Preventing and treating mange
Preventing and treating mange Cue: One advantage that goats have over some other species of livestock is their hardiness. Goats are tough animals which do not commonly suffer from health problems. However, once a goat does become sick, its condition can worsen quickly and it may soon die. It is therefore vital that goat farmers have good systems in place to keep their animals healthy. Simple preventative measures like good feeding, clean water, clean housing and occasional treatments for internal parasites and skin diseases are all recommended. Sometimes goats can be affected by a skin disease called mange (pron. Mainj) which if left untreated can lead to the death of the animal. The disease is caused by a tiny mite. If goats have patches of bare skin, for example, where their skin has been rubbed by a rope, these are particularly vulnerable to the mites. Sometimes an outbreak of the disease can spread through an entire flock, so mange is a problem that farmers should take seriously. Chris Kakunta asked Dr Muzumbwe Kanemanema, District Veterinary Officer in Lusaka, Zambia, to explain more about the problem, and how farmers can prevent and treat it. IN: ?Goats are usually affected with ?? OUT: ??animals during the rainy season.? DUR?N 3?41? BACK ANNOUNCEMENT: Dr Kanemanema of the Zambian veterinary service. To treat mange in goats, farmers are advised to vigorously scrub an appropriate acaricide into the affected area. The interview comes from a radio resource pack produced by CTA. Transcript Kanemanema Goats are usually affected with a skin disease called mange and this disease is caused by mange mites which burrow in the skin, under the skin and they eat up the hair follicles. So the hair drops down and the goat will have dry skin and no hair. Kakunta How devastating is this disease? Kanemanema This disease is so devastating it brings down production and it also causes mortalities in goats. The skin dries up and hardens up, then you find that the goat cannot walk properly and eventually the animal dies off. Kakunta Has it got some treatment? Kanemanema Yes it is treatable. Skin conditions take a bit of time to heal and you can treat it with Ivermectin which we inject on a weekly basis, maybe it might require up to three injections. Kakunta Now do you think the use of acaricides is a worthwhile exercise for a small scale farmer? Kanemanema Yes acaricides can be used and Milbitraz does very well for mange treatment not any other acaricides. So if you are using Milbitraz then a goat has to be dipped every three to four days until the skin condition is cleared. Kakunta In Zambia here most farmers only dip their cattle, it is rare that they would be dipping their goats. I do not know how effective dipping can be? Kanemanema Usually dipping for goats is recommended when you have noticed that there are ticks on the goats or they have this skin condition. Under normal circumstances if the housing is perfect, where the house is well done and the goats live away from the dung and the urine then these conditions can be avoided. Kakunta So are we talking about management practices being very important in terms of preventing this disease? Kanemanema Very correct, management is very very vital. If your housing structure for the goats is where the goats would just be lying on the dung and the urine, the chances of them developing this condition is very very high. So the housing should be constructed where the dung and the urine will go down and it is not in contact with the animals. Kakunta Is it a very common disease here in Zambia? Kanemanema It is very common, we do get it especially in the rainy season. It comes up here and there and we are able to control it using the two drugs I mentioned earlier on Ivermectin which is injectable and Milbitraz, which is a dip. Kakunta What about the use of local herbs and so on, can it work as well? Kanemanema Well I have been to places where I have found people using some local herb which they pound and then they wash the goats and the skin condition goes away, but I think that requires further research, so that we know what is the active ingredient in here which is helping us kill this mange mite. Kakunta Is there anything else that I have left out in terms of management of mange which you think is very important especially to small scale farmers? Kanemanema To avoid this skin condition called mange basically the house should be well constructed and it should have a roof so that water does not get to the animals during the rainy season. End of track
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| Format: | Audio biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
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Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
2006
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/57284 |
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