[luvbabygoats]

So my two does have been going down a lot in milk production, but this could be due to something other than worms? All we have ever used is safeguard and it's been a while since we used it. I tried to check their eyelids but the lower inner lid is lighter than the upper inner lid. Which one should I be looking at? Their gums are very light pink, but the inner upper eyelid is dark pink...confused. Thanks!

 

[ksalvagno]

I would be taking a fecal sample in to the vet. Make sure they include coccidia.

Safeguard doesn't take care of much. Basically only tapeworm and roundworm.

 

[luvbabygoats]

I would be taking a fecal sample in to the vet. Make sure they include coccidia. Safeguard doesn't take care of much. Basically only tapeworm and roundworm.

Right..but any ideas on how I can accurately judge if they are wormy?

 

[happybleats]

I agree...as for which lid to look at its the bottom..here is a good link
http://goat-link.com/content/view/110/107/

if you find they fall in the "treat" area then worm with Ivomec plus or Valbazen..as Karen said Safeguard just is not effective

Other reason for milk drop is long into lactation...drop in feed , coming in heat, stress....

 

[ksalvagno]

When they are very bad is when they are light.

Just this summer I had fecals done. All my girls had nice dark pink eyelids. One of my girls had a bad enough barberpole load that my vet felt I needed to treat. This surprised me since most of us go with eyelid color and assume if the eyelids are dark, wormload is light. Well, that is only true to a point. But catching it early meant that it only took one deworming. Next fecal was clean.

So my lesson this summer was learning that by the time you have pale or white eyelids, you have had a worm problem for much longer than you thought.

So I would take your drop in milk as a good possible sign of worms.