Goat going bald!

[hihobaron]

Hello Nanno
I think I saw your question about "Zink Oxide" application?
It is the major component with cod liver oil in Desidin Baby bottom ointment.
I have used it on Chapped Heels,( Mud Fever) Greasy Heal in horses.
But burn in foals (Scours)
Would not use orally for Cuzco but topical it may help.
It also is good for both heat and "Chemical" burn treatment.
My Source from Cornel Vet Collage says "Blood work Up" for Thyroid deficiency.
Happy Trails
hihobaron Pete and Sam

[Nanno]

I've used Desitin for horses with greasy heel too.

I wish blood work was not so darned expensive! I'm not in a place to spend $150 - $200 on a 14-year-old goat. Does anyone know of a lab I could work with directly that is not so pricey? I don't need a vet to draw blood, and I'm not going to spend vet prices for this--especially since I'm not convinced that blood work will reveal anything useful.

[Taffy]

I work directly with WSU.  I'll bet you can work directly with CSU in Ft. Collins.

[Nanno]

I haven't had time this week to call CSU, but was able to pick up some Desitin yesterday and I slathered it on the worst areas. We'll see if it does anything. I also picked up some zinc tablets at the drug store which I can crush over his morning grain.

The areas that lost hair first are already growing a decent coat in. I got a picture this morning and I'll try to post it tomorrow.

[Nanno]

Cuzco didn't want me to take these, but I did anyway. Here is how his balding has progressed so far. You can see how flaky his skin is. It's always been flaky this time of year for as long as I can remember, but not usually quite this bad, and never accompanied by balding. 
   

This is a close-up of the area behind his withers which was one of the first to lose hair right after his flanks. You can see there is a lot of new hair coming in. His flanks don't look bald at all right now. 
   

The places on his back that went bald most recently have not yet started to grow a coat in and that's where I slathered the zinc oxide ointment. He's still losing clumps of the old hair but not as rapidly as at first. He's due for his second ivermectin treatment in the next couple days. Hopefully between deworming and zinc pills and diaper rash ointment I've hit whatever this is.

[hihobaron]

Hello Nanno
How is Cusco doing?
From the pictures it looks more like it was a mange or lice infestation. Or something like Rain Rot in horses.??
So with the shotgun method you have used you have covered all the ground you can and it looks like it is working.
Question for you: What ivermectin treatment did you use? Oral or injection? Even though I feed DE for worms I like to use a chemical wormer a couple times a year. I would prefer something I can use on both horses and the goat boy's.
There have been no goats here at BC1 before. The boy's got a goat wormer in September last year when they Stowed Away with the horses on the trip back from Prepper Camp, I don't know what it was but it was a "Drench" type.
Did you see the boy's and I had our first aggressive dog trail encounter on the last Expedition?
Dog survived but probably has sore ribs and back end. GOOD He will know better than to mess with goats next time.

Happy Trails
hihobaron Pete and Sam

[Nanno]

I'm using injectable ivermectin for cattle, but I'm not injecting it. I'm using it orally, which I understand is more effective than injecting it. It's easier to use than horse pastes and I don't have to give so much. Goats require a much larger dose per lb. than horses or cattle.

Cuzco is continuing to lose the rest of his hair behind the shoulders but at a slower rate than before. His skin looks horrible and flaky. I'm not sure the zinc oxide ointment is doing anything. The skin might be a little less flaky in those areas but it's hard to tell. If we get a nice warm day soon I'll bathe and clip him to get the rest of the dead hair and scurf off. The hair that's growing in is coming along very well but it doesn't look particularly healthy. It's courser than normal.

[hihobaron]

Hello Nanno
I have seen Ivermectin Injectable used orally in horses.
I know that it stings BAD when used IM or SQ. Also is prone to cause injection site infections.
I know how bad it hurts as I got hit with 2cc injection in a livestock situation. So I know I don't have worms.
BTY: Do you know it is used to treat "Tricamonasis" (sp) in people in third world countries.
I don't know how it is aplicated or dose rate in people.
=====================
One more idea for Cuzco hair/skin help.
After you bath him (Use a good dog type flea/tick shampoo) Then dry him out and clip. THEN on the bare patches use UDDER BALM made by IDEAL. I love the stuff TSC is were I get it. It is NOT like other products that use the same name.
Great Hand Cream, Good for Jock Itch (Sorry for that detail) as well as many other irritations on animals and US.
Good for sunburn too.
Basic Ingredients:
Aloe Vera Vitamins A,D and E all in a nice lanolin base.
Makes a good back rub if you can talk somebody into giving you one.
Smells nice and is not gooey.

  Best Skin Cream.JPG (Size: 30.23 KB / Downloads: 24)
It comes in jars as well as the tube type in the picture.
Load Cuzco up with it on any bare/thin spots if you can get it.
===============
BTY: The book on goats for the drawing prize this month.
I took the whole afternoon sitting in the sun with the boy's close to hand "reading" and enjoying the original pictures and artwork of the history of goats and man. it is a EXCELLENT produced book every page is photographic quality.
Good thing I have (2) : One for the prize, and one for me. 

Happy Trails
hihobaron and the Troops in SC

[Nanno]

I have some of that stuff. It's pretty good stuff!

[Nanno]

Well, Cuzco is starting to hit the eject button on his coat again. Nothing I did last year (chelated zinc supplements, zinc ointment, lotions, ivermectin, stopping Cosequin, etc.) seemed to make the slightest difference. I think his old thyroid may be losing its regulatory acumen and is dumping too much "It's spring--start shedding!" hormone into his bloodstream at once. I'm not sure there's anything to be done about it without spending a lot of money on hormone therapy that may or may not work. At least it doesn't seem serious. I'll just have to blanket him at night and on cold days for a month or so till his hair grows back. Poor old fella. Aging is not for the faint of heart.