Would you vaccinate?

[2happymamas]

My goat kids are 9 days and their dam was vaccinated with CD-T 30 days prior to kidding. I surgically castrated them yesterday evening and they are being disbudded tomorrow. Would you give Tentanus antitoxin or would you expect a certain degree of immunity since their dam was vaccinated 30 days before kidding? If you would vaccinate with the antitoxin, isn't the dose .5ml?

Thanks!

[Backfourty,MI.]

I give my does' their CD & T booster 3-4 weeks before kidding & I don't give anything to the kids when I disbud, tattoo or castrate. I figure that's why we give the dam their booster so many weeks before kidding & so far so good here.

[2happymamas]

Originally Posted by Backfourty,MI.

I give my does' their CD & T booster 3-4 weeks before kidding & I don't give anything to the kids when I disbud, tattoo or castrate. I figure that's why we give the dam their booster so many weeks before kidding & so far so good here.

Would it hurt the kids to get the antitoxin? We had a slight mishap when vaccinating the doe before kidding. I gave the first injection and some (not sure how much) came out into her fur and onto the milk stand. I wasn't sure how much she got so I drew up a partial dose and tried again. Same silly outcome. I am not sure how much, if any, of the CD-T actually got into her.

Does this scenario change your response?

[Backfourty,MI.]

If you feel better it will not hurt to give them the anti-toxin. Then wait a few weeks & start their CD & T shots.

[mygoat]

Antitoxin will not hurt. I don't do anything when I castrate/disbud. Disbudding sites are not really conducive for bacterial growth especially anaerobic. If they're going to get infected its due to a too cool of an iron/poor cauterization (iron slips and only partially cauterizes an area) OR they bump their head and break open the scab which then gets infected. I don't give antitoxin when I castrate because they're just wethers... Harsh as it sounds, I'd have to keep fresh stuff on hand for animals I don't ever keep or use for anything but meat or meat sales, and likely baby them through the illness. If I at all suspected tetanus, I'd probably just put them down instead of trying to get antitoxin into them, as it is a poor prognosis after symptoms arise. If it was a doeling, I'd work much harder to save them.