Why do you give shots?

[shanzone2001]

I have not given shots this year. I realize that most people do, but I just don't feel like it has to be done. I have no reason other than I don't think they need to have them. I may be wrong, so I want to see what others think.
Other than "because people say you should", why do you give your goats shots?
Does anyone else not give shots?
What are your thoughts?

[steff bugielski]

I have had dairy cross goats for 13 years now and have never given any routine shots.
I do not see the need. I try to raise them as close to natural as possible. They have a nice pasture with trees and rocks and weeds. They get nice good quality hay , loose minerals and grain when on the milkstand. Fresh water in the trough as well as a spring out in the pasture.

Gave Penn to a goat that sliced open her leg after we stitched it up.
Gave vit B complex a few times and CMPk when we were feeding alfalfa.

That's it.

[shanzone2001]

Thanks, Steff. Glad to know I am not alone in my thinking.
What minerals do you give them? I have the large brown mineral block...do they need more?

[julieq]

After doing research with DD on immunizations prior to the birth of our first GC, I totally understand the reasoning behind not immunizing livestock and pets (and two legged kids). However, we have horses also and lost a doeling about ten years ago due to tetanus (even though we sought our vet's care immediately). Don't want to go through that ever again, so we do immunize with CDT.

Would highly suggest a loose goat mineral as opposed to a block. We use Golden Blend from Hoeggers with good success. We don't use copper boluses or anything else and just ran blood work for selenium and copper and they've got normal levels.

[shanzone2001]

Jules, how much Golden Blend do you give them and how often????
Thanks! =)

[Backfourty,MI.]

Years ago I also thought like you Shanzone2001 & Steff until my favorite goat died. I immediately took his body to the vet for necropsy & the vet decided it was from Clostridial perifrigens. He said if I vaccinated with CD & T that would have been avoided.

He also said I could have goats for 30 more years, never vaccinate & never have that problem again but for the small cost of the vaccine & syringes it is not worth it to me to ever take that chance again.
I still miss that goat! Every goat get their needed CD & T yearly & no kid leaves my property without their vaccines either!

I use the loos mineral called Right Now Onyx & it's by Cargill. Your goats will never get what they need from a block. I feed the loose mineral free choice 24/7.

[Nancy_in_GA]

I don't question the value of the shots, but sometimes I wonder about the frequency of giving them. What is magic about a year. Is it just so you will remember more easily?

People are supposed to get tetanus boosters every 10 years. Of course they don't get into things like goats. I wonder how the immune system really works.

[mekasmom]

Originally Posted by Backfourty,MI.

it was from Clostridial perifrigens. He said if I vaccinated with CD & T that would have been avoided.

Several years ago, I had gotten some goats milk from a friend for my puppies I was weaning. They came down with diarrhea, and it turned out to be clostridia. She did/does a lot of the natural remedies, and didn't vaccinate. And from that experience I just decided it wasn't worth not vaccinating any animal on my property. It was easy to clear up in the puppies, and was just $18 for meds, so it didn't turn out to be a big deal. But to me, it was just worth the cost of vaccines for my goats. I always gave a CDT shot to any goat that stepped onto the property. I don't always do the annual ones, but each kid gets two and so do any new arrivals. It's just not worth the risk of any animal (or human) catching clostridia from unvaccinated goats. It's too easy to vaccinate.

[Our Little Farm]

We don't have goats anymore but when we did we gave them cd&t shots, same as our sheep.
However, I have witnessed a dairy goat herd that seemed to always need shots of this and shots of that, bad coats and generally not looking great.
I think you can easily over medicate your animals to the point that they are not strong and have weak immune systems. Maybe this happens over time from one generation to another, I don't know, but the animals I saw were simply not strong or healthy looking.

[shanzone2001]

So my next question is- Am I irresponsible if I don't give yearly shots? I plan on giving shots to my new kids, but that is about it.

