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Small Ruminants (sheep/goats): Finding a vet that will see small ruminants is hard in the best of times so you should have this poo poo together already. If at all possibly maintain a relationship with a large animal vet and in an emergency they can talk you through procedures and provide you with prescription meds even if they can't come out in many cases. My vet knows me and at this point I can simply tell him what I'm seeing and he'll make sure whatever I need to treat it is in the mail or at the desk for me to pick up asap. It takes some initial money to establish that relationship but it is well worth it! Be friends with your vet! You should also get to know other livestock producers in your area. Cattle producers especially tend to have a lot of medications and colostrum on hand that they might be willing to share or sell you a small dose. I, personally, have gone to several other farms to help pull lambs or check out a situation then advise them to call a vet if it's too much for home treatment. Farmers need to help each other out when at all possible. Euthanasia Before going into what to have on hand, one thing every livestock producer needs to be prepared to do is euthanize an animal who is down, in pain, or otherwise debilitated. If the vet can't come for whatever reason it is your responsibility to not let it suffer. If you aren't sure you are going to be able to do it yourself now is the time to talk to farm friends and neighbors about whether they are willing to do it for you. Here is a document from Iowa State Vet College discussing humane euthanasia procedures for a variety of livestock from horses and cattle all the way to pigs and camelids. There are options if you do not keep firearms on hand. A webinar from Alberta sheep producers (who have a lot of great resources) that is specifically about sheep but will work for goats as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64-x3vlFlhU There are plenty of humane slaughter videos on youtube if you need to watch some to psych yourself up. Remember that small ruminants have a lot of residual nerve action after death so some movement is normal and doesn't necessarily mean you hosed it up. First Aid supplies Supplies marked with a * are especially for pregnant animals or newborns. These are all USA-centric suggestions so check regulations in your own country. Some of you lucky bastards have a lot better small ruminant medication availability. These items can be found at most feed stores/livestock supply websites. I prefer Jeffers and Premier 1 online but PBS Animal Health, Valley Vet, and Caprine Supply are also popular. Tractor Supply etc will probably have some of this stuff if it is also used for cattle or horses but their small ruminant specific supplies are usually lacking. This is also assuming you have feed and minerals figured out and on hand. Proper livestock minerals are vital to maintaining small ruminant health so don't skip out on those. Equipment Thermometer- Seriously if I could get people to do one thing it would be to take their animals' temperature. normal temp ranges from 101-103.5 F. Just stick the thermometer in their butt, it will be fine. Vinyl tubing/*stomach tubes-Good for releasing gas bloat, getting fluids into sick adult animals, and getting nutrition into weak newborns. Learn how to tube from someone experienced so you don't dump liquid into their lungs. It seems scary at first but I'd rather tube than bottle feed babies at this point. Syringes-3, 6, 12, and 20 ml luer locks are the sizes I use most plus a reusable drench syringe and a 60 ml catheter tip for stomach tubing Needles-I like 18 and 20 gauge 1" is fine Gloves- Always a good idea, some things are zoonotic, some things are just gross. Full length up to the armpit gloves can be handy if you need to go in for stuck babies. Scalpel/blades-Sometimes you just need to cut things Hoof trimmers-Sometimes those things are hooves OB wire saw-Mostly handy if you have horned animals, I've used it to remove broken horns or horns growing into faces. Also necessary if you have a dead fetus stuck in the birth canal that needs to come out in pieces. Sling-You can't let a ruminant stay down for prolonged periods. You can buy a sling or DIY one but sometimes the only choice is to get an animal up or euth it. Clippers or shears-Even if you have goats or hair sheep you should be prepared to clip the hair to clean wounds. Dog clippers/beard trimmers work in a pinch Splinting material-You can buy easy splints or keep leg-width pvc pipe around, make sure to check the limb regularly for sores/infection Vet wrap/cotton gauze wrap/adhesive wrap/duct take-Just wrap that poo poo up Feminine hygiene pads-These work so well for wounds, especially wounds with a lot of drainage Baling twine-Can be used for anything from restraining an animal to creating a prolapse harness to pulling a baby. Beware of twines treated to prevent rodent gnawing Some way of restraining your