Chorioptic Mites

Chorioptic Mites by Karla Blackstock

According to Sarah Depenbrock, DVM with the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, mites can be “pretty frustrating.”

But, I am going to assume that you didn’t need a parasitologist to let you know that.

Symptoms of chorioptic mites in goats include wrinkled, thickened, and/or lost hair on or under its legs, scrotum, udder, underbelly, ears, face, or other areas.

Depenbrock said that not all crusty lesions are caused by mites so the first treatment step is diagnosis.

“It is best to get your herd vet to look at the groups of affected animals,” Depenbrock said. “Testing for the chorioptic mite is minimally invasive and critical to treatment success.”

Other lookalikes can include bacterial skin infections, viruses, skin diseases and nutritional deficiencies.

“If your herd is positive for chorioptic mites, there are a number of ways to combat the problem,” Depenbrock said.

Many producers may find that mite problems surface during the colder months as animals huddle together for warmth. The mites are easily transferred during these times.

Showing and transferring animals from one region of the country to another can also cause mites to become a problem.

“Showing can bring in mites that aren’t typically seen in a particular region,” she said. “Which is why a physical exam, such as a skin scraping or skin biopsy is important.”

Mites can quickly deteriorate a herd’s overall health in a number of ways.

“Mites can cause inflammation in the scrotum area on herd bucks,” Depenbrock said. “This inflammation can change the temperature of the scrotum. This rise in temperature can cause the buck to be unable to produce sperm”

Depenbrock said that the early stages of sperm production will be affected, but normal fertility can resume after the mites are eradicated.

Does are less affected by mites; however, she said that un-thrifty animals may not breed on time.

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“The reproductive tract on females is a luxury,” she said. “So, if animals are in really bad shape, they may not cycle.”

As a rule of thumb, Depenbrock said that chorioptic mites are species specific, meaning that if your goats have mites, it does not mean that your horses, cattle, or other animals will develop a mite infestation.

However, she said that all animals should be closely watched for an infestation if you see a reason to suspect mites.

However, the US Department of Agriculture does warn that Sarcoptes scabiei mites (sarcoptic mange) and Psoroptes ovis mites (psoroptic mange) can spread to other animals or people by direct contact.

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1. Make sure your vet is

involved and that you have a good relationship.

treatments will not take care of the early life cycles.

2. Treat the environment. Mites can live off their host for some time. While they will not thrive off their host and be prolific, they can survive.

3. Treat the herd. Many times, a carrier animals can pose a problem because breeders treat the infected animals and then rotate animals from pen to pen.

4. Treat early. Treat often. The lifespan of chorioptic mites is about 3 weeks, Depenbrock said. Most treatments do not kill every life state so 2-3 treatments are typically recommended. She said that most When treating chorioptic mites, it is generally recommended that producers use an oral and topical treatment, but your herd vet can give specific guidance on which medications will work in your area. However, Depenbrock said that chorioptic mites are reside near the surface (unlike some other types of mites) so scrubbing before using a topical treatment is reasonably effective. L:astly, Depenbrock said that unlike many beneficial bugs, mites (in her opinion) offer no environmental benefit! Therefore, eradication should be any producer’s goal.