**PLEASE NOTE: I am not a veterinarian or a licensed practitioner, so please do your own research! This page is here as a quick aid for me to check on medication dosages for my own goats. You are welcome to agree or disagree with my methods and dosage amounts, there are many ways to raise goats. I'm not saying mine is right or wrong...but it works for me. This page is not intended as an indication for any goat farms other than my own. I do not accept any liability for the use of this information. Now that that is out of the way....here is what I use around the farm. :)
DeWorming
I personally use Valbazen, Ivomec Plus injectable, and Ivomec Pour-On for my goats. Both Valbazen and Ivomec Plus kill liver flukes as well as the stomach worms that cause anemia. Valbazen is not safe for pregnant does or those who may be pregnant as it causes birth abnormalities or abortion. But Valbazen is a great dewormer for kids because they are more likely to have tapeworms which the Ivomec Plus does not kill. And Valbazen is great for open (not pregnant) does and wethers and bucks. Ivomec Plus is safe for pregnant and open does, wethers, and bucks. Ivomec Pour-On is good for external parasites as well and is safe for pregnant does. I use Valbazen orally at 1 cc per 10 lbs; Ivomec Plus injectable injected subcutaneously at 1 cc per 40 lbs (can be used at 1 cc per 30 lbs for severely wormy goats); and Ivomec Pour-On poured down the topline at 3 cc per 25 lbs (or with young kids, a moistened cotton ball rubbed down topline)
How do I know when to deworm? I check their eyelids regularly. The membranes should be a very healthy pink. If they are pale or white, it is past time to deworm. If I see pale lids, I have my vet run fecals to determine what type of worms I might be dealing with. I only deworm if necessary. If a goat is wormy, I deworm 3 times in a row, 10 days apart. This kills the worms they have currently, then the worms that are hatching 10 days later, and the third time will get the next batch of eggs that are hatching. I do this with Valbazen and Ivomec Plus, whichever I'm using at the time. I always deworm my does the day after they kid. We have a closed herd but I would deworm any new goat the day they arrive if we weren't a closed herd. And it's a good idea to deworm after any stress in a goat's life such as castration or injury. I only use Ivomec Pour-On if I actually see an external parasite problem (goats constantly scratching, or if I actually see the little buggers on them).
Sick Goats
Prevention is the best policy so we rarely have a problem with sick goats, but even with the best care, sometimes it can't be prevented so here is what we do:
With any sick goat, I use Fortified Vitamin B Complex injected subcutaneously at 1 cc per 50 lbs; Probios paste is given orally--5 g per kid, 10 g per adult; Nutradrench given orally at 2-5 cc per goat. If there is a lack of energy (lethargy), I may also dose them orally with a mix of Karo syrup and molasses.
For anemia, the above is given plus organic kelp given daily for at least one week. This not only is chock-full of good vitamins and minerals, it also gives them the iron they need.
For scours, the list above is given plus Pepto Bismol can be given orally. Dosage is 2 cc for newborns, 5 cc for kids around 1 month, and up to 10-15 cc for adults. This can be given every 4-6 hours. Any goat with scours for any length of time, I will also treat for dehydration. See below. Scours may be a sign of coccidiosis which should be treated with Sulmet undiluted and given orally: Day 1: 6 Tablespoons per 100 lbs, Day 2-4: 3 Tablespoons per 100 lbs.
For dehydration, I give BounceBack or other electrolyte supplement orally. Mixed with 5 teaspoons per 2 cups warm water. I have been fortunate enough that I have only had to use this with bottle kids so I just mixed it into a bottle and fed it twice a day. With an adult or non-bottle kid, you can feed free-choice in a bucket. Any goat with scours should be treated with electrolytes. To check for dehydration, pull up a tent of skin and let go. Skin should snap back into place. If it doesn't, the goat is dehydrated.
For fever or pain, I use banamine. It can only be give once every 36 hours. Dosage is 1 cc per 100 lbs, intramuscularly or subq.
For infections, I use Tylan 200. Tylan 200 is the best choice for respiratory problems and I use it at a rate of 1 cc per 25 lbs twice a day for at least 5 days. This is done subcutaneously and it does sting, so be prepared for some pretty dramatic behavior from some goats.
Hoof Trimming
I check my goat's feet regularly and trim as needed. There is a great page to foot trimming at http://goat-link.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109&Itemid=106.
Vaccination
I vaccinate with CDT vaccine annually. Kids are vaccinated 30 days before being weaned, 30 days after weaning and then annually after that.
CAE and CL
We test annually for CAE and also raise our kids on heat treated colostrum and Jersey milk as prevention so we have a negative herd. We have also always been CL/abcess free.
