I think I saw this once but after checking the archives for half an hour I thought I would just ask. Is there a dosage for (human) over the counter aspirin or tylenol to use for sheep? We have a lame sheep (the barn door flew off in a wind storm and probably hit her) and would like to ease her pain, assuming she is in pain since she is having a hard time getting up and down. She is eating and drinking and walking around but seems to hurt her. Thanks for helping out if you can.

-- JoAnn in SD (jonehls@excite.com), June 25, 2001

Answers

Use aspirin, buffered is best. Tylenol is not reccomended for sheep.It can be toxic with their livers. I use up to 10 aspirin, yes ten , for a 150 pound sheep, dissolved in a bit of water and molasses added to make it more palatable and give as a drench( by mouth) with a syringe. I was told by my vet that it was necessary to give that many as with the multiple stomachs sheep have it does not all get absorbed. Usually I give it twice a day, but once a day might be enough.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), June 26, 2001.

I don't know about 10 but I have had pretty good luck giving 1 aspirn or advil to a lamb and bringing down her temp. I give my 150 pd ewes two aspirins and could see a difference. But, you might need something to bring down the swelling if she has some. The aspirin shouldn't be used for a long period of time.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), June 26, 2001.

Kate is correct for a goats dosage, no clue on a sheep. Though have to say it wouldn't be my first choice for an analgesic, banamine does a much better job, without affecting the rumen. Which if she is in pain, and not getting around as well as she should would already be sluggish from lack of grazing. I would drench her well liquifying the aspirin, hoping that this would be swollowed into another stomach rather than in the rumen. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 26, 2001.

Question for Vicky. Yes, Banamine would be a better choice. However here in New York State I can not get it over the counter, just from my vet.And just the amount for the affected animal. And that involves a farm visit as well.($).Can you get Banamine mail order? I do have a Certificate of Need, which is required here in New York to purchase syringes and needles, although I have gotten them mail order from out of state companies that don't seem to care about the certificate.

-- Kate Henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), June 27, 2001.

It is in my fridge. I would only have to mention to the gal at my vets office that I need it and she would ask the vet, who says Yes or no, and it is there for me to pick up. Within reason my vet will give me the meds I need, certainly she is not going to give me any thing, like euthinazia drugs, which would mean her liscense. I have a very good relationship with my vet, and foremost she knows I accept responsiblity for my stock, mistakes and all. Yes here in Texas you can also have a vet write you a perscription and order it yourself, I have done this in a catalog called Nasco years ago. Like rabies vaccines which are illegal for us to give without the vet, I have also heard about the needles and syringes problem of other states, we don't have that here. We have always found ways around the laws by picking up meds at shows or having folks in states with no such laws mailing them to us. I even sent a care package to a gal in Australia, a place where you can't even buy wormers! If I buy the whole bottle, my vet doesn't charge me much more than cost and shipping. Buying a syringefull of anything is horrid. Imagine that the gal who was talking about Ivomectin at 8$ per cc, to her vet, at my vet this morning it is 50 cents a cc on the board. Most syringes filled with pennicillin for a whole treatment cost more than the whole 100 ml vial! I really don't know how folks in these states can afford to keep stock!

Texas doesn't even have a need to have perscription for humans! I have to get new perscriptions with a doctor's visit added to it, every year to get the same asthma meds I have used for years. On vacation in West Texas I lost my inhaler in the river, I couldn't get an inhaler at the local pharmacy without them first calling my pharmacy here in East Texas. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 27, 2001.

Thanks for all of your help. I tried baby aspirin today. Hopefully it will help. She is getting better anyway so she did fine on her own. Thanks again.

-- JoAnn in SD (jonehls@excite.com), June 28, 2001.

Just for future information, on saanendoah.com the dosage for aspirin in goats is 13, 5grain aspirin per 100 pounds given twice daily. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 28, 2001.

Thanks Vicki, Great site too! I had to book mark that one.

-- JoAnn in SD (jonehls@excite.com), June 29, 2001.