What do you do when ....

[motdaugrnds]

.... the local vets know nothing about treating goats and you need Rx drugs for them?

Years ago I discovered (by losing 3 of my nice goats) that the vet who was treating them knew nothing about goats. A necropsy proved it was a "healthy" goat that the vet had used "dog evaluations about its blood" as the bases of treatment. Another vet tells me straight out that he only treats dogs and cats.

There is another vet I started using; then discovered he "padded" his bill. Well, I cann't afford that!

Now what! I had been keeping a supply of Bo-Se, Naxcel, La200 and this year I want to have some Noflor on hand. What do you all do when you cannot get the Rx?

[Hollowdweller]

Really the only option unless you can educate the vet is to just go it alone.

Over the years any goat that cannot thrive on non vet treatment will die and overall your goats will be much more constitutionally strong.

This won't help victims of accidents but it will force you to pay a lot more attention to your breeding and management because you will have no drugs or vet to cushion your own management and breeding decisions.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Tell the dog and cat vet about your research and what you'd like to have. Ours will order what we need even though he is clueless.

[houndlover]

There are only a few drugs you can't buy online - many are available through valley vet, jeffers, and recently I found that you can buy through the canadian pet/livestock drug marketers and it's even cheaper than US prices. As for Bo-SE, I have never used prescription, I've always used the gel available OTC. It is exactly the same thing, regardless of speculation (read the label). LA200 can be purchases at my local Coastals/Big R.

[HappyFarmer]

I had this problem a few years ago. I searched long and hard and found a halfway decent vet.

If there isn't one available, buy a copy of Goat Medicine by Mary Smith ($100.00 +/-) and a link to www.onioncreekranch.com, "goat medications and how to use them".

Hopefully your vet will be open-minded. From what I understand, vet school's give about 1/2 hour training on goats.

My current vet, owns goats and is pretty good, except she doesn't quite get the concept that their metabolisms are faster & doseages vary from the label often. whe I have an expensive visit, she acknowledges (sometimes) that it would cost more than the goat is worth. So, I have her pull blood for testing, have her do emergency things sometimes, and when I call she will give me a dose or 2 of medication. She hasn't, so far, given me a whole botte of any medications, but hey, we are working on it.

Good luck,

HF

[Hollowdweller]

A friend actually bought a copy of Goat Medicine and gave it to his vet.

[motdaugrnds]

Hollowdweller, I've been doing that for the most part for over 10 years now, ever since I had a "healthy" goat necropsied (at my vet's instructions).

Thanks Alice, I will contact the vet that tends to our dogs and see if she will order the items I need for the goats.

Yes, houndlover, I do get many medications from "hoeggers", though not Rx items. What is this "canadian pet/livestock drug marketers"? Do they sell Rx items without a vet sending in a Rx? Also, what is "OTC"? What is the name of the "gel" you use that is the same thing as Bo-Se? I have not heard of any "Coastals/Big R" in this area.

HappyFarmer I purchased "Goat Medicine" by Mary Smith about 9 yrs ago. It has helped me a lot.

[phantomriver]

Have you checked into any of your local horse vets? Particularly male horse vets around here are more likely to have had an interest in cattle, raised on cattle farms, etc but the horses pay better. At least they'd be in the ruminant ball park. Just an idea.

[motdaugrnds]

Around here there are "dogs/cats" vets and "dogs/cats/small/large animals" vets. I've already experienced what the "large animal" vets had to offer.

[dustin biery]

OTC=Over the counter. Coastals/Big R are farm stores if I am not mistaken, maybe you have Atwoods, Tractor Supply Company or something else.

[nehimama]

If you could possibly get a rapport going with your vet, try to get him/her to understand that you've researched and KNOW what you need. My vet is very cooperative with me and confident that I know what my goats need.

[Fowler]

I got lucky in this aspect, NO one around here raises sheep. I am fortunate that my livestock vet raised sheep many years ago and is now training his assistants with my sheep.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

This is something I worry about when I move. My vet knows goats and after asking me what I was planning to use such and such for and what dosages (I think he was checking to see if I really knew what I was doing) he will give me whatever I need, whenever I need it and I know if I ever needed him out here, he would know what to do.

I hope I find as good a vet that's as easy to work with. I think Tin Mom found a really good vet earlier this year, and since I will be just down the road from her, I will have to find out who she uses.

Oh Tin Mom!

[hiddensprings]

My vet told me upfront when I first talked about getting some goats that he doesn't like goats but he would help me anyway he could. He's a large animal vet, great with the horses and cows. He said that I have educated him. I took advantage of a great course taht University of TN offers on Raising Meat goats (even though I do Dairy now) and I learned a ton. As long as I can explain what I need and how I am going to use it, my vet keeps me supplied with the proper stuff to have on-hand.

[Bearfootfarm]

Often part of the problem is the laws don't allow Vets to prescribe medicine for animals they haven't actually "seen".

If you can find a "farm vet" who will come to you, it's MUCH easier than loading up livestock and taking it to them.

Once they have made a trip to your place, they have "seen" all your animals

Sadly, many Vets today only want to do dogs and cats because of the convenience.