What mineral do you use?
Copper? Mites? Zinc?? What else could it be?!
Hello! I've never posted on here, but done a lot of reading and have gotten some good advice from many of you. I'm hope-hope-hoping someone can help me with a problem I've got with my goatees!
Over the winter I acquired a pregnant alpine doe. She kidded in February, everything went well, healthy mama, healthy babies. Shortly after kidding mama started losing fur on her face, around her eyes, she also had some reddish on her hind legs and a bit of fish tail, so I copper bolused. No improvement, and a month or so later she was missing more fur around her muzzle and ear tips and dandruff. I was trying to avoid chemicals, so I treated with nustock on the bald spots and sulpher/DE dusting for her and her shed, thinking some kind of bugs. So far none of my other goats, including her babies, were affected. After a few of these treatments the fur mostly regrew on her face, she shed her winter coat, the fur on her body shined up, and I felt victorious
However I guess I didn't act quickly or aggresively enough, cause about a month ago(when it really started warming up) her babies got hit hard with the same symptoms!!! I rebolused w/ copper last week, have been giving zinc human pills (with calcium and Manganese, is that ok?) for a week, and they've had there first shot of Ivermectin @ 2ml/50 lb, which I plan to repeat every 10 days, their next shot is due 5/25. i've applied nustock to the raw bits, and brushed them down with MTG. Dusted the shed with sulphur/de. I don't see any improvement and I am SO frustrated!! I've never had issues like this with my goats!
They all receive textured goat grain from agway, a bit of BOSS (normally only a winter supplement but with their skin issues I thought it couldn't hurt), decent 2nd cut hay, loose Sweetlix minerals (I recently mixed some kelp in reading on here that it was good for them) and the baking soda.
The first two pictures are of Girl, white patch on her head, who's hit the hardest. Notice how wrinkly the base of her ears are, I rubbed coconut oil around her eyes yesterday because they looked like they needed it and I didn't want to put the nustock so close to her eyes. Mama still looks better, a bit thin, and her eyes are still a bit bare. Boy is in the back, his situation is similar to Girl. Last picture is of Girls back, dandruff.
I have another mama, Esperanza, who is due any day now and I've been keeping her seperate as best I can. She is showing none of these symptoms.
Am I doing something wrong? What else can I do? Please help with any advice!!!!
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Over the winter I acquired a pregnant alpine doe. She kidded in February, everything went well, healthy mama, healthy babies. Shortly after kidding mama started losing fur on her face, around her eyes, she also had some reddish on her hind legs and a bit of fish tail, so I copper bolused. No improvement, and a month or so later she was missing more fur around her muzzle and ear tips and dandruff. I was trying to avoid chemicals, so I treated with nustock on the bald spots and sulpher/DE dusting for her and her shed, thinking some kind of bugs. So far none of my other goats, including her babies, were affected. After a few of these treatments the fur mostly regrew on her face, she shed her winter coat, the fur on her body shined up, and I felt victorious
However I guess I didn't act quickly or aggresively enough, cause about a month ago(when it really started warming up) her babies got hit hard with the same symptoms!!! I rebolused w/ copper last week, have been giving zinc human pills (with calcium and Manganese, is that ok?) for a week, and they've had there first shot of Ivermectin @ 2ml/50 lb, which I plan to repeat every 10 days, their next shot is due 5/25. i've applied nustock to the raw bits, and brushed them down with MTG. Dusted the shed with sulphur/de. I don't see any improvement and I am SO frustrated!! I've never had issues like this with my goats!
They all receive textured goat grain from agway, a bit of BOSS (normally only a winter supplement but with their skin issues I thought it couldn't hurt), decent 2nd cut hay, loose Sweetlix minerals (I recently mixed some kelp in reading on here that it was good for them) and the baking soda.
The first two pictures are of Girl, white patch on her head, who's hit the hardest. Notice how wrinkly the base of her ears are, I rubbed coconut oil around her eyes yesterday because they looked like they needed it and I didn't want to put the nustock so close to her eyes. Mama still looks better, a bit thin, and her eyes are still a bit bare. Boy is in the back, his situation is similar to Girl. Last picture is of Girls back, dandruff.
I have another mama, Esperanza, who is due any day now and I've been keeping her seperate as best I can. She is showing none of these symptoms.
Am I doing something wrong? What else can I do? Please help with any advice!!!!
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So, These guys are looking a bit better now, still a bit bare around the eyes but there is some obviouse regrowth and healing happening There is some INTENSE dandruff happening, do yoy think that's just part of the healing process or have I only won part of the battle?
I just came in from giving the second shot of ivermectin, mama takes it like a champ but boy do her babies scream! I was wondering how necessary it is to get the three doses in? my understanding is that the second dose is to catch any stragglers, so is the third just extra insurance? and should i treat my other girls showing no symptoms? They've been seperated, and I have one girl who's due any day now.
Thanks MellonFriend, I know flax seed does wonders for my bread so I'll try tossing some in their supper!
I've only introduced kelp for a few weeks, not sure what difference that will make and it's pricey so probably they won't get it as part of their permanent regimin.
What makes baking soda obsolete? I do end up needing to probios bolus occasionally, so might be they aren't even using it anyway.
There is some INTENSE dandruff happening, do yoy think that's just part of the healing process or have I only won part of the battle?I just came in from giving the second shot of ivermectin, mama takes it like a champ but boy do her babies scream! I was wondering how necessary it is to get the three doses in? my understanding is that the second dose is to catch any stragglers, so is the third just extra insurance? and should i treat my other girls showing no symptoms? They've been seperated, and I have one girl who's due any day now.
Thanks MellonFriend, I know flax seed does wonders for my bread so I'll try tossing some in their supper!
I've only introduced kelp for a few weeks, not sure what difference that will make and it's pricey so probably they won't get it as part of their permanent regimin.
What makes baking soda obsolete? I do end up needing to probios bolus occasionally, so might be they aren't even using it anyway.
is it possible to over due the vitamins? I was giving a human zinc pill everyday for about a week, I now give twice a week for fear of overdoing it. Also they are getting BOSS with their feed everyday, should I continue that? I also added a bit of flax seed to their breakfast.
I don’t know what else to do?
Please help!!!
I totally understand what you are feeling. I'm dealing with a similar problem with a doe I have, but with weight gain instead of a skin condition.Also I’ve ordered some zinpro 4 thinking that might benefit better than the human pills. But I’m frustrated I sometimes feel like intervening too much makes things worse
I think zinpro 4 sounds like a good idea. I think you just need to give what you are doing a bit more time. It sounds like they are improving and since they are that probably means your doing something right. Changes like these can take a while to turn completely around.
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