Prohibit for goats

[russellsfarm]

Hello all so sorry if this has already been answered....I just wormed my goats with prohibit for the first time....I as wondering if anyone knows if I have to worm them again in a few days or how often do I need to do this thank you so much

 

[Cowgirl71]

I saw your bottle jaw thread from a week ago. Sorry I didn't post sooner, I'm not on BYC much anymore. How are your two animals doing? Any better?

We got goats five years ago, and currently have a herd of 150 Kiko and Kiko/Boer goats. Keeping goats in this humid, non-desert climate forces you to learn a thing or two about worm control. Specifically, Haemonchus Contortus, aka the Barber Pole Worm. That one in particular can be lethal. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to Haemonchus. Once the goat is acting "off", with white FAMACHAs (if you're not familiar with FAMACHAs, google "FAMACHA scores"), and bottle jaw, it's usually too late to save that animal. Red Cell and B-12 twice daily definitely helps, along with a gentle worming regimen to avoid internal blood loss due to "let go" (the worms detaching from the stomach). But quite honestly, usually the animal is too far gone to recover if it's already showing 2 or more of the above three symptoms (acting "off", bottle jaw, anemic).

As for your specific question about Prohibit.... Prohibit, if dosed correctly, is extremely effective against Haemonchus adults. However it does not kill the larvae (most dewormers, such as Valbazen, do kill the larvae too, but are losing their effectiveness against Haemonchus due to overuse and underdosing). The larvae become adult worms 14 days after being injested by the goat/sheep. So if you deworm the animal once, and then again 15 days later, you will have killed any of the larvae that survived the first treatment. But of course, any new larvae the animal picked up in the prior 15 days would survive this second treatment.

As for accurate dosing of Prohibit... Goats have a faster metabolism than sheep and cattle, and so need a higher dose of the various dewormers, and often antibiotics, etc., as well. So when using a dewormer that is labeled for sheep and/or cattle, it is usually suggested to multiply it by 1.5 or 2 for goats. Most dewormers have a very high safety margin. Prohibit, however, has a very narrow safety margin. What I've read says that there is a narrow window between a high enough dose to effectively kill the Haemonchus worms, but too much higher than that can kill the goat. Accuracy is key, so it is suggested to weigh each animal before dosing, for an accurate dosage for each animal. As for dosage, I use this chart for the Prohibit, which was put together by two veterinarians: http://web.uri.edu/sheepngoat/files/ACSRPC-Dewormer-Charts_Sept-2014.pdf (first bit is for sheep, scroll down for goat dosage info) Be sure to read the paragraph about diluting the packet of Prohibit. It is different than the packet instructions, so 11mls of their dilution is not the same as 11mls of the packet's dilution.

Also, I've read that Levamisole (the active ingredient in Prohibit) inhibits white blood cell production, which is not ideal in an already compromised goat. So me personally, I try to only use Levamisole on healthy goats. My go-to dewormer for a compromised goat is Valbazen (6mls/100lbs to a compromised goat, and then 3-5 days later again, 10mls/100lbs). But, I have also read, and found to be true, that a Selenium/Vitamin E combo supplement boosts white blood cell production. So perhaps a daily dose of that may counteract the effects of Levamisole, IDK.

As for preventing reinfestation, there are several things you can do. The most effective one is taking them off pasture and putting them on good quality hay. The hay is worm-free, the larvae all die in the hay making process. The #1 way goats pick up worms is grazing pasture too short. Keeping them off the pasture does wonders, particularly for the animals most susceptible to Haemonchus worms (lactating does that are up to 3 months post-kidding, and young growing kids that aren't getting enough protein, i.e. milk). Also, make sure their water is of course clean and poop free, and try to minimize them accidentally ingesting any of their manure; don't feed hay or grain on the ground. You can also try copper boluses for the goats, they are a great preventive. http://www.scahealth.com/ultracruz-copper-bolus-goat-supplement.html (but don't give them to sheep, copper is poisonous to sheep)

Sorry for the lengthy post, hopefully some of this information is helpful. If I need to clarify anything, or you have other questions, let me know.

 

[russellsfarm]

Yes they have totally cleared up I had goat starting to get floppy neck as I call it....and the other goat that was terribley swollen and my sheep have all went back to being normal! Thank you so much for your post I will try to inbox you directly if I have any other questions

 

[Cowgirl71]

So glad to hear they're doing much better for you.

I just wanted to elaborate on the copper boluses.... I learned about them last winter, and bought some boluses from San Juan (they are far cheaper than the name brand Copa-Sure, and are the exact same thing) and put them in all of our lactating does this past May. The copper is helping a bunch with Haemonchus, which is a biggy all on its own, but has also made their coats slick and shiny, and has nearly eliminated foot rot issues. The herd is overall far healthier this year than any year prior, despite all the rain we've had, which historically has greatly increased the worm and foot issues. I am very impressed, and will definitely be doing the copper boluses again next year! And, I stumbled across this link yesterday, while trying to find that dewormer chart for you..... http://www.jrcnboergoats.net/goat-health.html On their "problems" list, one of the main causes listed for most of them is a copper definciency. Very well worth the $0.48/dose, I think! Wish I had learned about them sooner.