i have an angora buck that has been scratching his back like crazy with his horns. i trimmed the fur/wool off and found scabs on the skin. they are not oozing or anything but this is spreading. the wool seemed oily. i trimmed close to the skin and then sprayed with bluecoat. he looks like he's wearing a saddle.generally bluecoat cures just about anything, but it's not helping with this.he is housed with my angora doe who doesn't show any signs of having this, but i do have a lincoln ewe who is now scratching as well. i keep feeling under her wool and there isn't any sign of scabs at all, but i don't know what this is all about. could this be lice?have raised goats and sheep for years and have never had this before. any suggestions as to what this could be and what to do about it? thanks, laura

-- laura cavallari (ladygoat13@aol.com), March 28, 2001

Answers

You can see lice. I would think if you shaved him you would have seen the lice moving. This may be mites, which cause severe itching and can burrow under the skin. Scabs would be from him scratching. When I hear folks talking lice and mites and these are home stock, not new stock that caught this from filty auctions or shows, than I also think mineral difficency. (Obviously treat the lice) But then look into your mineral feeding, making sure you have a good copper level, and also zinc. Depending upon sacked feed is not doing the job anymore. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 28, 2001.

How appros, our Pygora has the same problem, we took her to the vet and he said the wool was keeping too much moisture close to the skin (she was a little matted where it occured). He body shaved her in the affected area, and recommended a Benzoyl Peroxide and Sulfur shampoo (marketed under the name Sulf OxyDex). It works GREAT. Two days, and sores are almost healed and the rawness is gone. She's already regrowing wool, and healing nicely.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), March 28, 2001.