We all know the horror of finding out you, or someone in your household has lice. It’s itchy, it’s a pain to get rid of, even just talking about it makes me want to scratch myself. It’s well known that people with long hair are more likely to get lice, and if you have animals with long hair (like goats), you might wonder if they could get it too. Is lice something you need to look out for?
Goats can get a special kind of lice called goat lice. Humans cannot contract it, and neither can any of your other animals. Goats contract goat lice from other goats, and it can be treated not only with medication but through cleansing treatments.
So if you think your goat has lice, how do you treat it? What does it look like? What do you do? Don’t worry. We will cover it all down below!
What To Know About Goat Lice:
There are a few things you need to know about goat lice before we go any further. The first being, you cannot get lice from goats. Lice have different species, and some species are going to attack people, and some are going to attack goats. So if your goat happens to have lice, you can’t get it, and neither can any of your animals.
The second being that there are two types of goat lice: biting lice, and sucking lice. Biting lice feed on the hair and skin of the goats and can be a bit easier to get rid of. They’re lighter in color and may be much more hidden than other types of goat lice. Sucking lice, on the other hand, have narrow heads and suck on the blood of the animal. Their bodies appear darker, and they are often evident on the goat’s skin.
How Do I Know if My Goats Have Lice?
You might not know what to look for when it comes to lice for goats. No need to worry, we’ll let you know what to look for. The first warning sign of lice or other parasites is an unhappy, agitated goat.
Goats that are constantly attempting to scratch their backs, or sides, or even their heads, and you may think, “what’s the deal?” Take a good look at the goat’s skin. You can usually see it best after they take a bath or you have brushed them. Lice may initially look like dirt under the hair against the skin, but if you watch for a moment, they’ll move. They look similar to fleas. You might also notice eggs that are attached to the hair follicles. These signs are an indication of an infestation.
How Do I Treat It?
There are two types of ways to treat goat lice. You can use a topical treatment or a systemic treatment. The way that you treat the lice is going to depend on what type of lice you’re treating. Biting lice are done through topical treatment, whether it’s a liquid, wash, or powder that’s applied to the skin of your goat. The sucking lice will be controlled topically, and systemically.
There will either be a wash, or liquid to apply on their skin but there will also be an oral or injected treatment. Dosages and treatment length will vary. You’ll also need to wash and brush your goats regularly. This won’t end the problem as a whole, but it will certainly help, making sure that there are as few lice as possible.
If you’re treating your animal with medicine you need to remember a few things. If you have a goat that produces milk, the milk produced while they are on these medications will not be safe. Not only because of the lice infestation and potential infection but also because the medication can taint any byproducts of the animal.
The lice infestation can last around 30 days with treatments, but can also last longer due to the eggs that are often produced. So you’ll need to take care of the infected goat as much as possible, to avoid it lasting any longer than necessary.
Separate your lousy goat from the other goats, as the lice can come in contact with other goats and can infect them as well. As louse infection can be expensive to treat, the last thing you want is for your other goats to get it. As soon as you know one goat has it, check the others, and make sure you prevent the possibility of it spreading any farther.
Goats also infected with lice, if untreated, can develop an internal infection. It’s important to be able to check up on your goats as frequently as possible, for if they’re unattended they could get sick from the lice.
How To Prevent Lice in Goats
If you don’t want to have to deal with lice in goats in the first place, there are a few steps you can take. Now it’s important to note that it can be incredibly difficult to prevent lice, especially in goats, but there are a few steps you can take ahead of time.
You can prevent lice in a number of ways, and one of those ways is pesticides. Killing any potential bugs within the closure of your goat enclosure would be a great way to prevent the lice from continuing to reproduce and potentially get into your goat’s skin.
You can also prevent lice by making sure your goats are properly cleaned. Making sure they are bathed regularly, and that their hair is shampooed will not only make your goats feel great but it’ll prevent ticks, lice, and any other parasites from getting to your goats. Brushing them out regularly will also help! We recommend washing your goats once a month and brushing them one to two times a week. This will keep your goats beautiful, happy, and louse-free.
So preventing your goats from contracting lice is super important, however no need to fear if they do still end up contracting it. Sometimes even the best of preventative measures still fall through. As long as you’re able to treat your goats, and get rid of them in the end, all is well.