HEALTH INFO

MEDICATIONS:

Below is a listing of medicines that we keep on hand for treating our animals.

Procaine Penicillin - We use this as a wide spread antibiotic for common problems like running nose, foot problems, cuts, etc. We give about 10 to 12 cc per adult animal. This way, it stays up in the blood level a little longer.

Biomycin/Oxymycin (Non Sting version of LA200) - We use this as an alternative to Penicillin for treatment of foot problems, respiratory problems, etc. We don't like to use it on small kids or does that are bred. We use the dosage on the bottle 1 cc per 25 lbs.

Banamine - Prescription drug that is used for fever, swelling and severe scours. We give this when the goat is exhibiting signs of fever, anytime that we have to assist a doe with delivery of kids, and when a goat may get injured. Dosage is .5 cc per 50 lbs.

Dexamethazone - Prescription drug used to put does into labor, used after birth if a doe is not eating to jump start her to eating, and honestly we use this a lot of times in combination with other medications when a goat is ill (of course, if they're not pregnant). We give about 10cc per doe to put her in labor (sometimes works very quickly, sometimes may take a couple of days to see result). We give about 3cc per 100 lbs when used in combination for illness.

Oxytocin - Prescription drug used when a doe does not pass her afterbirth. We give the doe about 4 hours to pass it on her own and then give her 2cc if she doesn't. This will cause her to have contractions to expel the afterbirth. Also give this to does who's milk has not come in at birth. Same dosage. According to our vet, whatever milk she has will be in within a half hour once you give the medication.

Vitamin B12 - Good to have on hand to help goats who have been sick to spring back a little quicker. We give this to sometimes to goats who even look like they don't feel well. A very cheap way to avoid problems. Dosage is 8cc per 75 lbs.

Goat NutriDrench - Don't be without this. You can buy this at TSC! This is a vitamin concentrate that has many uses. We give it to all new born kids once they sucked for the first time. We give it to all goats that get sick. We give it to once a day to any kid that we are bottle feeding. We give it to goats who are scouring, etc. It contains trace minerals and a combination of vitamins specifically designed for goats. Provides quick energy to goat. We’ve also used Red Cell, a horse supplement that is very close to the Nutri-Drench and is quite a bit cheaper. It's also available at TSC.

Baytril - We keep this prescription drug on hand to use for goats that contract pneumonia or bacteria diarrhea caused by E-coli. It's a broad spectrum antibiotic. Dosage is 1cc per 20 lbs for 5 days. NOTE: THIS DRUG IS NOW ILLEGAL TO USE ON ANIMALS TO BE CONSUMED FOR MEAT. CHECK WITH YOUR VET.

Naxcel - Another prescription drug that is really good for pneumonia. Sometimes goats respond better to Naxcel than Baytril, and visa versa. Dosage is 5 ccs per 100 lbs for 5 days. This comes in a powder form which must be mixed. Once mixed, syringes need to be drawn up and frozen for future use. Because we live so close to our vet=s office, we just have him prepare what we need, when we need it.

ALBON-(Sulferdimethizone) - We give this to all newborn kids at 3 weeks and again at 6 weeks as a preventative measure against Cocciodsis. We've found that this in combination with a medicated feed helps to cut down on the problem. We give 2 cc per kid for the first day and another 1cc per kid for another four days.

PROBIOS - An over the counter paste that we use whenever a goat is subjected to stress, off feed, or on an antibiotic treatment. Promotes healthy bacteria in the rumen. We follow the label directions. A must to have on-hand!

BO-SE - (Selenium/Vitamin E) - We've used this for kids that may have weak limbs at birth. Dosage is .5 cc per kid.

Epinephrine - Never be without this (we have learned this lesson from experience). It is used to counteract shock associated with the administration of certain medications, especially vaccines. Dosage is 1cc per 100 lbs.

7% Iodine - Used as a antiseptic for cuts and abrasions and for dipping navel cords on newborns.

CD/T - Protects against Overeating Disease, Tetanus, etc. We vaccinate newborns at 3 weeks and again at 8 weeks, then annually. All adults are vaccinated annually. Dosage is 2cc per head, regardless of size.

Triangle 9 - Vaccine for respiratory problems, etc. Semi-annual vaccination for all animals. Dosage is 2cc per head, for all adults and kids over 20 lbs.

We do not vaccinate for sore mouth, foot rot, etc. We've had some sore mouth on our place, but it's like chicken pox, once the animal has it, it normally does not happen again. We just make sure that any kid that contracts it is able to nurse, etc. and it normally clears up in a week or two. We seen sores all the way up around the eyes, from mild to moderate in size.

A lot a people use a lot of different wormers. Some use a drench wormer while others use an injection style. One thing's for sure, whoever you talk to will have a different opinion on a wormer, how to use it, etc, etc. Well this is our little piece of the world, and this our take - Good rule of thumb - whatever you use, stick with it until it no longer works and then move to a different wormer. Some people say switch everytime, some every other time. In my opinion, the only thing you do in switching is help those little pests (worms, not goats!) build an immunity more quickly to the different types of wormers. I do recommend, when you do switch, switching from one class of wormer to the other. Giving a goat Ivomec, for example, and switching them to Dectomax is not going to work (same family of wormers). For us, we've used Ivomec, Dectomax, Valbazen, Levisole and Cydectin all with good results. Levisole is a much less forgiving wormer than the others and I would not recommend it to the novice. Valbazen can cause abortions during certain parts of a does pregnancy and therefore should be avoided in those instances. My best advice, don't worm your goats unless necessary and then know what type of worms you're dealing with. The only way to know these two things is by a fecal exam. We've found a lot of good information on the web related to wormers. As for a listing of the wormers and dosages, we've found the Fias Co Farm site to have the most complete information. I'm sure there are others.

We regularly trim feet to keep the goat standing good and cut down on the amount of foot problems. A good set of hoof trimmers is essential to cut down on the amount of time it takes to trim the feet. One thing that we heard a lot about is the higher % protein feed will cause hoofs to grow faster. We've actually noticed this being the case and trim a little bit more frequently as a result.

You hear of so many different feed combinations that farmers say work for them and our belief is whatever’s working for you – stick with it. The worst thing you can do, in this farmer’s opinion, is to continually switch feeds.

We feed a ADM 12% goat pellet ration to all open and bred does and breeding bucks. Once does kid, we feed the same ration, but just up the protein to 16% for milk production. All kids are free fed ADM 18% medicated creep ration until 6 to 7 months old. We currently purchase our feed from Baa Land Feeds in Columbia. We feed approximately 1 lb to 1.5 lb per head per day.

We would also strongly suggest that you offer your animals a free choice mineral specifically designed for goats. Sheep minerals frankly do not have enough copper or selenium for our area of the country. A good mineral should contain at least 1700 ppm copper and 50ppm Selenium.

It is also important that your goats receive enough forage either through adequate browse/pasture Spring through Fall, or through free choice, supplemented hay. We have found that a good mixed hay is best. Be prepared, goats waste a lot of hay and we have found that feeding hay in a hay rack to cut down substantially on this waste.

03/21/08