Help! I am the proud new owner of five goats. Today I noticed that they have tiny teardrop shaped off-white bugs down deep in there coats. I'm quite anxious to know what it is and how to treat it because they are quite friendly and I pet and scratch them alot. Any info would be much appreciated.

-- Kristin Joyce (Langhorne, Pa) (DRKSYD66@aol.com), November 09, 2001

Answers

Sounds like mites or lice. Any powder that is safe for cats and rabbits will work just fine, or you can use diatomaceous (sp??) earth.

-- Wendy A (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), November 09, 2001.

FYI, goat lice don't like humans, so you're in no danger yourself. Still, your goats will be a lot happier if they don't have the itchy little bloodsuckers crawling all over them, as you can imagine.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), November 09, 2001.

Dust them up with the lice powder that you can buy at any hardware or animal supply/feed store. I usually dust some where they lay down too just as a preventive through the year. I do the same in my chicken house in the nest too. It'll clear up on your goats. Good Luck !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), November 09, 2001.

You may want to clean your barn thoroughly and put the lice powder down on the floor with the lime under your bedding. The lime deodorizes and neutralizes, the lice powder kills the lice, and cleaning frequently when you have lice makes sure that they go away and don't come back!

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), November 09, 2001.