question on worming goats

[dianei]

If you have a lot of goats in a limited space, 90 days between wormings in reccommended. Cattle Ivomec injectible is most widely preferred (given orally).......but yes, you can use horse paste wormer (I do).

However, always dose your goats at 2X what you would for horses or cattle. When I worm a horse, I use the 1000# dosage, which leaves enough to do a 250# horse....OR....a 125# goat. Any ivermectin paste has the same margin of safety in goats as it does in horses.

Use a *white* wormer, such as Safeguard or Valbazen, at least once a year for tapeworms.....but not on pregnant does, it can cause abortion.

Lungworms......can often be mistaken for bronchial problems or pneumonia. Goats cough to get the larva out of their lungs into the mouth, where the worms are then swallowed. Pasture rotation, keeping them off wet grass in the morning when snails/slugs (carrier) are out will cut down on infestation.......and if you run a donkey with your goats, keep it up to date on its worming. Donkeys are a common host for lungworms.
Ivermectin works on lungworms, too.

You can rotate wormers, if you do, make sure you use Ivermectin in the spring and fall......

Bottom line: Worm your goats when you worm your horses.....using the same wormers......just use at 2X the dosage.

[dianei]

A quick, fairly reliable field test is to pull down your goat's lower eyelid. The mucous membrane should be bright pink or red.

If it is pale pink or white......you've got worms.

As with horses that have a heavy worm load, don't double or triple the wormer load to kill off all the worms at once. Give regular doses a week or 10 days apart.

Now, just because you see a red eyelid, doesn't mean your goats don't have worms. It means if they have worms, they are tolerating them.

But a white/pale eyelid is trouble.

[Deleted]

UUuhhh, I have never wormed Speedie She'll be 7 this year.

This does not sound good at all now. Speedie and I have a live and let live situation. She actually belongs to Dottie.

SOOOooooo Now what Diane? Help! I have liquid Ivormec in the barn. 2cc's? She's a big girl, part Boer, part Nubian (or that what we think) Is this the wormer to start with? Lung worms? Oh Holy crap! Are my horses at risk? CRAP!

And just HOW am I supposed to administer this stuff? She beat me to death when I had to lock her up and doctor her foot when she sliced in on God knows what? But that involved injections as well. N-O-T a happy goat!

[dianei]

No, your horses are not at risk. Ivomec injectible can be given orally at 1cc per 75 pounds.

If you are in a dry area, sparse browse......your worm load will probably be less. It's when goats have to live in wet climates the load can build up.....or crowded conditions.

Ivomec will get all but tapes. Next time you worm your horses for tapes, save a little and drench Speedie.

You may need help to worm her.....unless you can snub her head up close to a post. Just use a syringe with the needle removed. I have no problem straddling the 2 small goaties, tipping their head up and giving them the wormer. But Gabby (the Nubian).....I have to have my Dad push her up against the stable and hold her while I give her the wormer.

Do the eyelid test before you panic.....LOL.....

[Deleted]

Thanks...I'll call for back up before trying....I figure she weighs roughly 100 to 110 pounds. If I show you a photo with contrast, ya care to guess? This will be only guess LOL...The thought of loading a healthy goat that doesnt want to be loaded into a trailer to be weighed at a place she has never been just sounds like a death wish to me

Thanks so much. I'll worm her by the weekend....

[Yip]

GAA! They make special dewormer just for goats. It's a pelleted thing and you measure it out and add it to their grain.

Please use the proper product - it's pretty cheap from what I've seen.

My friend accidentally od'd her Nubian goaty with horse wormer. She had adjusted the ring, but something happened with it and she od'd him. She called the vet and he said to give the goaty as much mineral oil by mouth as she could get in him. We had just become friends, and I showed up just as she got off the phone. She wasn't even going to ask me to help, but I anticipated and offered to help.

OMGosh, have you ever tried to force feed a goat anything? They are impossible to hold and neither of us had any experience. Well, by God's grace and a turkey baster and about 90 minutes, we gave him about 24 oz.

