STOMACH WORMS AND LICE

Why are stomach worms such a big problem to goats? Goats of all breeds are more susceptible to stomach worms than other species of ruminants. No breed of goats is worm resistant. Goats need a small number of worms to stimulate the immune system so that they can tolerate some level of worm load. The producer's challenge is raise goats that are worm tolerant. How to achieve that goal is the purpose of this article.

Increased interest in meat goats over the last decade and high breeding stock prices that have accompanied this phenomenon have created situations in which goats are frequently exposed to stomach worms. Goats that should have been culled because of poor adaptability have instead been kept in breeding programs. The result has been detrimental to goat genetics.

The frequent transport of goats to different geographic and climatic locations has challenged their ability to adapt to new surroundings. Goats that were raised in dry, hot West Texas need months -- more likely, years -- to adapt to the heavy rainfall of Mississippi. People don't adapt to such changes quickly, and we live in houses and have many creature comforts. Why should we expect animals who live outside in the extremes of weather to readily adapt to dramatically new and different living conditions?

Breed development has followed different paths. Boers were adapted over the last century to survive on the South African veld -- a sparse landscape with annual rainfall rates of about ten (10) inches. Relocating this breed to the very wet areas, like the south central and southeastern parts of the United States, is a literal shock to the goats' systems. Generations are needed for Boers to adapt to a climate of 50-plus inches of rain per year. If the producer is not knowledgeable and prepared, Boers will die from heavy worm infestation. Kikos were developed in New Zealand to tolerate that country's unique climate and high rainfall rate. America already has several fine meat-goat breeds long adapted to its climatic conditions. Producers are advised to investigate these breeds that are already able to live and thrive well in areas of this country -- two of which are Myotonic and Spanish goats.

Deworming alone cannot solve the stomach-worm problem. Putting goats back on the same land after deworming will result in re-infection and a decline in effectiveness of deworming medications. Management conditions must change to permit rotational foraging/browsing. Goats must be moved to a new area at least once every three weeks (the life cycle of a stomach worm); at least three and preferably four paddocks are needed so that goats are not returned to the original pasture too quickly. Even this arrangement is no guarantee of manageable wormloads.

Overcrowding and uncleanliness are the main reasons for worms and coccidiosis in managed herds. The goat's natural habitat is free range browsing/foraging over many acres per day, eating from the top down, creating a browse line -- like deer. This method keeps goats from eating on or close to the ground, coming into contact with weeds, leaves, grasses, and goat pills that are worm infected. Few worm larvae can reach plant heights that goats prefer to browse. Plants growing close to the ground tend to have a texture that is unpalatable to goats. Goats will forage/browse elsewhere unless their choices have been limited by drought or overuse of the land. Goats permitted the freedom to forage over large areas are far less likely to become infected with heavy wormloads and far more able to develop a tolerance for stomach worms. This should be a major goal of every goat producer. Don't try to make a foraging/browsing species become grazers.

Spanish goats in Texas, Myotonic goats in Tennessee, and brush goats in Virginia roaming semi-wild have long been hardy and thriving because (a) they have not been subjected to intensive confinement and management; and (b) no one really cared much whether they survive, so the poor ones died off while the adapted goats lived. Natural selection ("survival of the fittest") strengthened the genetic lines.

There is no easy way to raise goats. If the procedure is not labor intensive, be assured that it is not likely to work well. This is especially true of feed-based dewormers. The goat who most needs deworming is the same timid animal who is least likely to get a fair share of the de-wormer-treated feed. Individually orally dosing each goat is the only way to get proper dewormer levels in each animal. Do not apply dewormers topically to the skin of a goat. (More on this comment later in this article.)

Chemical Vs. "Natural" Dewormers: At this point in time, there is no scientific evidence that any "natural" product, including Diatomaceous Earth (DE), is effective against internal parasites in goats.

Producers regularly receive "hype" about natural dewormers and should know that in addition to being unproven for effectiveness, these products have the additional drawback of being dangerous because effective and toxic levels are very close. Example: Wormwood is a plant-based "natural" product believed by some to be have deworming properties. However, in order for wormwood to achieve any level approaching effectiveness, the dosage has to be so high that it might kill the goat. Plants protect themselves from pests by producing high levels of toxins. Everything contains chemical compounds. Because something grows untouched by human hands -- "naturally" -- does not mean that it is safe. Arsenic is a good example; there are many more. Unlike products made by pharmaceutical companies, "natural," "organic," and "herbal" products are not required to submit to Food and Drug Administration examination for safety or effectiveness, so product composition can and does vary.

Currently there are no commercially-produced dewormers that are approved for use in goats, thus producers use dewormers approved for other species on an "off-label" basis at dosages that through fecal testing have been determined to be effective. As goat populations increase, pharmaceutical companies will recognize this market and will spend the time and money to get FDA recognition. In the meantime, goat breeders have a limited number of classes of dewormers to use; over-use and improper usage cause goats to become resistant to their effectiveness.

