Parasites, both internal and external, can be a serious problem with goats, and can be quite confusing to deal with. Unfortunately, many deworming medications are now not always effective. Scientists believe this is due to the practice of over-worming (or worming to a regular routine, eg. monthly) and whole herd deworming with no consideration of how many or what type of worms a goat might have.
PLEASE READ: WE ARE NOT VETERINARIANS. It is your responsibility to obtain veterinary services and advice before using any of the information provided on these pages.
On this page:
External Parasites
Lice
Goats often get lice or mites. Signs of a lice infestation are itching, and you may be able to feel little scabs on the skin. You will also be able to see them in the hair. Lice are relatively easy to get rid of. Apply some louse powder, or squirt some Ivermectin pour on along the topline of the goat. After a week, check to see if any lice remain, and if so, repeat the procedure.The goat house and bedding needs to be cleaned out, and diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled for good measure, before adding fresh bedding.
Mites
Internal Parasites
How do you know if your goat has worms?
Diarrhea: The most obvious sign. Every day, look for loose droppings. Loose poop in a goat is anything that isn't rounded pellets - from clumpy, to a log like dog poop, to full blown runny or watery poop. With the runny poop, you will notice a dirty bottom on the sick goat. However, diarrhea can be caused by stress, overfeeding, wrong feed, too much green feed suddenly etc. If none of this is appropriate to your situation, it's time to run a fecal. (*Goats infested with barberpole worm often do not have diarrhea, so do not rely on this symptom alone, and be sure to read on about how to check for anemia. Goats going unchecked for anemia can die very suddenly.)
Rough coat: This could be because of a nutritional deficiency due to lack of correct feeding, or because there is a nutritional deficiency due to worms taking nutrients from the goat.
How do you know how many and what type of worms your goat has?
Every goat will have some worms, and most healthy adult goats are for the most part, immune. they will only need treatment if they are showing symptoms. The only sure way to know is to collect some poo and take it to the Vet to run a fecal test. (Many people purchase microscopes and learn to do their own fecals, which makes the process convenient and in the long term, less expensive!). The Vet will mix the poop with a solution and then look at this solution under a microscope. Using a special slide, they can count the number of worm eggs seen, and identify which eggs belong to which type of worm.
What worms do goats get?
Barberpole worm (Haemonchus contortus)
Brown stomach worm (Teladorsagia)
The brown
stomach worm is a roundworm that can cause a lot of damage if the goat has a heavy load. It is more prevalent in the cooler, wetter months. They cause inflammation and damage to the gut, and this results in diarrhea. The goat will lose weight, often not be as interested in food per usual, will be depressed looking, and will develop a rough coat.
Bankrupt worm/Black scour worm (Trichostrongylus)
Bankrupt worm is another roundworm. Goats infected with bankrupt worm will have diarrhea, weight loss due to disinterest in feed, and eventually become slow and weak.
Meningeal worm/Deer worm/Brain worm (Paralaphostrongylus tenuis)
This worm is another roundworm and is common in deer, although they mainly tolerate it. However, slugs and snails pick up the worm from infected feces, and can be accidentally consumed by goats on leaves or in the pasture. They are more common in wetter areas that promote slug and snail habitation. It is often called brain worm because the worm travels to the goat's spinal cord, and also causing infection in the brain. Goats will be weak, lame, suffering from paralysis often in the rear legs, and can go blind before eventual death.
Lungworm (Dictoyocaulus filaria)
The adult worms live in the lungs. Here, they lay their eggs. They cause irritation that makes the goats cough. Apart from the cough, goats may have a runny nose. There is a danger that a secondary infection can occur, such as pneumonia.
Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica)
These are most common in wetter pastures, river banks etc. They cause damage to the liver, which can be very painful, and eventually can cause death.
Tapeworm
Tapeworms are a flat, segmented worm. The segments contain eggs and can be seen in the goat's poop, looking like white rice. Segments can be seen in poop, or on the tail or around the goat's anus. Usually in adults they can live without causing any real problems, but tapeworm can cause poor growth in babies.
Coccidia
Coccidia isn't a worm, but rather a protozoan parasite, so can't be treated with a dewormer. Goats carry a small load of coccidia and usually don't show signs of it. However, coccidia is responsible for a lot of baby goat deaths, and often accompanies a high worm load. Diarrhea and weight loss are signs of an infection. Stress can cause a coccidia 'bloom'. Poor feed or not enough feed can contribute to coccidia infection.
Hungry babies are likely to eat weird things off the ground, including hay or feed that's been dropped. We always keep a close eye on babies that are nursing, particularly those that are triplets or from larger litters. Any that don't seem to be growing as well as their siblings may not be getting enough milk or feed, and are supplemented and fed separately. Always feed off the ground, and keep a clean goat house and pasture to avoid coccidia infection. Precautions are far better than the cure.
FAMACHA