[Our Little Farm]

Personally I would give them the yearly cd&t shot. But that's just my opinion. It's the one shot I am happy to give to my sheep.
Other than that, I use natural ways to keep all my livestock healthy and strong.

[Our Little Farm]

Goats thrive better on loose minerals than blocks. They just don't get enough with blocks. Free choice minerals work really well.

[shanzone2001]

I don't know why I have an issue with this. I give my dogs, cats, and horse yearly shots.

[Curtis B]

I don't have many goats, but I don't give any shots to any of the animals (goats, sheep, cattle, and pigs) at my place. I feel that humans and animals both recieve too many shots and vacines. I watch them close, and take in stool samples periodicaly (when I notice any that seem off) to make sure that they are ok. The only shots I have given are antibiotics when some calves got pnumonia. I also feel the same about birthing, I don't assist unless absoulutly necessary. I could be asking for trouble in the future, but I feel my animals are better off for it.

[fishhead]

To the people who thing that feeding good natural food and raising goats "naturally" have you ever considered that tetanus is "natural" or that Clostridial perifrigens is "natural" or that listeriosis is "natural"?

There are lots and lots of natural ways that an animals life can be snuffed out. Vaccines are a simple way to prevent some of that early death and suffering from happening.

Vaccines do NOT weaken an animals immune system. Their impact is the same as being exposed to the live virus or bacteria and that's all.

[Our Little Farm]

I don't think that the cd&t shot weakens animals but constant over medication does.

[southerngurl]

I don't give shots either, it's just never been something I did with my animals other than rabies for the dogs and cats. I don't give my horses shots and certainly our cattle don't get them.

I know there are nasty toxins in them and I want everything I do for my animals to only be health building if at all possible, nothing to give toxins or cause any kind of hurt. If it does anything but increase health in every aspect, I just don't like it. This is why I like herbs. They take care of the main problem and go around doing other good things on their way. I believe God made them and that's why they work so beautifully. However, in our society, much has been lost in knowledge of how to use them.

Tetanus is about wound care and nutrition. It just almost never happens if a wound is kept properly clean. I had a doe shove a rusty wire into the wall of her foot down to the bone, I'd say. I pulled it out and flushed it real well with hydrogen peroxide and did daily epsom salt soaks. I also had a doe get hung up on a rusty nail. Poor thing was all contorted with her leg caught behind a loose board and the nail through her skin and her foot was turn against another board and stuck, poor dear. I flushed the wound and fed her high doses of a natural antibiotic and she did fine as well. Was a couple weeks before she could really walk because of how her leg was twisted. It swelled up huge from every ligament and tendon being pulled and stretched. She is fine other than atrophy of her hind end from not walking (she stood and would turn in a circle not lifting the opposite hind leg. She kept her pregnancy too.

But I think if you aren't well versed in natural care it could be a risk, though like I say, with tetanus, it's really about good wound care.

Getting out of bed in the morning carries risks. Could a goat get a puncture wound and I not know about it and possibly get tetanus. Anything's possible. But it's just not likely and I'm not going to fret over it. There are loose tree limbs in the woods that could fall on their head as well. I give reasonable protection and the very best management and nutrition I know to give and I know how to use herbs for certain things etc. SO I do my best to care for my animals and I do pray for God to watch over them and bless them because I know I'm just a human and there are probably plenty of things I can do better than I am.

[shanzone2001]

Originally Posted by fishhead

To the people who thing that feeding good natural food and raising goats "naturally" have you ever considered that tetanus is "natural" or that Clostridial perifrigens is "natural" or that listeriosis is "natural"?

There are lots and lots of natural ways that an animals life can be snuffed out. Vaccines are a simple way to prevent some of that early death and suffering from happening.

Vaccines do NOT weaken an animals immune system. Their impact is the same as being exposed to the live virus or bacteria and that's all.

I understand what you are saying.
It is not that I am all about "natural" and against shots (I give them to my other animals), but I can't help but wonder if it is necessary for goats. I am far from being an expert, and perhaps I have just had good luck so far.
Most likely I will just give shots to all of my goats when my kids arrive...hopefully any day now. I would feel horrible if any of my goats became sick and it was something I could have prevented.