Don't assume that colder or dryer weather means less worm problems. While worm larvae survive about two months in a hot summer, they can live up to six months over winter. In the south central and southeastern parts of the United States, Haemonchus contortus (barberpole or stomach worm) is a huge problem. Worm eggs hatch in goat feces ("pills"). Two inches of rain will dissolve a goat pill and release the infective larvae to crawl up vegetation, waiting for goats to eat them. Moisture as light as morning dew is enough for larvae to reach the tips of plants.

Dangerous in summer, Haemonchus contortus becomes a silent killer during winter. Once eaten by goats, larvae either develop into adult worms in about three weeks or enter a state of hibernation called hypobiosis. While in hypobiosis, worms don't eat, grow, or show any signs of life until conditions trigger the completion of their life cycle. Pregnant does are particularly susceptible to this stomach worm. Hibernating worm larvae come to life right before a doe is ready to give birth (freshen). They begin laying eggs in anticipation of her newborn kids' eating them when the kids begin to consume solid food around three weeks of age.

Stomach worms are blood suckers. When a goat is carrying a heavy wormload, protein and blood cells are removed faster than the goat's body can rebuild them. "Wormy" goats will eat continually and still lose weight. If the producer doesn't take action, anemia and death will result. Worm infestation must be diagnosed and cured early on. It doesn't take very long for a goat to become so anemic that saving its life is not possible.

Performing your own fecal counts is the best way to monitor worm load in your herd. Both simple and inexpensive, fecal examination by the producer is explained in easy-to-follow language on the Articles page of Onion Creek Ranch's website at www.tennesseemeatgoats.com <http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/> . The goal is to achieve a 90% drop in fecal egg counts within seven to 14 days after deworming. In between doing fecal counts, the producer can perform a somewhat reliable field test to check for stomach worms. Pull the lower eyelid down and examine its mucous membrane. The inside of the lower eyelid should be red to bright pink if the goat is tolerating its wormload. Light-pink mucous membranes are present in "wormy" goats, and anemic (and probably on-the-way-to-dying) goats have white membranes. Saving goats suffering from severe anemia due to heavy wormload is extremely difficult to do. Use this field test as a guideline only. It is not anywhere near close to 100% accurate. Fecal counts are essential.

Wormloads in pastures can be reduced by grazing cattle or horses in rotation behind goats. Don't use sheep; they are susceptible to the same worms as goats. Tilling, planting, and harvesting small-grain crops also reduces pasture parasites.

All types of worms are year-around problems. Orally drenching with dewormers during winter will help kill hibernating larvae before they become active when kidding begins. Deworming kids at one month of age is critical; they are beginning to develop their own immune systems and are rapidly losing any protection previously given them by their mother.

Each area has its own climatic conditions that will dictate appropriate deworming cycles. A hot and wet climate likely means more frequent deworming, making rotational foraging all the more important. Stomach worms are very adept at mutating, becoming more resistant to all dewormers currently on the market. Every goat brought onto your property brings with it resistant worm offspring that are different from those already on your land and in your animals. When a producer finds a dewormer that works, stay with it until fecal counts indicate problems. Rotating medications makes worms more resistant to all classes of dewormers. Establish a regularly-scheduled deworming program and rely heavily on fecal testing. Do not skimp on dosages. The value of one dead goat exceeds the cost of any dewormer.

There are three "classes" of deworming medication:

1) Avermectin (Ivermectin). The "clear" dewormers. Ivomec, Dectomax, and Cydectin/Quest Gel fall into this category. Effective against meningeal deer worm, lungworm, and lice. Not effective against tapeworm. Although some Ivermectin is labeled for injection, it produces a quicker "kill" when given orally to goats (see below for details . Quest Gel is packaged in a plunger-style tube for use with large animals, making it both difficult and wasteful to use because calculating and controlling the dosage small enough for goats isn't easy.

2) Benzimidazoles. The "white" dewormers. Valbazen, Safeguard/Panacur, Synanthic, Telmin, Benzelmin, Anthelcide, TBZ. Effective against tapeworm. Do not treat pregnant does with Valbazen; it can cause abortions.

3) Imidazothiazole: Tramisol, Levasol, pyrantel, morantel. Pregnant does may abort if Tramisol is given to them. Additionally, the "safe" and "toxic" dosages of Tramisol are very close, making this product a potentially dangerous drug.

Occasionally stomach worms may become so bad that a veterinarian may recommend that the producer use dewormers from two of these classes at the same time. A herd in this condition is a herd at great health risk. Under such circumstances, the producer should seriously re-evaluate his entire management program.

