The most likely reason that your goat is losing hair around its eyes is to do with its diet.
There is something lacking that they ought to be getting more of.
It can be more difficult than you might expect to fulfil all of a goat’s dietary needs, so it’s always good to get help if you aren’t sure.
Let’s look further into this.
Why is my goat losing hair around its eyes?
There could be a few reasons.
This is not an uncommon thing to happen to goats.
That said, the most common cause is usually nutritional deficits of one kind or another.
Goats, for one thing, need a great deal of copper in their diets.
Often, this is more than they get in domestic settings.
So, you should keep a close eye on their copper intake.
Be sure that they are getting all they need.
If not, then they may begin to lose the hair around their eyes.
While a symptom like that might not seem so bad on its own, the fact is that it is indicative of deeper problems.
Stress of many kinds can also cause hair to fall out from around their eyes.
More commonly, though, the stress is an indirect cause—stress leads to poor nutritional balance, which leads to the hair falling out.
We’ve mentioned copper, but there could be any number of nutritional deficits in their diet that is causing the hair to fall out.
Let’s look at what you should do if your goat is losing the hair around its eyes.
What should I do if my goat is losing hair around its eyes?
If you are at all unsure of what might be causing the problem, then the first thing you need to do is call a vet.
They will be able to accurately diagnose the problem and move quickly to a treatment.
It may be very simple to address, but the potential problems may be very bad if you let it get worse.
Your vet will most likely prescribe some kind of nutritional supplement to help get the goat back to where it should be.
Again, copper is a universal problem for goat owners, and copper deficiencies leading to problems like these are very common.
So, if it is not a copper supplement, then it will likely be some kind of nutritional intervention on the goat.
If there is something else causing the hair loss, then the vet will able to advise you on that, too.
It will be very hard for you to accurately do so without their help.
Do goats lose hair around their eyes with age?
Sometimes they will, although usually not.
Goats tend to keep their hair throughout their whole life, since it serves a very important purpose.
When it comes to the hair around their eyes, the same is true.
There is no reason they should, in most circumstances, lose their hair with age.
No matter how old your goat is, if it seems to be losing hair, then you should always consult with a vet.
You should never assume that it is just a symptom of old age, and that it’s natural for them to lose their hair. It isn’t!
What are some more general reasons goats might lose their hair, then?
Why is my goat losing weight and hair?
They can also lose hair as a result of parasitic infections.
This will go hand in hand with weight loss.
Parasites are common problems for goats, such as barber pole worms.
The most common reason your goat is rapidly losing hair and weight is because of parasites like these.
While you can typically apply parasiticides yourself, again, it’s always best to consult a vet before you do anything.
Different parasites need different treatments, so it’s important you know for sure you’re doing the right thing.
If you notice your goat losing hair around its eyes, this could be the first sign.
Treat the problem before it gets worse, and assume that there is a parasite problem.
Certainly, if you notice weight loss, too, then you almost definitely have a parasite on your hands.
So, one way or another, if your goat is losing hair around its eyes, then this is a cause for concern.
You need to keep a close eye on it and, ideally, speak to a vet about it as soon as you can.
As I said, one common cause is copper deficiency, but there may be something else going on that you can’t diagnose.
You can move swiftly to a solid treatment once you’ve had a vet diagnose the problem.