I'm afraid I feel really stupid tonight. I've my two little goats since May. The male is 100% pygmy, and my female if 1/2 pygmy and 1/2 Nubian. The only other livestock on our place are my chickens. I've followed the advice of the neighbor I purchased my goats from ever since I bought them. I've wormed them, but that's about it. When I went to buy hay today to feed them this winter, the lady I bought the hay from told me I needed to give them "overeating shots" and tetanus shots. I've never heard of "overeating shots". Help!!!!! I know that goats can die from overeating, but is there really a shot? How about tetanus? Is that necessary? I feel like a really bad mother at this point. Our goats are strickly pets and I want to do what's best for them. Any info would be greatly appeciated. Thanks alot

-- Mary Petersen (mpete05@aol.com), November 12, 2001

Answers

The overeating shot is a shot for enterotoxemia, caused by the bacterium clostridium difficile, or something like that. The vaccine frequently comes with a tetanus vaccine in an injection called CD&T, available at most feed stores. Whether you choose to vaccinate or not is a personal decision. No law says you have to. Some knowledgeable people choose to avoid the risks of vaccination, accepting the risks of disease. Personal choice, but be prepared for the consequences, whichever choice you make.

-- Laura Rae Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), November 12, 2001.

They need 2 shots of cdt at least 2 weeks apart .Hope it helps .Its an easy shot to give and not expensive.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), November 13, 2001.

i just bought a bottle of cd& t , it was for 50 goat doses , and was 10.00 , do it yourself , the first shot , and then a second 20 days later , tetanus , or lockjaw , will kill them

Beth

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), November 14, 2001.