I have wormed with Tramisol Bolus, this is what the folks where I bought my goats from used. I find the bolus difficult to use even with the balling gun. The vet has my tetanus vaccines ready for me to pick up tommorrow. It is tetanus plus something else, I can't remember what. He said 2 mls, subcute per goat(kid or adult), repeat in a month. Does this sound right? He(the vet) said not to worry about coccidiossis, that this has not been a problem(Nova Scotia, Canada) and if I seen or suspected symptoms we would do a floatation fecal sample. I purchased to have on hand some Penicillin G Procaine, what else should I have hanging around just in case? I already keep on hand antibiotic spray for cuts and kaeopectate. I am just trying to get organised and stay on top as a relatively new goat owner in an area where goats are not that common, and the vet is reading his books as I ask him questions, so please forgive me if I am missing some very vital things. I will be making a "kidding kit" later this fall, for now I am concerned for general health and first aid. BTW Thank you for the archived information to all those who have posted before, they have given me some good info. Also I was quite surprised at generally how inexpensive it has been to purchase the vaccines and medications.

-- Terri in NS (terri@tallships.ca), June 12, 2001

Answers

I'm happy to hear you're doing your best to have the necessities on hand for a healthy goat! There are several types of dewormers that, although not labeled for goats, work well. One is Ivermectin...comes in a paste, pour-on, or injectable (that can also be used orally), Fenbendazole is a good broad-spectrum dewormer that's trade names are SafeGuard or Panacur in paste form. These are labeled for cattle and/or horses. I'd also suggest putting out some baking soda free choice in some kind of feeder as a little insurance against stomach upsets...it will keep the rumen stabilized. If you can find loose minerals to put out, or a mineral block, that would give them the trace minerals they need as well. Good luck! :)patty Prairie Oak Miniatures http://www.minifarm.com/prairie_oak

-- Patty Putnam (littlegoats@wi.rr.com), June 12, 2001.

Besides tetanus your goats should be vaccinated against all strains of clostridia, all strains of leptospira, IBR, BVD, PI3, Syncytial virus and pinkeye. Vaccine is cheap. Treating is not. As far as supplies, I'd have a bottle of oxytetracycline on hand (also known as terramycin). It tends to get the germs that penicillin doesn't, very useful in pneumonias. I'd also keep a jar of nitrofurdantoin cream (also called furacin cream). Non-irritating and good for cuts and scrapes and also has germicidal properties. Keeps forever. I'd also put together a little injury kit with 3 inch wide bandages, a one pound roll of cotton batting for padding the bandage, 4 inch by 4 inch gauze squares (you can buy these sterile in small packs or in long sleeves either sterilized or not), stretch cloth tape like elastikon, and a bottle of betadine. Then I'd say you're pretty well set.

-- Sandra Nelson (Magin@starband.net), June 13, 2001.

I would love to have you internet visit with my friend in Canada. You can't order your drugs from exactly the same places we do. But certainly you have to have options besides your vet$$$$ A typical vaccination program for your goat would be a Tetanus Toxoid with C&D in it, this would be the 2cc shot your vet is going to give you, you revaccinate all new stock in 21 days, then every 6 months is plenty. Tramisol Sheep Oblets are not for goats. If your vet wants you to use tramisol the drug, because it is great for lungworms, which I know you have up north, than choose Levamisole or something similar, Valbazen also get all of the above. And you can purchase it locally. I have a little goat site you can visit for information, http://content.communities.msn.com/TheGoatShed/messageboard/general

also goatworld.com has a message forum that is really nice. Both sites have some very knowledgeable and some really nice folks on them! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 14, 2001.