Goats are one of the most common farm animals domesticated by humanity since time immemorial. They are distinguished by good health, fertility, and produce dietary meat, healing milk, and wool. These animals are useful in homestead farming and are bred industrially, so the appearance of diseases can threaten the livestock. It is important to know the causes of lichen in goats and be able to effectively cope with the disease.
Causes of the disease
Animals suffer from various types of skin infections caused by fungi. Ringworm is more common. It affects domestic and farm animals.Cats and dogs are more susceptible to this than others; cattle, sheep and goats suffer from it less often.
However, fungal infections are highly contagious, meaning they are transmitted through contact with an infected person. The disease can also migrate from goats and other representatives to people and vice versa, since there are no specific pathogens that are different for people and animals.
Trichophytosis, microsporia and scab are caused by the fungi Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. In goats, they settle on the skin and damage tissue and wool, localizing in delicate areas - ears, nose, muzzle, stomach, then spreading throughout the body.
Symptoms of infection
Ringworm looks like a whitish, pinkish or reddish spot, usually oval or round in shape, on which the hair falls out and flaky and itchy scales form.
Kids and young animals are more often affected because their immunity has not yet fully developed, and their skin is much more susceptible to infections. However, this does not mean that an adult goat cannot become infected. If she comes into contact with sick fellow tribesmen or other inhabitants of the barnyard, or pets, she can get sick at any age.
Initially barely noticeable traces of lichen can increase and grow, disturbing with itching and irritation. Goats will try to scratch the sore spot, which can spread the infection to other areas of the body and also lead to a secondary bacterial infection due to microorganisms entering the damaged tissue.
Diagnostic methods
A fungal infection can be detected visually if the disease has progressed far. However, a number of infections occur in a latent form, and external manifestations may be similar to each other.Therefore, the only accurate way to identify lichen may be to conduct a special diagnosis by a veterinarian.
To do this, a smear is taken from the focus of pathological activity and examined under a microscope. If this method does not bring results, you will have to use inoculation of the pathogen on a nutrient medium in a Petri dish. This method will allow you to accurately determine the type of pathogen and begin professional treatment.
How to properly treat ringworm in goats
Fungal diseases are spread by spores that “cling” to the fur and become attached to the tissues. Therefore, before starting treatment, it is advisable to remove the hair, at least on the affected parts, as short as possible or at least trim it. This will reduce the risk of spreading lichen to healthy tissues and facilitate the simplified use of external agents.
The animal must be treated with a composition that kills fungi and spores. The best drugs for this purpose are Imaverol and Lime Sulfur, but you can also use shampoos containing the substance miconazole, for example, Nizoral. Antimycotic detergents work by direct contact, that is, they act on the pathogen during washing, but they are suitable for large animals. For example, you can wash an adult goat with shampoo, and then, if necessary, supplement the procedure with treatment. One bath with a similar drug is enough for a kid.
If bathing was not enough or there are deep, extensive damaged areas on the goat’s body, complex treatment is used.Externally, the wounds are treated with antimycotic ointments, and antifungal drugs such as Griseofulvin, Ketoconazole or Itraconazole are given internally. The latter remedy has the least toxicity and side effects.
The choice of drug, dosage and treatment period are related to the type of disease, age and weight of the animal, and therefore are the prerogative of the veterinarian.
Possible danger
Lichen may not appear externally or may be barely noticeable until a certain time. However, the disease develops, gradually eroding the body’s strength, weakening the immune system. In this condition, a goat can easily “catch” any disease. The immune system may not be able to cope with colds or other illnesses, so the animal will suffer or even die.
Mycosis and lichen in particular can cause secondary infection, which further worsens the animal’s condition. From a purely technical point of view, the coat suffers, which can cause financial losses for the farmer when breeding fine-wool or downy goats. Also, lichen can cause changes in lactation, so the goat will not be able to feed its offspring or will not produce enough milk if it belongs to a specialized breed.
Medicine for lichen can also pose a danger, in particular if the dosage or timing of treatment is violated. A number of drugs provoke side effects that negatively affect the functioning of the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and also inhibit the functioning of the bone marrow.
Prevention methods
In order to avoid an outbreak of the disease among goats and transmission to other animals, as well as people caring for them, it is necessary to follow these recommendations:
- Maintain cleanliness in the premises where goats are kept.
- Cleaning, combing and, if necessary, washing animals, since fungi often develop on dirty, unkempt and matted fur.
- Isolate the infected goat or kid to prevent the spread of shingles.
- Use of specialized vaccines.
- Balanced feeding and compliance with the rules of keeping goats promotes strong natural immunity, which helps not to become infected or quickly cope with the infection using the body itself.
If you provide goats with living conditions, feed them with natural balanced feed, and quickly begin procedures when lichen is detected, you will be able to avoid serious losses and save the livestock, including kids and adult animals.