After the vet said that it was just wait and see. Thank Heavens her goaty recovered pretty easily. It could have killed him though. Horse wormer for goats is nothing I would fool around with. I thihk a big bag of goat wormer is about $12 and there are several doses in a bag.

[brooks]

I agree with Yip. If your not use to worming them then I would differently get the pellet stuff and not use the paste. You can kill the goat rather easily.

Why are you suddenly going to worm her if you never have?

[ben]

You can get goat wormer from Premier www.premier1supplies.com They carry all sorts of products for sheep & goats (as well as the fencing). They are extremely helpful, too- they actually USE all their products & will tell you the bad with the good. You can call them & they'll let you talk to someone who has used the product & can answer questions.

I do fecals on my horse & sheep before worming. I use "real" wormer on the horse, but the sheep get garlic- otherwise, the organic label goes out the window, along with my income... Fecals are easy to do- I wish more people would do them instead of blindly worming. Then again, I'm wierd & kinda enjoy looking for worm eggs in poop in the microscope... But hey, aren't all horse peopel obsessed with poop?

[Yip]

Dang! I wish I had kept the kids' microscope! I would do it too. I've always loved biology classes and finding parasites under a microscope! Maybe I'll look for one on ebay.

So, do you have to separate layers, stain, or can you see them in a little ol' smear???

[Yip]

Coyote, I don't have goats myself so never had to follow up on this deworming. I see 2 different brands being sold at one of our feedstores. I was with my friend once when she bought it there. The others may have it too, but I have never looked. I have no idea if ivermectin is in the list of ingredients either. It just said goat wormer and that's as far as I got.

[Deleted]

Why are you suddenly going to worm her if you never have?

Weeeelllll....lung worms dont sound pleasant at all

Actually it's not that I never thought about it, just never for very long. Like I said Speedie and I live and let live.

As far as goats go, the neighbors have two pygmy goaties and thats as much goat company that she gets. They occasionally let them out of their little tiny pen. Speedie has free roam of our property and both neighbors properties. She never goes too far from Dottie. 500' or so is all. Although she did molest the neighbors goaties (literally) a couple of months ago *hanging my head in shame during THAT lovely phone call!* But anyway, I worry about her health now. I dont think the neighbors do much worming if any really. They are naturalists I want Speedie to be around a good long time...whats the life expectancy of a goat anyhow?

PS: DianeI, I have a ferret ball (the kind they can get in and roll around) that Dee-O-Gee *piggie* decided she didn't like. It wasn't that cheap as far as weasel toys go. Want it? I'll ship that puppy right off to ya! ;D

Lisa

[Coyote]

Thanks for the suggestion Yip. My feed store doesn't carry much goat related stuff. I'll either order from Premier1 or call around.

[dianei]

I would use a goat-only wormer, if there was a decent one available around here......good luck on getting your goats to eat the worm pellets all at one sitting.....if you can get it, then use the goat paste wormer. You'll be more sure of an accurate dose.

Fleet Farm carries goat wormer here.....but it is simply horse paste in a different syringe, with a hike in the price.

[Coyote]

Diane, my immediate concern was using the ivermectin as soon as I could to take care of what I think is lung worms. I gave her the horse ivermectin as soon as I read your post and all is well:). I really appreciate your telling me how much horse wormer to give because that is what I have and what I know I can get. Now, I'll see if I can get the pellets and goat stuff and that will be great if it works BUT what I really needed was a sure fire plan to worm my goats with the ivermectin NOW and I appreciate the information you gave me that enabled me to do that. Thank you again. Now, I'll look around at the goat wormers too but I don't feel that is an emergency and though yesterdays worming wasn't an emergency, I did feel a sense of urgency in that I just wanted it done ASAP.

[Marci]

I just used the horse wormer too, although I am very careful as my little Nana only weighs 75to 85 lbs. Of course right now she is probably a bit more...LOL she just loves the great hay out at the barn I board at. But when I move them home it probably won't be so wonderful and rich so I will have to suppliment the horse and maybe Nana will go down to a decent size.
Nana is very picky too so I doubt I could get her to eat any pellets...maybe if I put them in a mollassas soup? Goat lips are way more nimble than horse lips.