animal!!! Halters work in a pinch, I really think a stand with a headstall is worth it but you can buy a headstall separately if needed. Topical Alu-shield spray-My vet and I are convinced this can heal anything, I use this over any of the -kotes Pro-zap/Catron-Treats and prevents fly strike. Any wound gets a spray of this poo poo preventatively because you never forget a case of fly strike *Iodine-Needed for umbilical dipping lambs but can be used as a wound wash too Chlorohexadine wash-Wash your hands before doing things, also wash your equipment and wounds and poo poo *Antiseptic lubricant- KY will do but I like the antiseptic lubricant from premier. You can get powdered lubricants as well. Terramycin ointment-For pinkeye/other eye issues, apply to the eye 2-4 times a day with clean hands Topical parasite treatment-For mites and lice which can be a huge issue over the winter. I prefer frontline spray, others use Ultra Boss, Cylence or permethrin products. Apply down the topline and in the arm/leg pits after shearing, repeat as needed to break parasite life cycle Pay attention to dilution instructions if using a concentrate. For severe mite infestations lime-sulfur dips and nu-stock will take care of the crusties and hair loss Dawn or other dish soap- If your animal poops all over itself you need to get it clean before flies set in. Wear ear protection, trust me. Oral Dewormers-I always keep at least two classes on hand. The extension vets in my area are recommending treating with 2-3 classes at once to reduce parasite resistance. That means (ivermectin/eprinomectin/doramectin/moxydectin)+(valbazen/fenbendazole)+(levamisole/morantel tartrate/pyrantel). Valbazen is not safe for pregnant animals in early pregnancy and I avoid it during pregnancy in general. Safeguard/fenbendazole has a super wide safety margin and you can give it to basically any animal so I like to keep it on hand, it is suggested you give it for 3 days in a row though. Levamisole has the narrowest margin of safety so you need to be fairly sure on weights and mix it properly as it comes in a powder. It is very effective in many areas though. I generally use cydectin + valbazen + levamisole in the summer when worms are bad and I know my ewes aren't bred. -dewormer dosage chart for sheep -dewormer dosage chart for goats -don't just deworm on a schedule, learn to famacha score your animals and only treat those who need it. I check every 10-14 days during the high risk season. Aspirin- For pain and fever if no banamine is available. 1 baby aspirin (81 mg) per 10 lbs. They make aspirin boluses for cows and horses but good luck getting a smaller animal to swallow it. Bloat release-Vegetable or mineral oil can be used in a pinch but its better to have a bottle of this on hand. Bloat can get lethal quickly. Pepto bismol-Stops scouring but doesn't treat the root cause. Only use to prevent dehydration long enough to treat the underlying problem Probios/probiotic paste- Gets their stomachs right after being treated for something or just looking a little off. Some people use yogurt or kefir. You can even steal cud from a healthy animal to repopulate gut bacteria in a seriously sick animal. Electrolyte solution/gel- For dehydrated animals. I'll even use a bit of gatorade powder in the water bucket in stressful situations. Handy at shows. *Colostrum/colostrum replacer-Newborns need colostrum within the first 18-24 hours of life to have an immune system. Keep some frozen from your own animals or buy powdered replacer (not supplement). Colostrum from outside sources should be tested and/or heat treated to prevent disease transmission *Propylene glycol-For treatment of pregnancy toxemia. Other sugar sources such as karo syrup/pancake syrup/maple syrup can be used in a pinch. Don't give more than 1-2 oz at a time as it can upset the stomach but can be given 2-3 times a day CMPK-Treats milk fever/hypocalcemia and grass tetany/hypomagnesia. Dosage is 1-2 oz orally. If animal is down injectable calcium is preferred. Baking soda- Good for upset stomachs and bloating, especially caused by excessive grain. Many people leave it out free choice but you can also mix it with water and administer as a drench. Nutritional supplement such as nutridrench/power punch/baby lamb strength- Especially in young animals sometimes you just need to quickly get some sugar, fat and vitamins into them while the real meds get to work. Red cell-Goats only! Too much copper for sheep in most cases but can be very helpful for anemic goats 6 cc per 100 lbs weekly given orally Injectables and medications The vast majority of small ruminant medications can be given subcutaneously and it is very easy to learn. Here is a visual guide. Make sure to dispose of your needles in a safe way using a sharps container. Animal should be restrained properly to prevent accidental needle sticks. CDT vaccine-An ounce of prevention and all that. A cheap way to protect against clostridial diseases and tetanus. Lambs get 2 ml at 6-8 weeks and again 2-4 weeks later, adults get 2 ml annually around a month before lambing. Can also get an 8 way in regions with blackleg. Keep vaccines refrigerated! Other vaccines as needed-In flocks with a history of abortion campylobacter or chlamydia vaccines may be recommended. In flocks with CL, footrot, or soremouth already there are vaccines to reduce transmission. B complex- Stimulates appetite in "off" animals and can be used to treat goat polio if you can't get thiamine from the vet. 5 ml/100 lbs up to every 6 hours for polio or daily otherwise Iron dextran/pig iron-Aids in recovery from anemia. 