Goat going bald!

[Taffy]

Hugs to you two and Cuzco.

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

Jumbo ring worm? Zinc deficiency can cause goats to lose large sections of hair. Skin under neath will often flake and split. Kinda looking a like sore mouth. A zinc paste works good to help.

[DownUnder Gal]

Sorry to hear about Cuzco's challenges Nanno. You sound like you're on the right track with all the possibilities you're considering. If he were mine I'd still get the blood work done if possible, especially in the event none of the other treatments seem to be working.

I agree that if it's a nutritional deficiency causing hair loss then that is more likely to occur gradually.

Best of luck and keep us informed

[Nanno]

Jumbo ring worm? Zinc deficiency can cause goats to lose large sections of hair. Skin under neath will often flake and split. Kinda looking a like sore mouth. A zinc paste works good to help.

Jumbo ring worm? Do they look anything like THIS??? Cuzco met one in Goblin Valley last October! Maybe it's only just now getting its REVENGE!



Cuzco's skin definitely IS flaky, but it's always flaky this time of year. It's not splitting and it doesn't look like soremouth (yuck!). It just looks very dandruffy. His hair is still coming out by the handful on either side of his spine and down. His spine still has all the hair on it. Everything ahead of his withers and elbows looks normal, but he is very nearly bald from his shoulders back. It's crazy how fast this happened. However, it does look like there is already new hair growing in. He's got a lot of sleek, short stubble in the bald places. My gosh he looks horrible right now, but otherwise he seems in fine fettle. I called him over for a treat yesterday and he actually ran. He also jumped off the rock retaining wall, which he almost never does any more. He fought with Finn twice today for no particularly good reason and plastered him across the yard, and he gave Phil the business on our walk today. He's feeling quite chipper. Maybe he likes his new look. I wish I could appreciate it more. I brushed him today and now there is a thick blanket of hair covering the yard, the patio, and my jacket. After today's brushing, poor Cuzco is almost naked!

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

We had this happen to 3 or 4 goaties. Turned out to be server zinc deficiency. There is a newer synthetic fertilizer many farmers are using. Ill have to get the name of it. But they are finding that it is binding the minerals in the crops, like alfalfa and hay. Making the minerals nearly unusable.

LOL and ya, I guess that is what a jumbo ring worm would look like

[Nanno]

Where does one get zinc paste and how does one use it? Is it oral or topical? It would certainly be worth trying.

Not good if fertilizer is harming crops! I don't think fertilizer is causing this particular case, but that's good to know for future. I'm using the same hay I've used all winter, and neither of the people I bought from use fertilizer (other than the kind that comes from grazing cattle on the fallow fields).

[DownUnder Gal]

Nanno, black oil sunflower seeds are nice and high in zinc. I had a couple of goats with zinc deficiency and BOSS worked a treat (although it took a couple of weeks).

[Nanno]

Cuzco has been getting BOSS on his grain every morning for a couple of years now. I'm sure it's one of the things that has made his coat so thick and glossy these last couple of years. I can up his ration for a while and see if it helps.

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

Is the zinc in boss sulfate or oxide based maybe? Or maybe the changed it over to that form?

Zinc paste or zinc oxide paste can be bought at any pharmacy. The higher the zinc the better. Often used on babies for diaper rashes and burns. The oxide in cream is ok as its not being digested and absorb through the stomach. Very effective.

[Nanno]

I believe the zinc in our loose mineral is chelated zinc (at least a good part of it is). I'm pretty sure the zinc in BOSS would be organic and not sulfate or oxide based since it would grow in the sunflowers and isn't added afterwards.

So you recommend zinc oxide paste topically? That would be extremely messy! I'm not sure if it's worth it when almost the whole goat is bald. Poor Cuzco would be so stuck full of dirt and hay and sticks that I worry it would irritate his skin more than help it, and we certainly couldn't pet or handle him at all with that stuff on him.