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If you have recently obtained a pet goat or sheep (or two, hopefully), you may feel a bit hesitant about the wide world of medication. Unlike dogs and cats, which would usually head off to a vet for all injections and wormers, most livestock owners take care of medications themselves to save time and money. If you are lucky, you may be able to find a livestock veterinarian who will handle everything for you, but sometimes none is available and you are left to research yourself, working with a vet only over the phone or through sporatic visits.
Luckily, with a small non-breeding herd or flock, vaccination and deworming is not as complicated as it appears. There are two basic illnesses that all goats and sheep should be vaccinated against, Clostridium perfringens types C and D, or "overeating disease," and tetanus. Laboratories further simplify this by combining the two into a (usually injectable) vaccine referred to as CD&T. Adult animals need this vaccination yearly. It is most commonly given sub Q -- at the withers is a suitable place for goats, behind the foreleg is one of the few non-wooly spots on sheep. Subcutaneous injections are probably the easiest of all the shots (although you should not attempt to give any medication without first watching an experienced person). For a sub Q vaccination, use a short (3/4-1") needle that is as small as possible (18-23 gauge). Pinch the skin and hold it up to form a small tent shape. Then insert the needle in one side, pull back to ensure you haven't hit a vein, and inject the liquid just under the skin, but not into any muscle or other tissue. Afterwards, rub the spot vigorously to help prevent a reaction. There are other vaccinations you can give your livestock depending on your location and their use. Colorado Serum Company's Caseous Lymphadenitis (Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis) is a common vaccination for sheep, but is not yet approved for goats. Talk to other local breeders and vets to find out if there is anything else you need. As to worming, you will get a different answer from everyone you ask. In short, you will probably need to give a deworming medication 1-2 times a year no matter what, and depending on your climate and housing, may need to worm as often as monthly. Wormers come in a variety of forms from medicated feed to boluses, powders, drenches, pastes, and injections. It is thought by many that injections are effective most quickly and do least damage to the animals digestive system. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article drenches and bolus' and shots, oh my! in Goats & Sheep is owned by . Permission to republish drenches and bolus' and shots, oh my! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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