Well, the Vet was out today to give Fiona the Naughty Nubian her rabies shot. As we talked about before there is no approved Rabies vaccination for goats and sheep. Fiona was given a vaccine called Imrab, which is the same given to horses. Fiona behaved herself fairly well for Dr. Wendy but we're still no closer to figuring out when she's going to kid. Dr. Wendy didn't think it would be in the next few days. Fiona also got a 3 way shot, I believe it was C, D, & T? but I'm not positive. We talked about CL (she was checked for external abcesses and there were none) and we'll have blood pulled for that and CAE in a month. I have to have her hoofs trimmed when the farrier is out to do the horses.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 12, 2001

Answers

Stacy I would sure love to know why your vet chooses to vaccinate your doe for rabies? It would be different if you goat was shown and in contact with the public.

If you want to start worming, vaccinating and trimming feet for yourself caprinesupply.com has a great catalog, not only with the stuff you need, but also with great photos and information. How far from Patty are you? Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 12, 2001.

Vicki,

Rabies was epidemic here about 5 years ago and it's still very common. Last summer a friend of mine had a rabid raccoon under her deck, she lives about 15 miles from me. We shot a porcupine last spring that was acting "funny." Rabies is still so common that the DEC doesn't even bother to come out when you call them. So, everything on the farm, except the chickens, are vaccinated against rabies if they leave the property or not. I do my own worming, and the farrier will trim Fiona's feet if I make him cookies. I had the Vet show me how to vaccinate Fiona this year, next year I'll do it myself. I've done the horses for years. I have the Caprine Supply catalog and Hoegger's too, they are great.

I think I'm about 3 hours from Patty. I'd have to check on Yahoo maps to be sure though.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 12, 2001.

Stacy, Thanks for the rabies info. But I'm surprised that your vet used a horse rabies vaccine on Fiona instead of a vaccine listed for use in cattle and sheep. Omaha vaccine lists "Defensor" (by Pfizer) for use in dogs, cats, cattle and sheep. I've used it in the past on my "ex" sheep. I'm still checking the Cornell U. site for rabies vaccine for goats. But I think tomorrow I'll go ahead and order my rabies for my barn cats and my dog. Was hoping to order some for my goats, but guess I'll wait. I'll keep my 22 loaded and ready for any stray skunks, raccoons and porkys!! Here in Maine there are several state reps who are hoping to pass a law to make it legal for livestock owners to order their own rabies vaccine again. It has definitely become a problem here, but funny thing is that it wasn't a problem til the vets got together and wouldn't let us order our own rabies legally. We always did in the past. Go figure!! Thanks again.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), April 12, 2001.

Hi Stacy,

Glad to hear Foina is doing good. i can't wait to hear what she has for kids. As for the rabies vaccine, guess this is to answer Vicki's question. When we lived in western NYS there was an awful rabies epedimic that streteched into PA as well. i recall we took a group of students to alleghany St Park for a camp out and were told to not feed the racoons. Now, those racoons were pretty smart and some good beggers, they would come up to the door on the cabins and knock. Then the next yr there were several free rabies vaccines sites around for dogs and cats, that wa sjust before we moved in 93. But as far as i know, the rabies situation is still a concern there. from what my friends and family say. And its getting bad here in VA as well. Although not as bad as NY. I need to ask Linda Campbell for more specific information on whats going on with the rabies vaccine for goats, there was a fund raiser if memory serves me right for it a few yrs back. If you have any further information on the rabies vaccine for goats Stacy i would be interested. thanks.

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), April 12, 2001.

hey Berniece, When the rabies epidemic first hit our area it was found that the rabies orginated in Florida. Coon hunters brought raccoons up from the south. It took a while for it to get to NJ because of the rivers but it finally arrived here.

My vet gave my does rabies and said I should have the babies done at three months. We are also not allowed to purchase rabies vaccine in NJ.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), April 12, 2001.

Marcia,

When I asked Dr. Wendy about the type of rabies vaccine she used on Fiona she told me that there is no approved vaccine for sheep and goats. All she's ever used is the Imrab that is used on the horses. She even looked it up on her laptop for me.

This was the first time I had met Dr. Wendy and I really liked her. She went out of her way to explain things about Fiona.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 13, 2001.

I can buy rabies vaccine in PA and give it myself. I was worried that if I take Fiona to be bred that the breeder would want to see a copy of the Rabies Certificate-the only way to get one of those is for a Vet to give the shot. If breeders aren't worried about it I'll give it myself next year. I can't buy needles in NY either, it's so dumb. I can buy single dose vaccine that comes with a needle and syringe but I need of Certificate of Need from a Vet to order needles to be sent to NY. I go to PA and they sell needles in the feed stores.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY--I'm glad I'm 6 miles from the PA border.

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 13, 2001.

Stacy, I guess I definitely will wait before ordering rabies for my goats! Wonder why Omaha lists a rabies vaccine for sheep, but your vet doesn't? I don't know, but they're sure making it hard for us to protect ourselves from rabies!! The needle thing is dumb also. Guess they figure we're all a bunch of heroin addicts. I have to buy needles and syringes for my sister in Mass. since they can't buy their own either.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), April 13, 2001.

