# Is there a way I can give my goats Vitamin B by mouth?



## Shar

I have five goats purely out of love.  I don't breed and my boys are
neutered.  One is a small Lamancha, and two are dwarf.  My girls are
Pygmy and separated from the boys.  A few months ago before my
Lamancha was neutered he got sick and needed Vit B shots for ten
days.  The vet said one of the does was probably in heat and he was
not eating or drinking very well.  Then last week my neutered dwarf started acting strange, and didn't eat very well.  Took him to the vet and he said his sight was going probably from lack of Vit B so had to give him Vit B shots plus Thiamine for ten days.  Any ideas why this is
happening and how can I add Vit B to their diet?  I'm at a loss!!  I can't give the shots so have to beg different neighbors to help.  Pretty soon they will hide when they see me coming...but the most important issue is why are they so low on Vit B.  Food or orchard grass not good enough??


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## chandasue

Diamond V XPC is a good source of Vit B, there's B paste in a tube, and there's other vitamin powder or liquid that's put in the water. The shot is faster acting and you know how much they're taking in. Is it just the whole sticking a goat with a needle that's hard for you or are you just uncertain how to do it?

Edit: I had a goat that was "star-gazing" and dumped the contents of 2 B Complex capsules intended for human consumption on a half slice of bread and fed it to her that way. It seemed to do the trick. I was desperate since there's still no B Complex available that I know of and the vet was going to be stingy with selling me any. Manufacturing issues...


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## elevan

You can also crush up human vitamin B tablets and mix with yogurt in a pinch.  I did that when there was a manufacturing issue and couldn't get the injectible.

But the shot is the most effective method.


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## mogolady

Well, I assume you are talking about B12 which is a prescription strength supplement only available through a vet where I live. 
You can buy regular B12 people vitamins and crush them up and give with feed. This is assuming the goat doesn't have some type of issue with absortion of nutrients. 

As for B1 or Thiamine, I also use the people vitamins in a pinch.  Injectable works faster for Emergencies. You have to give quite a few but I have used them to pull a kid goat out of polio. Thiamine deficiency can be brought on by use of Corid that is used to treat coccidiosis. Are you treating with that?? Or, other things: excessive grain, stress, etc. but it doesn't sound like your goat gets so low that he goes into Polio???

And for B Complex, which is good for rumen and stimulates appetite, I have used people vitamins crushed but I usually try to get the Fortified B Complex Injectable but you can give it orally. If the goat is down, I will usually give the first dose injectable to give them a faster boost, then go oral. 

Hope this helps.


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## Dreaming Of Goats

I'm assuming you can give the Vitamin B under the skin or Sub-Q... Here's a page on how to do it very simply, I've done it and I'm only a minor and in 4-H.  http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2213-sub-q-shot I wrote this page myself, and I believe it's very simple and just the basics.


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