes
The liver is responsible for filtering toxins and waste products from the blood. Liver flukes burrow tunnels into the liver. The liver quickly tries to repair itself causing massive scar tissue, which is not operational. As the scar tissue grows, the toxins and waste that a healthy liver filters out build up in the body causing damage to other organs and the brain.
Symptoms of liver flukes include rough coat, weight loss, poor milk production, "bottle jaw", anemia, chronic diarrhea and stupor.
Treatment for liver flukes:
Fenbendazole (SafeGuard, Panacur) given orally at 4X the dose for horses/cattle.
Milk withholding 4 days.
Coccidia
Coccidia is a one-celled intestinal parasite caused by overcrowding, dirty wet pens, and unclean water. The organism is spread by fecal to oral contact and can spread rapidly to other goats. All goats have some small levels of cocci inside their bodies which are constantly being fought off by a healthy immune system. Cocci infestation is most common in kids, but all goats can be overwhelmed by it.
First symptoms are usually, but not always, diarrhea and sometimes, fever. Dehydration occurs rapidly. If left unchecked, the goat can easily die or cocci can cause permanent damage to the intestinal lining and prohibit the goat from absorbing nutrients for the rest of it's life.
Treatment for Coccidia:
For Kids: Di-Methoox Concentrated Solution 12.5% dosed orally at 1cc per 5 lbs daily for 5 days
or
TMP/SMZ dosed orally at 1 pill for adult goats once daily for 7 days. Milk Withholding 8 days.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are one of only two parasites that you can see in the feces, so they are easily diagnosed. Adult worms are white, ribbon-like and/or segments like grains of rice. Tapeworm eggs are small and triangular in shape. Tapeworms give little threat to adult animals, but they can obtruct the digestive systems of young kids and cause issues, and even death.
Treatment for tapeworms:
Fenbendazole (SafeGuard, Panacur) given orally at 4X the dose for horses/cattle.
Milk withholding 4 days.
Pinworms
Pinworms are small, threadlike parasites that look like white, wiggly, curly hairs around the anus of the goat. They cause no actual threat to a goat's health, but can be annoying when you are milking a doe and see pinworms a few inches from your face. True story.
Treatment for pinworms:
Fenbendazole (SafeGuard, Panacur) given orally at 4X the dose for horses/cattle.
Milk withholding 4 days.
Lice
Lice are the only bugs that infest goats that you can see with the naked eye. Part the coat down to the skin, particularly along the backbone. Lice and nits, alike, may be found. Rough coat and patchy, flaky skin and hair loss are symptoms.
Treatment for Lice:
Bathe and groom goat as necessary. Shave if weather permits. Ivomec 1% given orally at 1cc per 33 lbs. Official milk withdrawal is 36 days. Personally, I withhold for only 7 days. There is also an over the counter product called SyLence. Follow directions on box.
Mites
Mites are not visible with the naked eye, and must be confirmed under a microscope. Symptoms of mites includes patchy, flaky skin, thickened skin in places, and hair loss. Do not confuse a case of mites for zinc deficiency which looks VERY similar. Confirm mites with a skin scraping or treat for both.
Treatment for Mites:
Ivomec 1% given orally at 1cc per 33 lbs. Official milk withdrawal is 36 days. Personally, I withhold for only 7 days.
Lice are the only bugs that infest goats that you can see with the naked eye. Part the coat down to the skin, particularly along the backbone. Lice and nits, alike, may be found. Rough coat and patchy, flaky skin and hair loss are symptoms.
Treatment for Lice:
Bathe and groom goat as necessary. Shave if weather permits. Ivomec 1% given orally at 1cc per 33 lbs. Official milk withdrawal is 36 days. Personally, I withhold for only 7 days. There is also an over the counter product called SyLence. Follow directions on box.
Mites
Mites are not visible with the naked eye, and must be confirmed under a microscope. Symptoms of mites includes patchy, flaky skin, thickened skin in places, and hair loss. Do not confuse a case of mites for zinc deficiency which looks VERY similar. Confirm mites with a skin scraping or treat for both.
Treatment for Mites:
Ivomec 1% given orally at 1cc per 33 lbs. Official milk withdrawal is 36 days. Personally, I withhold for only 7 days.
Identifying Parasites
A couple of years ago, I broke down and bought a microscope to run fecal exams on my goats. I can't say that I've used it extensively, but it sure has come in handy in many situations. It's not difficult to learn to do a simple float so that you can at least identify what you are dealing with. I bought the Know Thine Enemy Fecal Test Kit from Maggidans Minis. The kit is easy to understand with tons of informative information and pictures included. As of yet, I have not used the McMaster Slide which was included, but I have not yet been interested in the actual loads of worms, only the identification of the worm that is causing the problem. On the surface, the kit looks to be expensive, but it will pay for itself quickly. I highly recommend this kit to anyone who wants to do their own fecal exams to get results sooner and save the costs on exams from the vet.
How to Run a Fecal Examination (Blog from 01/13/2014 Twin Willows Farm)
http://www.twinwillowsfarm.net/1/post/2014/01/how-to-run-a-fecal-exam.html
How to Make Fecal Floatation Solution (Blog from 1/14/2014 Twin Willows Farm)
http://www.twinwillowsfarm.net/1/post/2014/01/how-to-make-fecal-floatation-solution.html
Now, let's learn about the most important test in your goat keeping arsenal, FAMACHA.
A couple of years ago, I broke down and bought a microscope to run fecal exams on my goats. I can't say that I've used it extensively, but it sure has come in handy in many situations. It's not difficult to learn to do a simple float so that you can at least identify what you are dealing with. I bought the Know Thine Enemy Fecal Test Kit from Maggidans Minis. The kit is easy to understand with tons of informative information and pictures included. As of yet, I have not used the McMaster Slide which was included, but I have not yet been interested in the actual loads of worms, only the identification of the worm that is causing the problem. On the surface, the kit looks to be expensive, but it will pay for itself quickly. I highly recommend this kit to anyone who wants to do their own fecal exams to get results sooner and save the costs on exams from the vet.
How to Run a Fecal Examination (Blog from 01/13/2014 Twin Willows Farm)
http://www.twinwillowsfarm.net/1/post/2014/01/how-to-run-a-fecal-exam.html
How to Make Fecal Floatation Solution (Blog from 1/14/2014 Twin Willows Farm)
http://www.twinwillowsfarm.net/1/post/2014/01/how-to-make-fecal-floatation-solution.html
Now, let's learn about the most important test in your goat keeping arsenal, FAMACHA.
Go To FAMACHA Testing or Choose From the Menu Below