Goats are one of the most unpretentious animals to keep. However, lice, fleas, and ticks affect them, just like other pets. Parasites spread quickly and cause serious harm to livestock. The sooner treatment is started, the less damage will be caused to the farm. Modern drugs allow to eliminate insects quickly and safely.
Signs of fleas, lice and ticks in goats
In winter, goats are more often affected by lice and lice (they settle around wounds and scratches), and in summer - by fleas. During the period of grazing, ticks that carry life-threatening diseases pose a serious danger.
The saliva of insects has an irritating effect, which affects the condition of the skin of individuals. The main signs of infection include:
- severe itching (the animal constantly rubs its sides, bites its body)
- scratching
- decreased appetite
- anxiety
- thickening of the skin
- dermatitis
- swelling of blood vessels
- sticking, hair loss
Attention: tick encephalitis begins with a lack of coordination of movements, which after a couple of days turns into general paralysis, followed by a breath stop.
The greatest harm is caused by simultaneous infection with several types of parasites, for example, lice, helminths and arthropods. Through wounds on the skin, secondary bacterial or viral pathogens enter the bloodstream, which complicates treatment. Young animals suffer especially badly. In a severe infestation young goats become anemic, exhausted, and die.
Routes of infection
Lice and fleas are most often transmitted through direct contact from a sick individual to a healthy one. Arthropods enter the body from grass on pastures or from fresh hay.
For some time, the parasites survive without interaction with the host on bedding, feeders, and equipment. Insect eggs can be brought into the goat's pen by the owner on the soles of shoes or in low-quality food.
How to remove fleas, lice and ticks from goats
The main method of eliminating parasites is treatment with insecticides. For prevention, a single application is sufficient. Treatment will require two applications with an interval of 1-2 weeks, depending on the active ingredient of the drug.
Veterinarians do not consider it advisable to wash goats, unlike sheep, due to the small number of individuals in the herd, the need to set up a washing station and the high consumption of the drug. In addition, lice attack more often in winter, when washing is not desirable due to the high likelihood of hypothermia.
In these animals, the use of aerosol or injectable agents is recommended. Apicenna offers effective treatment products.
Eprimek injection has a wide spectrum of action and does not cause a local reaction at the injection site. The drug is suitable for the treatment of lactating females.
After getting rid of insects or arthropods, dermatitis treatment with the use of bactericidal agents is required. To restore the coat, it is necessary to correct the diet with the inclusion of mineral supplements, sulfur, microelements, and lick salt in the diet.
Attention: any pharmaceuticals or vitamin supplements can only be given as prescribed by a veterinarian.
At the same time, you will have to disinfect the space where the livestock is kept using special disinfectants. Used litter must be carefully collected and burned.
What to treat
To protect animals from bloodsuckers, they need to be treated with insecticides when changing from stall housing to pasture. In summer, procedures are recommended to be carried out once every 60 days, in the cold season - every three months.
Sanofly has a safe composition and is suitable for monthly treatment of goats.
Prevention of infection
To prevent infection by ectoparasites, it is important to prevent contact between the livestock and other animals. All purchased (or stray) goats should be quarantined until they are treated twice with antiparasitic agents.
The following rules help to avoid infection:
- ensuring good ventilation and sufficient lighting in the goat house
- maintaining cleanliness on the site
- eliminating crowding of animals
- regular examinations, timely treatment
- extermination of rodents
- periodic mowing of grass on pastures
- purchasing quality feed
Carefully follow the schedule of preventive treatments of livestock against external parasites. After each grazing, carefully examine each individual in order to immediately detect and remove the attached tick, and take the animal to a veterinarian.
Blood-sucking insects and arthropods significantly worsen the quality of life of animals and reduce their productivity. It is quite possible to prevent economic losses by providing the livestock with good pens, timely veterinary care, and proper feeding.
Yuri Lizvinsky, veterinarian, Head of Training, Apicenna LLC