Marcia,

I'll ask Dr. Wendy about the Defensor when she comes back in a month to give Star his rabies, draw the blood for Fiona's CL and CAE tests, and to float the horses teeth.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 13, 2001.

Is it safe to give a Rabies to a pregnant goat? I give all my dogs their boosters and Rabies, I can buy them, but not while they are pregnant. The boosters right before, since dogs are only pregnant 2 months. Also, on my bottle of CD&T, it says "Use it all right after opening". Why is that? I have it in the fridge.

I can buy any shots from the vet if I can't at the feed store. Our 7- way boosters for the pups and dogs are only 1.69 each. Used to be 3.00 a couple years ago, but now we can buy them without all the fancy box and needles. Rabies are about 4.00 still. The horse shots are still expensive.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), April 13, 2001.

Yup, it's ok to give a Rabies shot to any pregnant animal because it's a killed vaccine. I asked the Vet yesterday.

I'm not sure about the CD&T after opening. The shot that the Vet gave Fiona was a single use. The Rabies vaccine was pulled from a bottle.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 13, 2001.

Cindy, You don't have to use up all of the CD&T vaccine after opening. Just keep it in a cold fridge and keep track of the expiration date. I've kept mine up to a year.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), April 14, 2001.

I've always been told that if a rabie vaccine isn't species specific, it won't do any good protecting and in fact, could do harm. Some species just don't get rabies, like pigs, and the vet won't vaccinate them. Not only is there no need, but there's no swine shot for rabies. Evidently there's no shot for goats, either, only sheep. Different vets, different ideas.

The vet gives the exact same rabie shot to the dogs in Texas as I did in Arizona. Same lab. In Arizona, it's a 3 year shot; in Texas it's a one year shot! Now I ask you, if it's a 3 year shot, does it look like the vets here want to make a little extra? (I only get the shot for the dogs every 3 years!)

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 14, 2001.

I just found a very interesting site about rabies: http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/zoonosis/regs/VACCINE/rabvacc.asp

Imrab and Defensor are both labelled for use in: dogs, cats, horses, cattle, and sheep. Cornell is doing a huge study on rabies and goats but it hasn't concluded yet so *any* rabies vaccine used on goats is considered off label irregardless of the titer amounts in the blood.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 14, 2001.

Rogo, Our vets here in Maine do the same thing....they insist on 1 yr. shots and wont "recognize" the 3 yr. shot. At $8.00 per shot do ya think they're making money or what?!! Stacy, How long do you suppose it's going to take them to complete their studies. Don't know about everyone else, but I get kinda nervous when my does go wandering off to the "back 40". I know how curious goats can be about a strange acting 'coon or skunk!! So hopefully they wont drag these studies on too long!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), April 14, 2001.

The reason Maine vets prefer that you get your animals boosted annually for rabies is because the vaccine is proven effective if boosted annually in high risk areas. A few years ago in New Hampshire when our current rabies epidemic was just starting a collie that had been vaccinated 1 1/2 years prior was bitten and contracted rabies. I know it's extra money, but I have young children and their safety is paramount. While rabies vaccines are species specific, some vaccines can be used across species lines and be somewhat effective. For example, at a farm I worked at as a vet tech we vaccinated the llamas with horse rabies vaccine. The vet said that the vaccine offered protection for a much shorter time for the llamas - probably only 3-4 months. Truthfully I've always used the sheep rabies vaccine and assumed is was effective, but I will be grilling my vet a bit more closely when I call for spring shots this year!

-- Sheryl Adams (radams@sacoriver.net), April 19, 2001.

== The reason Maine vets prefer that you get your animals boosted annually for rabies is because the vaccine is proven effective if boosted annually in high risk areas. ==

I've heard that argument, and it STILL doesn't make sense. If the innoculation is for 3 years, IT'S FOR 3 YEARS!! With me, it's not the money; I give the 8 in one shot myself, so $7 to the vet once a year isn't bad. It's the principle of the thing! And I only give my dogs the shot every 3 years.

Some of the states that don't allow folks to give their own rabie shots are turning around and allowing it. I always gave my own in Arizona. But, Jeffers and Omaha Vaccine now charge more than my vet does! -LOL-

I was talking to the vet about using rabie vaccines on critters it's not specifically for. He won't do it. Too dangerous. Therefore, he wouldn't innoculate a goat for rabies until there's a vaccine on the market.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 20, 2001.

Hi Rogo,

Why does you Vet think that vaccinating a goat with a rabies vaccine dangerous? It may be useless but I don't understand how it would be dangerous.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 20, 2001.

I don't understand either, Stacy, why a vet would consider it dangerous to give a "sheep" rabies shot to a goat. After all, it is a killed vaccine. It will either work or not. It's got to be better than nuthin"! Sheryl... As long as I've lived in Maine, the vets have always given the 1 Yr. vaccine even way before there was a rabies epidemic, which is fine since it is such a serious disease but...in order to eradicate it why don't they give free or at cost rabies clinics for a year or so. Heaven knows they make enough money on other vet procedures!! I agree with you that protecting my family is #1, which is why I will continue to have Omaha Vaccine Co. send my rabies to a friend in Ohio who can still legally get it to me. I'd rather pay $2.00 per shot than $8.00 which the vets charge (plus the cost of a farm visit!).

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), April 21, 2001.