# how long for color to return to under eyelid after worming?



## harmon (Jun 15, 2013)

Due to a spousal miscommunication my goats missed their monthly deworming in April. I usually buy it from a bulk bag at the local feedstore (the owner gets me a weight appropriate bag of wormer from his supply)

On May 20, after noticing weightloss and snotty nose on my 4 year old lamancha doe, I fed her a dose of MannaPro Goat dewormer from TSC. Her nose cleared up within the next day but since she has alternated between showing her ribs and not and looking lethargic and looking healthy. 



Friday (three days ago) she was really lethargic and looking skinny and I started giving her 3 ML of Liquitinic twice a day. Since that same day she has almost gone dry. I can get 3-4 squirts from each tit twice a day but thats about it. 

She's eating normally now and seems to have energy (she fought off an adult ram yesterday that was crowding her at the new mineral block I gave them).

I dont vaccinate. She hasnt kidded in the year and a half I've had her. The Ram got her pregnant and she miscarried it three motnhs ago.

When will the color return to under her eyelids / can I expect her to get back to normal?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Several issues about worms need to be addressed in response to your post.

Deworming on a schedule is the best way to create a worm population that is resistant to the treatment. Just as bacteria become immune to the effects of antibiotics, worms become immune to the meds designed to kill them. Frequent/regular use of the same medication leave a small population of strong worms, those reproduce, and soon you have a large population of worms that will not be affected by the med.

You really must have a fecal test done to see if your worm treatments are working. I suspect your goat's worm population is highly resistant.

Using the pelletized worm treatments is not effective in most goat herds due to years of over use. (Resistant worms) Other treatments such as Cydectin or Valbazen are now the treatments of choice, and they are used only as needed, not on a schedule.

I do hope that you meant she was pregnant after breeding by a goat buck. If it was a ram (sheep), then she's not going to have a successful pregnancy. Sheep and goats have different numbers of chromosomes, and a breeding like that is VERY rarely successful.

Yes, we do use eyelid color as an indication of anemia. However, that is only part of the process. Fecal testing is VERY important.

My suggestion is that you take fresh goat berries from this goat to your local vet for the fecal test. He should be able to tell you if she has a high egg count in her manure. At that point, I'd try Cydectin or Valbazen, orally. See the link for dosages: http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/training/GoatDewormerChart.pdf Please note that the meds are given orally. Yes, there's one column for injection there, but ignore that.  The vet college textbooks say orally.

You will note that these meds are given "off label." That means they have not been tested in goat populations and approved by the USDA for use in goats. We know that. It's just that there's not money available for goat testing.

All that having been said, it takes close to a month for eyelid color to return. In my physiology class, I learned that it takes three weeks for the bone marrow to make red blood cells.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Interesting links:

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/#!testresistance/c17y9

http://goodgoats.blogspot.com/2013/09/goat-wormers.html


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## Woolieface (Feb 17, 2015)

I haven't had a geep yet....hopefully my critters never give that a try.


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## harmon (Jun 15, 2013)

Tha KS Alice that was interesting info. I will take some feces to my vet today.

It was a ram that got her pregnant.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

That's why she lost the pregnancy. Chromosomes don't match.

Sorry.


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## harmon (Jun 15, 2013)

My vet confirmed goats are wormed as needed now and is having me worm my goat with the tsc wormer now. Her poop was clumped when I took it to vet. That day I wormed her and days later it was pellets again. 

She looks a little better but not much. I'll worm her 3 weeks from last time if she is still sick

The other goat he said he couldn't find d much worms so don't worm her. 

Her eyelids are pretty light though. Are eyelids stilla.sign to worm?


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Deciding to deworm should be based on body condition, feces consistency, FAMANCHA (inner eye membrane color), and fecal egg count. All should be taken into account when deciding to deworm.


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## harmon (Jun 15, 2013)

How difficult is it to check for worms myself? Do most goat owners have 5heir own microscopes for it? Seems like it would be a good idea 

It's been 3 weeks her milk production is up from what it was and she's a littl3.heavier bur still thin eye color still.2ay too light. I will give a a dose of different wormer tomorrow


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

Some of us have our own microscopes. I have one and have used it once for fecals, and not even on my own goats.  I bought it for pretty cheap on amazon, and love it. It's a binocular. 

A cheaper/easier option is to use mid America Ag research for 5.00 fecals. http://www.midamericaagresearch.net/ Not good in an emergency, but good for monitoring. Understand that all goats will have worms, but taking into account of body condition, life stage, eyelid color, fecal consistency, and egg count you can decide to worm or not.

If the eyelids are still really pale, perhaps the dewormer you used was not the correct dose or it was not effective for the parasites you're dealing with. Not all dewormers target all worms, nor do most vets know the 'goat doses'. Usually with a heavy load, people redo the dewormer at about 14 days after the initial dose.

Consult here to read more on dewormers and the target organisms : http://www.dairygoatinfo.com/f28/worming-worms-wormers-21389/

And because it's related a bit, here's the info on coccidia control in kids: http://www.dairygoatinfo.com/f28/coccidia-different-cocci-meds-doses-21499/


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