4 ml/100 lbs weekly. Check product for copper if using on sheep *Calcium gluconate-For rapid treatment of milk fever. 60-100 ml total subq, 25 ml per location *Dextrose-When rewarming and feeding hypothermic lambs dextrose prevents hypoglycemic seizures. Commonly given intraperitoneal (in the abdominal cavity) so that's one you might need to at least have a vet walk you through. Antibiotics Have one or two on hand, I have pen g and oxytetracycline but I know I can get the big guns (nuflor or excenel) from a friend with cattle if I need something stronger -Penicillin G Procaine: Dr. Kennedy at Pipestone recommended 1 ml per 10 lbs daily for at least 4 days for retained placentas, dirty wounds, and draining abscesses. This is off label dosing so meat withdrawal is 50 days. Keep pen g refrigerated. -Oxytetracycline/la200/biomycin: I like biomycin because it doesn't sting and the goats are less dramatic about it but it is backordered everywhere. It's all the same med though. Good for hoof rot, pinkeye, pneumonia, and mastitis. Dr. Kennedy's dosage is 5 ml per 100 lbs every 48 hours -Spectinomycin/spectoguard: oral medication that treats e coli scours in lambs, 1 pump is usually all it takes but can be given twice daily -Sulfamethazine/sulmet: treats coccidiosis in young animals and occasionally is used to treat drinking water for widespread low grade pneumonia in flocks. Harder to find now, follow label mixing and dosage instructions. It's easier to find Albon or Corid but beware of thiamine deficiency when using. -Nuflor/Draxxin/Excenel: Really strong prescription only antibiotics. If your animal isn't responding to otc antibiotics call the vet for the big guns. They're usually $$$ but worth it to save valuable animals. Prescription products (in the US) Dexamethasone-Steroid that helps with inflammation, can also induce labor in sheep and help lung maturity in premature lambs/kids. Oxytocin- Stimulates uterine contractions and milk let down. Good for expelling placentas and preventing the expulsion of the whole dang uterus after hard deliveries Banamine- Pain reliever and fever reducer. I've actually never had a vet give this to me but apparently some people use it a lot Lutalyse/Estrumate-Induces abortion in early pregnancy of sheep and goats (and anything else), induces labor in goats, promotes cervical dilation, HOLY poo poo WEAR GLOVES DO NOT GET THIS ON YOU. If you are a person who has periods your period will start that day, if you may be pregnant you probably won't be after touching it, it can also cause asthma-like symptoms. Seriously be careful. Bo-Se-A selenium and vitamin e supplement. Important if you live in a deficient area or are having problems with white muscle disease Thiamine-While b complex will do in a pinch it's good to have straight up thiamine if you have encountered goat polio before. Further Reading Websites: Ask A Vet Sheep Sheep 101 Maryland Extension Small Ruminant Page Fiasco Farm (ignore their herbal bullshit, they are goat weirdos but they have good pictures of the kidding process) Onion Creek Ranch (more goat weirdos but good goat specific disease info) Books: Storey's Guide to Sheep (there's probably a goat one too, idk) Managing your Ewe and Lamb Problems, both by Laura Lawson But I need more help and I don't know where to go! Pipestone Vet used to have a hotline but they have been taken over by Premier 1. You can still submit your questions to them through email though at advice@premier1supplies.com or www.premier1supplies.com/advice. There are a number of vet run facebook groups for livestock, the most relevant being Goat Vet Corner (they also do sheep). It can take a while to get a response but they are real actual vets and not fb aunts giving advice. If you aren't sure if something needs a vet or if its just a weird thing your sheep or goat is doing feel free to PM me. I'm not going to pretend to be a vet but I've had small ruminants for a decade now and can either point you in the right direction or go OMG CALL A VET ASAP. If you are stressed about lambing/kidding specifically I run a lambing class and have decided to share my slides with the world this year and am also happy to share my other handouts if people want to pm and ask for them. I also have a youtube playlist for lambing info here. Instant Jellyfish fucked around with this message at 22:06 on Mar 24, 2020 |
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