Angell Animal Medical Center’s Dermatology Team Pulling out All the Stops for Beloved Goat
BOSTON, July 21, 2017 – Not many goats are fortunate enough to land in a premiere 24-7 emergency and specialty veterinary hospital for—of all things— severe allergies to dust mites and several common pollen types. But that is just where “Moe,” a homeless five-year-old Pygmy-cross goat currently bunking down at the MSPCA-Nevins Farm in Methuen, is receiving the care that will hopefully cure him.
Moe was surrendered to Nevins Farm in April 2017 after severe itching led to crusty and scaly skin—marked by inflamed open sores—that made him miserable and baffled the veterinarians who tried to help.
“It took us so long just to understand what Moe was suffering from so that a treatment plan could be developed,” said Nevins Farm barn manager Gia Barss, whose team first tried a number of treatments designed to resolve common goat health issues such as ringworm, mange and other common skin ailments.
After a month of treatments that included antibiotics and medicated baths, Moe was no better—and his skin condition raged on. “At that point we knew we needed a biopsy to understand exactly what we were dealing with, and whether or not we could help him,” said Barss.
Angell’s Dermatology Team to the Rescue
Dr. Klaus Loft of Angell Animal Medical Center’s Dermatology team evaluated Moe’s biopsy results and ran additional tests, ultimately concluding that the sweet-natured goat is allergic to highly common “grain” and “storage” mites as well as several common pollens.
The allergies cause Moe to scratch and bite at his skin so often that he all but loses much of his fur, resulting in the open wounds that inhibit the healing process and spark secondary infections.
“It’s rare that we see this kind of allergy response in goats—much less a response this severe,” said Dr. Loft after examining Moe. “Nevertheless, I’m confident that we can at least resolve some of his symptoms while we try to successfully manage his allergies for the long term.”
Moe’s treatment involves a series of allergy injections, similar to those many humans endure, to encourage his immune system to recognize the allergens without going into hyper drive. “It’s our hope that by ‘turning down’ Moe’s hypersensitive immune response we can help him coexist with the allergens without developing the persistent itch that exacerbates his skin issues,” said Dr. Loft.
Greener Pastures Await – Hopefully
Moe will remain on treatment for the next month or so, after which he will be placed in a permanent home. “It’s likely we have the perfect home already lined up for him,” said Barss. “But we want to do everything we can for him—and his new family—by trying to resolve the allergy issue before he goes home.”
To learn more about Angell Animal Medical Center’s Dermatology services, click here. To learn more about the barn program at the MSPCA-Nevins Farm, click here.
