How to properly and safely administer a drench to a goat...?

[freemotion]

Thought I'd post this before I need it....Would all you experienced goat people please give your methods in detail, opinions, cautions, indications and contraindications on drenching....anything you can think of that applies to drenching a goat.

The whole thing about the head position of the goat when swallowing and which stomach things will end up in has me somewhat confused. A discussion on bucket feeding after a kid has been on the dam or on the bottle got me thinking about how to administer a therapeutic drench to either a baby or a grown goat....safely and effectively.

I know y'all have opinions!

 

[ksalvagno]

Definitely buy a dosing syringe. Makes things soooo much easier. Here is a link to one: http://www.pbsanimalhealth.com/details/Drenching-Syringe/124-499.html

I'm not even positive on the head position. I think they are supposed to be looking forward. By the time I do it and get all the meds down them, sometimes their head is up a bit.

My Nigerians i just straddle and do it. My Alpine mix I stand next to her and put my arm around her neck to hold her head in place and have the syringe in my other hand.

 

[mully]

If you use a molasses base drench they will suck it down with no problem

 

[freemotion]

But how do you restrain them, and how far do your put the "gun" into their mouth?

I learned through trial and error (learned more from the errors!) how to shove a ball of herbal dewormer down an unwilling goat's throat and get them to swallow pretty consistantly.....I've administered literally hundreds of tubes of paste wormer to horses of all ages and dispositions....I've given pills to cats and dogs and nearly lost fingers in the process....but how to drench a goat? Without getting drenched myself or drowning the poor goat???

 

[Roll farms]

With a drenching syringe, I just sort of grab their faces (while facing them) and push it into their mouths (I sometimes have to push on either side of their mouths to get them to open...). I push it back until it's in their throats, and depress the plunger...quickly if it's a small amount, more slowly if there is a lot of fluid.

Practice w/ an empty syringe until you get the hang of it, or try it w/ water, maybe?

The trick is to make sure it's past the tongue, otherwise it'll splash / ricochet back....into your face. I've been dewormed several times now.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Yeah, definitely get the syringe back as far as possible. The head should be straight and level (well, as level as possible with a struggling goat ).

 

[ksalvagno]

I'm just restraining them with my legs or with my arm. My arm is around the Alpine's neck and I'm holding her jaw. Then I push the syringe into her mouth by the back corner and like everyone else said, make sure you get it past the tongue. Sometimes I have to put my fingers in the corners of their mouth to force it open.

 

[freemotion]

Sounds like it is similar to paste worming horses. It is always fun to see $12 land on the ground or all over me.

I thought with goats that there is a certain head position that makes the stuff swallowed go into the rumen, and another head position that bypasses the rumen? Is this an issue? Can they bring it back up like a cud and spit it out?

 

[Roll farms]

I have read if their head is back it'll hit the wrong 'hole'...so I try to hold their heads in the natural position.
However, goats being goats, they do like to try and tilt their heads back to get away...honestly, I've not seen any difference in how the meds / dewormer worked either way. (Head down or up).
I worry more about it w/ kids than I do adults, though....