Every try this ?
 

My area is deficient in selenium; and as a result, I've supplemented my goats with this via "Bo-Se", which is a Rx I need to get from a vet. (The vets here double the price of meds they sell; so this is always difficult to take; however, for the sake of my goats, I've been paying it.)

Now I find "Selenium/Vitamin E Supplement Powder or Gel" in the Hoeggers' Catalog. Has anyone ever used this? I can get an 80 ml syringe of the gel for $11.95, which is quite reasonable for selenium. Would appreciate any information/experience/suggestion about using this.....

As a side: I'm trying to find Thiamine (preferable of extra high potency) now and have not been able to. Help here would be appreciated as I have a doe who is just standing around losing weight and looking at the stars most of the day.

I found some Thiamine pills in my local grocery store

Goodness, I didn't even consider Thiamine for humans. I will make some calls and find out about this as I'll be going into town tomorrow. Any idea how I would give it to this doe? (Sure wish we goat owners had a vet on this forum who could send Rx to the companies from whom we order our supplies; but guess that would be illegal.)

I have used it...the human stuff. Worked fine for me (not making some kind of recommendation!!...just verifying that we did it). Joan was horrified when I told her. LOL

Dozedotz, I'm guessing you're talking about the B-12 (not the selenium my original post was about). Did you use it on yourself or on your goats? I found some in "tablet" form (1000 mg per tablet) and the pharmacist told me it is water soluble. If you were using this on a goat, how many tabs would you crush into some water to give an 80 lb doe and how often would you do it? (Knowing you are not recommending this. I take full responsibility for I choose to do. :) )

Yes, used it on the goats...B-12. It was a brown liquid as I recall and we gave it by mouth (goat hated it!!! and that is an understatement). I THINK (neither my husband nor I can recall for sure) that we followed the dosage on a chart from Goat World: something like 40cc per 100 pounds???). It was over a year ago - we cannot locate the bottle (probably used it all at that dosage). The goat was refusing to eat and we were uncertain of the cause and throwing the kitchen sink at her...she is fine. We also hit her with C & D in case it was gut related and other stuff. She was never sick or showing any specific symptoms...just slightly off and refused her favorite treat: peanuts. Total panic ensued! I also had tried and could not find the straight Thiamine...vet sold me a "combination" of B vitamins in a small bottle....but that was not what I "felt" was going to do it...could have been wrong. As I said, she is just super and was almost immediately (next day) so, could have been Anything!!! I just covered the bases as best I could.

B12 is Cobalamin; B1 is thiamine.

Sorry! Whatever the "B"...it was Thiamine for humans.

I just spoke with the local vet and she said to use the "high potency fortified B-complex" I have, which contains 100mg of Thiamin (not B-12) per ml. She said to give the goat 4.5 cc every 4-6 hours.

This goat is looking at the sky and I thought that was a B-12 (not B-1) deficiency; so now I'm totally confused. :(

I sincerely apologize for any part I played in this confusion!! When I went looking for Thiamine my vet suggested keeping on hand (just in case) a "high potency fortified B complex) which I purchased from him and had on hand when our girl showed signs of something being wrong. BUT I had always read online and here that THIAMINE is what is needed and THAT was what I wanted....so, I bought the human stuff. I didn't know that it was B 1 or B 12 or B 36 honestly. THIAMINE was what I was after and that is what I bought. It would be comical except for the fact that your goat is suffering and so then are you, too, and we really are trying to help!! Sorry for the confusion. At this point, I would do what your vet says and PRAY!

Don't be confused. There are 12 B-vitamins, all numbered 1 through 12, and most also have names. I just didn't want this goat to continue having issues or someone else's who reads this, because they were receiving the wrong b-vitamin. The Fortified B-complex ought to cover it for the most part. It has a high b-1/thiamine amount, compared to regular b-complex.

There is also an injectable version of B-12, it is a red liquid. SO, don't reach for that if you think a goat has polio/listeria. It could help with a cobalt deficiency though; B12 is the only thing in the body that contains cobalt.

If your vet is willing to sell you the drug directly, I think they legally have to also be willing to call in an Rx to your preferred supplier so you can buy it directly (and usually much cheaper). Places like PBS supply carry BoSe I believe. They also carry Rx thiamine. For TREATMENT I'd want an injectable especially at first - after several days and much improvement, you can switch to dosing orally. You can either do the same dose but in human pills orally, or you can just drench the injectable.

Funny you should post. Yesterday, I discovered Selenium tablets at the grocery store. I wondered if that would work or if it needs to be balanced with some other mineral or vitamin to be absorbed properly.

You can get the thiamine (B1) from HorsePreRace.com. The injectable kind.

Plowgirl, thanks so much. I'm guessing that HorsePreRace.com is a reputable place or you would not have told me about it. How long have you been doing business with them?

Vitamin E is necessary for utilization of Selenium.

I tried to save one of my young goats that was showing symptoms with B1 and Selenium pills from the grocery store since the livestock vet here is an a$&!%# that hates goats. It didn't work, but it did keep the other young goat from developing symptoms. The inside of their hay bale was moldy and I didn't notice. On top of that I was using Corid for coccidosis prevention, and giving them grain free choice which can all lead to Thiamine deficiency)

Injectable is the way to go once they show symptoms, but pills apparently work for prevention. Lacking a pill gun, I use a big straw, straddled them to get their mouth open, and shot the pill down their throat like a blow dart. They are never pleased at all with this indignity. Polly is easy. She will eat anything I offer her even if she hates it. She must have spit those pills back into my hand a dozen times each. LOL.

Crush the selenium pill. Mix with peanut butter. Put between saltine crackers. :)

This works if your goats are used to snacks, especially peanut butter crackers and/or saltines.

You can make a small peanut butter sandwich with crushed meds...it goes right down. If the goat won't eat peanut butter, slip it into the center of a marshmallow. I would definitely recommend continuing extra Thiamin by mouth for a while after your symptoms go away. Honestly believe some goats do not handle stress well and need more B Vitamins than other goats. During high heat or cold weather, I give a B Complex (Super B with C from Sams) weekly. And, since B's are water soluble there is no concern.
B 12 is the one that helps with energy and anemia.

"Selenium/Vitamin E Supplement Powder or Gel" in the Hoeggers' Catalog. Has anyone ever used this?

Some goats would spit out treats with any meds.....so
I took the powder vit. And then I will blend it into coconut oil if I get a bit too much oil I add powdered Tums. To to form a pill shape. Store in the freezer.. these are solid when then come out of the freezer. But I like them because by the time the get in the goats mouth is a liquid... since almost all my goats of all ages will take a bottle I give them one and I am done...no more worries of over our under meddling as each pill is made for 20 Pounds of weight scored into quarters.