Preventive health care
Irvine Mesa Charros 4-H Club
Irvine, California
Preventive health care
In our area, there are three types of injections that the goats need
regularly: Tetanus toxiod, BoSe and a vacination for enterotoxemia.
We give 1/2 cc. of tetanus toxiod yearly (usually one month before a
doe is about to kid). BoSe contains selenium and vitamin E and is
necessary to maintain muscle tone in adults and prevent "white muscle
disease" in kids. Because hay in our area is low in Selenium, our
goats receive 1 cc. of BoSe intramuscularly for every 40 pounds of
body weight twice a year. The best time for bred does to receive BoSe
is about one month before they kid and then 5 months after they kid.
Babies should have their first injection at six weeks of age (1/2 cc),
unless they need it sooner to correct a problem. For enterotoxemia the
Clostridium Perfringens types C&D bacterin-toxoid vacination is given.
It is often combined with a tetanus toxiod in brand names such as
Bar-VAC CD/T or FERMACON CD/T. First course requires two doses at
21-28 days interval. The dose is 2ml SQ in the web of the elbow.
Until recently yearly boosters were the norm, but vets are just now
beginning to recommend twice yearly vaccinations. When using the
combined CD/T it is not necessary to have a separate tetanus toxiod
vaccine.
Check with a
local vet to make sure goats in your area need selenium, and that the
doses we use are appropriate for goats in your area and the brand of
injectible you use. Overdoses of BoSe or injecting it to goats who
receive selenium as part of their diet may be fatal. In your area,
additional vaccines for other diseases may be
necessary.
We deworm our goats twice yearly: in the fall before breeding and in
the spring immediately following kidding. We use TBZ or paste wormers
intended for horses ivermectin (Zimectrin) or pyrantel tartrate
(Strongid C). Caution: check the label or ask your veterinarian
whether the product can safely be given to a pregnant goat. Check
labels for withdrawal time if you use the milk for human consumption.
Note that while TBZ is one of the few wormers labeled with withdrawal
times for goats, it may not be as effective as other products if you
have no intention of using the goat or milk for human consumption.
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