Lice in goats: treatment with folk remedies and preparations at home

Goats are considered very unpretentious animals that do not require specific care. However, sometimes they are faced with increased anxiety and begin to itch. The reason for this may be the appearance of lice in goats. At the same time, dermatitis develops, which is accompanied by scratching and loss of hair. To cope with such violations, it is necessary to contact the veterinarian in a timely manner.

Ectoparasite Harmfulness

The appearance of lice or fleas causes severe discomfort in goats. Troublesome signs of problems include the following:

• appearance of itching, dermatitis, scratching;
• wool loss;
• anemia - in advanced cases, lice drink a lot of blood, which causes problems;
• increased risk of spreading other pathologies - bacterial, helminthic, viral or protozoal;
• risk to humans - such pests cannot live long on humans, but often spread contagions.

Insects are most dangerous when interacting with other parasites. These include midges, flies, worms. Also, the situation is aggravated by ticks and protozoa.

To a greater extent, lice are dangerous for kids. Their appetite worsens, anemia appears, and death may even occur due to exhaustion.

Ways and causes of infection

Parasites are unstable to the conditions of external factors. Outside the animal, they quickly die. The duration of the cycle from egg to mature individual is 1 month. With free grazing, the disease practically does not spread.At the same time, with close contacts, parasites quickly move between animals.

During the summer, the number of lice decreases as they die in the sun. This is due to the fact that parasites do not withstand temperatures above +44 degrees. At the same time, the surface of the skin in sunny weather heats up much more. Lice actively spread in winter when goats are crowded.

Symptoms of defeat

Lice provoke irritation of skin receptors, as they affect the surface of the dermis with their mouth and paws. As a result, goats actively itch. Litters are the most dangerous for animals. Their jaws severely damage the skin. In addition, the parasites are actively moving, which provokes an increase in itching.

In this case, lice usually do not provoke severe blood loss. Anemia can develop only with advanced invasion. The danger of parasites increases with an associated lesion.At the same time, other parasites are additionally detected in goats. These include external pests - ticks and fleas, as well as internal - protozoa and helminths.

Also, skin lesions provoke local inflammation. Sometimes there is a risk of getting pathogenic microflora on it. This aggravates the course of the disease and significantly increases pathogenicity.

The most common parasites found in goats are:

• lice;
• Dicrocelia are lungworms;
• Eimeria - are parasitic protozoa in the digestive organs;
• Trichocephalus are small intestinal worms that lay their eggs in the groin;
• ixodid pincers;
• piroplasmas - are blood-parasitic unicellular;
• temporary parasites - these include flies, mosquitoes, midges.

When infested with lice in goats, the nature of the dermis changes. In the affected areas - on the head, neck, under the chest - the stratum corneum thickens. At the same time, it significantly differs in thickness from the adjacent zones. Histological examination reveals an accumulation of lymphoid cells. There is also swelling of the blood vessels. In the affected areas there are crusts and an excess of dead cells. With constant damage to the skin by proboscis parasites, acute inflammation develops, which leads to compensatory reactions - thickening of the stratum corneum.

Affected goats become restless. They may try to scratch on objects and bite on itchy areas with their teeth. In the area of localization of lice, hair loss is observed, scratches and areas of damage to the dermis are formed. When the integument is damaged, exudate, blood and lymph are released. This causes hair to stick together, which is especially noticeable in long-haired pets.

How to cure a goat of lice

To remove lice, you need to take timely action. To combat parasites, it is recommended to treat goats with insecticidal preparations. However, it is important to consider that they are effective against adults and some larvae, but do not affect eggs.

With repeated use of the same remedy, lice become immune to it. Therefore, in most cases, processing must be done several times. Typically, these drugs are used at intervals of 7-14 days. Group processing is considered the least laborious. However, it is not always possible to carry it out. This is due to the following factors:

• large population required;
• need a purchase trench;
• goats can only be handled in summer, while lice are usually active in winter;
• requires a lot of insecticide.

Because at home, aerosol treatment with special preparations is usually used. With a small population, individual processing is performed. This helps prevent the spread of infection. Injectables are often used.

The following substances are commonly used to control parasites:

1. FOS - have a short-term effect. Such substances help to cope with parasites on goats and indoors. They differ in toxic effects on humans and animals and do not help protect against re-infection. The most famous drugs include Dichlorvos and Diazinon.
2. Pyrethroids - considered to be of low toxicity to warm-blooded animals, but harmful to fish and arthropods. For processing wool, water emulsions are used. At the same time, lice can get used to such drugs. Effective remedies include Butox, Entomazan.
3. "Fipronil" - helps to cope with parasites and provides long-term protection. Lice can become addictive, so it is recommended to change the drugs.
4. Means for injection - help to remove fleas, worms, ticks, lice. However, they do not help protect against pathogens that carry lice and fleas. Also, injectables should not be used at the last stage of pregnancy and during milking. Milk after using the funds should not be consumed for 1 month.

In addition to standard methods, treatment with folk remedies can be used. For this purpose, ordinary vegetable oil is perfect. They need to treat the skin of a sick individual well, covering it with a protective film. Thanks to this, it will be possible to deprive the parasites of oxygen. Ash or tar will also help to cope with lice.

Prevention

To avoid the appearance of nits, fleas or withers, it is recommended to treat animals systematically.It is important to disinfect the premises and maintain cleanliness in them. Before transferring goats from the stall to the pasture, it is recommended to treat them against fleas and lice. In summer, events are held at intervals of 2 months, in winter - every 90 days.

The appearance of lice in goats causes serious discomfort in animals. To avoid such problems, pets need to be comfortable and have a balanced diet.

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