I bought four two month old goats the other day and one of them has a respitory problem. Her eyes are gooey and her nose is running and she coughs and wheezes. At our local animal pharmacy they gave me Oxy-Mycin 200 and a size 20G x 1/2 needle. Since this has no information for goats I don't know how much to give her. She probably weighs about 15-20 lbs. Also she is not eating or drinking. I'm new to raising goats so I need HELP. I have some 27G x1/2 needles that my husband no longer needs so could I use them since they are smaller? I've never given an IM and I'm scared I will do it wrong. Please advise.

Sheila

-- Sheila Smith (nannie@intrstar.net), February 01, 2002

Answers

Perhaps this information will be of use.

Active Ingredient(s): OXY-MYCINŽ 200 (oxytetracycline injection) is a sterile preconstituted solution of the broad-spectrum antibiotic oxytetracycline. Each mL contains 200 mg of oxytetracycline and, on a w/v basis, 40.0% 2-pyrrolidone, 5.0% povidone, 1.8% magnesium oxide, 0.2% sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate (as a preservative), monoethanolamine and/or hydrochloric acid as required to adjust pH.

Directions for Use: In cold weather, OXY-MYCINŽ 200 should be warmed to room temperature before administration to animals. Before withdrawing the solution from the bottle, disinfect the rubber cap on the bottle with suitable disinfectant, such as 70 percent alcohol. The injection site should be similarly cleaned with the disinfectant. Needles of 16 to 18 gauge and 1 to 1˝ inches long are adequate for intramuscular injections.

Intramuscular Administration: Intramuscular injections should be made by directing the needle of suitable gauge length into the fleshy part of a thick muscle such as in the rump, hip, or thigh regions; avoid blood vessels and major nerves. Before injecting the solution, pull back gently on the plunger. If blood appears in the syringe, a blood vessel has been entered; withdraw the needle and select a different site. No more than 10 mL should be injected intramuscularly at any one site in adult beef cattle and nonlactating dairy cattle, and not more than 5 mL per site in adult sine; rotate injection sites for each succeeding treatment. The volume administered per injection site should be reduced according to age and body size so that 1 to 2 mL per site is injected in small calves.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), February 01, 2002.

The symptoms sound like pnemonia. I have not used OXY-Mycin, I have always used and have had good results with Neuflour. Neuflour is available only from a vet. Have you given the kids the injection yet? Do you have a therometer to take their temp with? Normal is 102. Do you have any Goat Aid Drenches or molasses on hand? Do you have probios or yogurt? The reason I am asking these questions is because you can loose kids quickly to pnemonia so you will need to act fast.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), February 01, 2002.

That is what I thought Bernice. No, I haven't given the injection yet. I don't have a rectal therometer, I have looked everywhere today for one for animals. I couldn't even find a baby rectal therometer in the grocery store. I do have a digital therometer if I can find it. I don't know what Goat Aid Drenches is but I do have molasses and I have Pedialite which I can't get her to drink. I bought some probios today. I've been reading everything I can find. I'm real nervous about giving an injection in the muscle. I'm scared I'll do more damage than good. Tell me what to do with what I have.

Sheila

-- Sheila Smith (nannie@intrstar.net), February 01, 2002.

Hope that my earlier post is not stopping you from giving an injection into a muscle, that was not my intention. You can practice giving injections on any thing that has a tough skin, like an orange as it has a tough skin, similar to but not exactly like an animal skin and then the softer pulp inside or muscle beneath the skin, in the case of your goat.

Since you have never done this before, you will probably want someone to assist you, hold the goat so that it does not move while you give the injection, and help reduce any nervousness you have and provide some moral support.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), February 01, 2002.

No, BC, You didn't scare me off any more than I've scared myself. I like to get all my little ducks in a row and make sure I have everything I need. When do I give her the Probios, after I give the shot? What is the molasses for?

Sheila

-- Sheila Smith (nannie@intrstar.net), February 01, 2002.

No over the counter antibiotics need to be given in the muscle, your kid isn't old enough to have the muscle mass for injections IM. Your kids are also to young to be weaned, you will have to feed some very palitable high protein feed to them for them to thrive. Something like Manna' Pro's calfmanna or something similar, it is a milk fed pellet for calves. For dosages of drugs like this go to saanendoah.com and look them up in her med list. This one should be listed with the tetracyclines, probably alot like Bio-mycin with 200 mg of tetracycline in it, look for the amounts of the drug if you can't find the exact name of the brand.

Over the counter I prefer Tylan 50 or 200 for upper-respiratory, epscially in infants, and from the vet I prefer Naxcel and Banamine. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.

Put her on a heating pad on low to keep here temp. up if she is feels cool-her ears and tongue will feel cool. Give her some Nutracal and pedialyte.She should swallow the nutracal because it is viscous and the pedialyte give in teaspoon increments per syringe on the side of her mouth to prevent aspiration. Good luck, Terry

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), February 02, 2002.