Goat Allergy

The web's definitive (and only) resource for people with goat allergy.
Brought to you by Elissa Batshaw Clair (elissaclair@charter.net).

My Story

In the summer of 2005 I visited a petting zoo with my 2 year old son, and was surrounded by goats. For the next week, I was covered in hives and had no idea why. Then, I went to another petting zoo and pet another goat, earning two more weeks of hives as well as breathing difficulties. A visit to an allergist (luckily) discovered that I am allergic to goats. The allergist says I should avoid goat products as well. Some readers of this page agree, some do not - see the reader feedback section below.

If you have information about goat allergies, please let me know.

Goat allergy Q & A:

Q: Will eating goat cheese cause a reaction?
A: My allergist told me not to. Since then, I've mistakenly eaten some and it did cause a reaction. SW writes that he has a strong reaction to goat cheese but not sheep's milk cheese. TM writes that she had a severe reaction to goat cheese, EF & Nicole write that they do not - see reader feedback below.
Update: 1/09 - I held, but didn't eat, a piece of goat cheese for a few minutes and had an itchy rash that lasted overnight.

Q: Will wearing cashmere sweaters cause a reaction?
A: It did for me - I wore one all day, accidentally, and was itchy and had trouble breathing. Nicole says she wears cashmere and is fine.

Q: Will I react if my child comes home from petting goats?
A: So far, not yet.

Goat products

Here are some products made from goat or goat's milk.

Goat cheese

These cheeses are made from goat's milk. Chevre is a generic term for goat's cheese. The most popular shape is a log, but there are also round patties, log-shapes, drum-shapes, pyramids, round loaves, long loaves. Their textures vary from soft, but firm like cream cheese to extremely hard.

Chevre
Montrachet
Cabri/Capri

Goat wool

These are different types of goat wool.

Cashmere
Pashmina
Mohair (which comes from Angora goats). But "Angora wool" comes from Angora rabbits - not goats!

Reader Feedback

AF writes: I have a severe allergy to goats and goats products. I discovered this through regularly travelling to Turkey. I was fine eating feta cheese for several holidays it was when I returned home and purchased a hat, which at the time I didn't realise contained some sort of goat wool and I reacted, quite mildly compared to how I react now. It then went to a pizza i'd bought in a supermarket which had feta on it, I soon reacted to that.
On my next trip to Turkey I ate my favourite three-cheese pizza and reacted, this time a little worse than before. I started with itchy hands, then my eyes, my skin becoming very hot, red and incredibly itchy and then the swelling, my eyes, hands, nose and lips. As soon as I returned I made an appointment at the doctors and was referred to an immunologist who has adamant I could not possibly be allergic to goats and came up with some long winded excuse as to why my body was creating this reaction.
So after this I went straight to the supermarket, purchased some feta and ate it, within ten minutes I was having an horrific reaction. The next day I called the immunologist and explained what had happened and he asked for the ingredients and asked me to return with samples of goats cheese so they could test me. We did that and of course it came back that I was in fact allergic to goats. The doctor was amazed, he'd never come across such an allergy before. Each reaction I had was becoming worse, I was avoiding goats products at all costs but as I do spend a lot of time in Turkey it's impossible to always know what I am eating. On my most recent visit in April I inadvertently caused a reaction by eating cheese cake, it had not ocurred to me that it contained goats milk/cream. Within about an hour I was having the worst reaction to say I had bearly had a tea-spoon full of it. This time my chest tightened and my throat began to close, eventually I was able to vomit which seemed to stop the reaction getting worse but I remained swollen for at least a further twenty four hours.
Steve writes: First time I ate goat cheese I was 12 and I thought I was going to die. 2 hours of really bad heart burn and not able to breath. Finally I threw up and felt better. I didn't eat it for ten years and decided to test my allergy, sure enough, one bite caused me to temporally develop hives around my mouth. I am definitely allergic to goat cheese but sheep's milk and even feta doesn't bother me. I've also been chased by angry goats so I'm beginning to think they hate me.
Nicole writes: I saw your website about goat allergies and thought I might as well write in since I too have an allergy to goats. The only time I touched a goat was when I was a small child at a petting zoo. Shortly afterwards, my hand blew up so that my fingers looked like hotdogs. However, while I have this allergy to goat fur, I have always eaten goat cheese and worn cashmere with no problems at all. This is fortunate because I would not want to give either of those things up, especially the cheese. Some wools do itch me but that is probably due more to their texture than to a true allergy.
Sarah writes: I don't know if I am allergic to goats but I have always had sensitive skin and wool bothers me. Some cotton fabrics even bother me. But I found out one day that I am allergic to cashmere. I put on a $500 cashmere sweater one day (it was a gift to my boyfriend at the time from his uncle) I had the sweater on less than 3 minutes and I felt itchy and raised up the sweater to see my stomach was all red and splotchy looking. It was very odd cause cashmere is so soft.
TM writes: I can relate to your severe allergies as I am like that with horses and need to carry an epipen. I went to a friend's on Friday night for supper and she served a salad with Goat's cheese in it and from the time I finished my salad I broke out in hives and now for the past 2 days I have been covered in Really bad hives from head to toe.( and Goat's cheese was the only thing I ate that I had never had before). I went to a walk in clinic and the doctor prescribed some pills to relieve the itch and take the swelling down - she said she has never seen hives as bad as mine and personally I havn't either. My body is covered in huge red welts and my skin burns. I have never been around goats but I am sure I am allergic to them as well because I am basically allergic to almost every animal living. I know that I am not allergic to cow's milk and other cow products.
DP writes: I believe I maybe allergic to goat products. I broke out in a rash over most of my body after eating a pizza covered in goats cheese and feta. I also get a contact irritation from Mohair. I am not certain it is goat that caursed the reaction.
EF writes: I just wanted to write in and let you know that although I have always had allergies to wool, angora, and other hairy clothing items I regularly consume goat cheeses with no issue!
MB writes: A few years ago I ran across this and was shocked how intense it was. Someone had walked in to my house with a cashmere sweater and almost instantly my throat began to close and I had a difficulty breathing. Now for the past few years I have encountered this from time to time. Also I have noticed at work, like today. If someone has even walked down the hallway I can tell they have been there. I have difficulty breathing and will have a runny nose for the rest of the day easy, usually lasts at least 12 hours. I am pretty sure it is only cashmere but I am not sure.