Is anyone aware of statistics that compare the illness rates of goats with shots to those without? I think that would be interesting.

For the record, I went back and forth with this when I was pregnant with my first child. I ended up going with immunizations for both of my children.

[Kazahleenah]

Originally Posted by southerngurl

I don't give shots either, it's just never been something I did with my animals other than rabies for the dogs and cats. I don't give my horses shots and certainly our cattle don't get them.

I know there are nasty toxins in them and I want everything I do for my animals to only be health building if at all possible, nothing to give toxins or cause any kind of hurt. If it does anything but increase health in every aspect, I just don't like it. This is why I like herbs. They take care of the main problem and go around doing other good things on their way. I believe God made them and that's why they work so beautifully. However, in our society, much has been lost in knowledge of how to use them.

Tetanus is about wound care and nutrition. It just almost never happens if a wound is kept properly clean. I had a doe shove a rusty wire into the wall of her foot down to the bone, I'd say. I pulled it out and flushed it real well with hydrogen peroxide and did daily epsom salt soaks. I also had a doe get hung up on a rusty nail. Poor thing was all contorted with her leg caught behind a loose board and the nail through her skin and her foot was turn against another board and stuck, poor dear. I flushed the wound and fed her high doses of a natural antibiotic and she did fine as well. Was a couple weeks before she could really walk because of how her leg was twisted. It swelled up huge from every ligament and tendon being pulled and stretched. She is fine other than atrophy of her hind end from not walking (she stood and would turn in a circle not lifting the opposite hind leg. She kept her pregnancy too.

But I think if you aren't well versed in natural care it could be a risk, though like I say, with tetanus, it's really about good wound care.

Getting out of bed in the morning carries risks. Could a goat get a puncture wound and I not know about it and possibly get tetanus. Anything's possible. But it's just not likely and I'm not going to fret over it. There are loose tree limbs in the woods that could fall on their head as well. I give reasonable protection and the very best management and nutrition I know to give and I know how to use herbs for certain things etc. SO I do my best to care for my animals and I do pray for God to watch over them and bless them because I know I'm just a human and there are probably plenty of things I can do better than I am.

Great post!

[LoneStrChic23]

I don't vaccinate my dogs yearly. I titer test. My husband's Weim (who has since passed on) got his booster shots & the 3 year rabies vaccine at one year old......At 9 years old his titer levels were still as high as they were at 2 years old. I don't vaccinate my puppies with combo shots that contain vaccines I don't need in my area, and I've seen adverse reactions to combo vaccines..... I vaccinate them with parvo & distemper (separate, not combined) & first shots are not given until 9 weeks old, & a booster at 12 weeks before they leave. I have buyers give last vaccine at 16 weeks, 3 year rabies shot at 6 months if they can get away with it legally & at one year old I pay for their first titer test....So far, 3 litters of puppies have all come back with very high titers using this vaccinations protocal...


For goats, I do CDT, & a booster 3 weeks later every year. I don't remember all of it, but it was explained to me once by my vet that goats have freakish metabolisms & they have a harder time holding long term immunity like dogs do, hence the reason you give CDT every year to be safe....Those weren't his exact words, its my paraphase, but I can't remember everything he said. (sorry, I'm scatter brained)

This year I am adding the Lysign vaccine for my does prior to breeding, thanks to the staph I had to deal with on both of my girl's udders this year....

To me, goats can go downhill RAPIDLY, so fast your left scrambling to try and figure or what's wrong & save them......and many times there are losses despite best rescue efforts I prevent what I can to give my goats the best survival chance if they do get into some trouble...

I don't think your stupid for not wanting to vaccinate. I think everyone needs to make choices based in their beliefs and what they feel comfortable with. Research pros & cons of each & do what you believe is right.

My family & I do limited vaccinations.......no flu shots or any of that mess, but we do have current tetnus shots.