Oral drenching works best when deworming goats. Goats have faster metabolisms than most other livestock. De-wormers formulated to have a "long-lasting effect" get metabolized more quickly -- in about three days -- by goats. However, enough drug residual is left in the goats to allow worms to begin building up resistance to the dewormer. Given orally, such products produce a quicker and more effective worm kill and exit the goats' systems , leaving less de-wormer residual for the worms to develop resistance against. See the paragraph below for the only exception to this statement -- encysted worms. Hides are too thin on goats to use pour-on back drenches. Some producers believe that neurological problems have occurred in their herds after using topline deworming drenches.

The exception to the statement "oral drenching works best" is encysted worms. Worms can be both freefloating and embedded (encysted) in the stomach walls of heavily-wormy (carrying a heavy wormload) goats. Encysted (embedded) worms do not show up in fecal examinations because they are still inside the goat. Oral deworming kills the freefloaters but does not affect those worms encysted in the stomach lining. Once the freefloating worms are gone, the embedded worms become freefloating to feast on stomach contents. As worms multiply, crowding causes some of them to embed in the walls. At this point, the goat is getting weak, bottlejaw (subcutaneous fluid retention in a pocket of skin underneath the chin -- an indication that a very bad wormload has led to anemia) appears, and the goat's survival is at risk. The immediate solution is to inject 1% Ivermectin at a dosage rate of one cc (1 cc) per 50 pounds bodyweight, permitting greater body-wide absorption of the dewormer. The producer may have to repeat this procedure every 10 days for a total of three applications. NOTE: Injecting with 1% Ivermectin has a painful stinging/burning effect on some goats, but the reaction lasts only a few minutes. Inject 1% Ivermectin over the ribs sub-cutaneously (SQ) for less injection-site reaction. The long-range solution involves significant necessary management changes on the producer's part.

Deworm all pregnant does one week before the first doe is expected to kid. Remember: do not use Valbazen or Tramisol on pregnant does. Deworm everyone in a given pen or pasture. Goats will be sloughing worm-infected feces for 24 to 48 hours after treatment. Rotate them to a fresh pen or pasture 24 to 48 hours after deworming. Mow areas of vegetation that goats won't eat so that exposure to the sun can kill worm larvae.

Currently studies are underway to examine the effectiveness of individually de-worming high-risk animals within a herd rather than medicating the entire group. It is this writer's opinion that these goats should be culled so that the herd overall becomes more worm tolerant. Goats as a species are not benefitted by maintaining weak links in the genetic chain.

Lice cause serious illness and even death in goats. There are two types of lice: blood-sucking and non-blood-sucking. A scruffy-coated goat that has been treated for worms and remains ragged looking probably is infested with lice. Rough hair coat and weigh loss are two indicators. Don't try to determine the type of lice -- just treat for them. Products like Synergized Delice are available across the counter inexpensively and are easily applied using squeeze bottles with small applicator tips. (Ladies: Ask your beautician to save permanent applicator bottles.) Use puppy-safe or kitten-safe flea powder on young kids under six months of age. Five-percent Sevin Dust or Diatomaceous Earth (DE) are two other options for use on young kids. Lice are easy to kill. Follow the dosage directions and apply the oily product along the topline (backbone) of the goat from base of neck to base of tail. (Topline application of delicer is acceptable because it works differently from dewormers, since lice are external parasites.) Lice should begin dying almost immediately.

Some producers currently raising goats are fighting a losing battle with worms. Too many goats on not enough land means no rotational foraging is possible. Couple this with heavy annual rainfall rates and pasture rather than browse conditions and goats are not going to survive much less thrive.

Trying to depend on dewormers to do the job will only result in breeding weak goats. If your circumstances are similar to this, consider rethinking your business plan. Goats may not be what you should be raising. Just because a person wants to raise a specific crop does not make it doable. Crops, including livestock, are specific to certain land and climatic conditions. Wanting to raise alfalfa in a desert without irrigation is not possible -- no matter how much a person wants to do it. Raising goats under unfavorable conditions is no different.

The author, Suzanne Gasparotto, hereby grants to local goat publications and club newsletters, permission to reprint articles published on the Onion Creek Ranch website under these conditions: THE ARTICLE MUST BE REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE AUTHOR'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND CONTACT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPRINT. We would appreciate notification from any clubs or publications when the articles are used. (A copy of the newsletter or publication would also be a welcome addition to our growing library of goat related information!)

[GoatCamp™] [Tennessee Meat Goats™] [Myotonic Goats] [TexMaster™ Goats] [Which Breed is Right for You?]
[Ranch History] [The Present & Future] [Meat Goat Mania]
[Registry of Myotonics, Tennessee Meat Goats™ and TexMasters™]
[News & Events] [Health and Management Articles] [Links] [ChevonTalk Discussion List] [E-Mail] [Home]

All information and photos copyright © Onion Creek Ranch and may not be used without express written permission of Onion Creek Ranch. TENNESSEE MEAT GOAT ™ and TEXMASTER™ are Trademarks of Onion Creek Ranch . All artwork and graphics © DTP, Ink and Onion Creek Ranch.