Can anyone tell me the best way to worm goats? What product, how to adminster (IM, SubQ, orally), and how often. I asked at several local feed/supply stores and couldn't get anyone who knew what to give them. My vet said Sub Q injection of cattle ivermectin was fine given in the same dose rate as listed for the cattle, but I have a pygmy who is very little.

-- elle (eagle-quest@juno.com), August 21, 2001

Answers

It is simply old out dated information. All wormers are given to goats orally if you want to treat for worms. Now Ivermectin can and is given subq to goats for lice, mites and nosebots. If you inject the wormer it speeds through the goats very quick metabolisim and yes it will work, but not work as well, and kill as many eggs and larva as it would have if you would have given it orally. Orally is the slowest route and keeps the wormer in the goat a much longer period of time, time for it to do it's job. All worming information is dependant upon what has been used and miss used in your area and on your goats. Safeguard and Panacur (the same drug) do not work in our area of Texas. Resistance is also found in Ivermectin among some breeders. The very best information your vet should have given you was to have you bring in some fresh berries and he/she can look under the microscope to see what worms you are dealing with, worm, then 7 to 10 days later check and see if the amount and kind of wormer he told you do use worked with another fecal! We use Valbazen Drench at 8cc per 100 pounds, big goat, small goat, young goat, old goat :) I use this on all of my kids as this is the broadest specturm wormer we have and gets tapes without all the 3 days in a row and information like that, that you get on other white wormers. Ivermectin 1% cattle injectable used at 2cc per 100 pounds given orally works good in our area also, and kill hemoncous worms, our number one problem. Lots of folks are using cydectin which is a pour on wormer for cattle at 1cc per 25 pounds, and yes!!! Give it orally. All goats should be wormed BEFORE they are bred, and no goats should be wormed with anything during the first month or so of pregnancy.

If you live up north where you get winter deep freezes, if you routinely fecal your goats to make sure it is working, than an herbal wormer may be your best bet. I would still chemcial worm the day the does kid, the day kids are weaned and before the does are bred. Remember the only worms you can see with your naked eye are tapeworms, so don't rely on clean poop to say "I am worm free" waiting for anemia, diarrhea or scruffy hair coats is doing more harm then good also. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), August 21, 2001.

I give it orally, same weight.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), August 21, 2001.

The following web site has all the info. you need about deworming goats.

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/

-- anita holton (anitaholton@mindspring.com), August 21, 2001.