The Herd Health Handbook for Goat Producers: Vaccination Protocol and Quality Assurance Measures for Goats¹

Ray Mobley, Carmen Lyttle-N'guessan, and Thomas Peterson²

Introduction

One of the major concerns in a goat operation is health, maintenance, and well-being of the goat herd. Some of the major impacts of not maintaining a healthy herd include higher operation costs, greater risks of disease outbreak to on-farm and off-farm animals, higher food safety risks, lower reproduction efficiency, and tarnished reputation. A sound approach to goat health is the maintenance of a year round preventive-based goat program. A preventive-based program involves addressing potential disease conditions before they occur. It also involves a systemic approach to good management and nutrition. A year round program is recommended in order to manage and maintain conditions that may affect a herd. A disease condition is easier (and less costly) to prevent than to treat an existing condition.

A general systems strategy includes the following:

Table 1.

Vaccination Protocol for Different Ages of Goats

Vaccination Protocol for Different Ages of Goats
Pregnant Does	Vaccinate last month of pregnancy with clostridium C&D + tetanus. Booster annually, last month of pregnancy, e.g., Bar-Vac CD/T, 2 ml sc.
Kids	Vaccinate at 1 to 2 months of age if does were vaccinated during last month of pregnancy. Booster 3 weeks later Second booster 3-4 weeks later.
Bucks	Vaccinate at same time when pregnant does are vaccinated.
Yearlings	Booster all the yearlings at the anniversary date of previous vaccinations.

Other Animal Health Concerns:

Selenium deficiency
Parasites
Nutrition
Vitamin and other mineral deficiencies.

Factors that determine when other vaccinations can be given include the following:

Geographic dependent
History of disease agents in area, for example: contagious ecthyma. In the event of this, it is necessary to vaccinate all the animals and then only kids. Other diseases of importance are: paratuberculosis, foot and mouth, rinderpest, anthrax, blackleg, leptospirosis, and rabies (need specific).

Quality Assurance (QA)

Quality assurance is the activity of providing evidence needed to establish quality in work, and that activities that require good quality are being performed effectively. All plans or systematic actions necessary to provide enough confidence for products or services will satisfy the given requirements for quality.

Quality Assurance Measures Routine QA Measures Include the Following:

Proper Site Selection
Proper Facility Design
Adequate ventilation and Quarantine
Practice on-farm bio-security
- - Traffic control
  - Sanitation
Purchase from reputable source
Use sound de-worm program
Handle animals carefully to minimize bruising
Ensure injection site is free of manure and dirt
Avoid chemical disinfectants
Use needle size that will do the least damage
Use site anterior to scapula
Don't contaminate bottles
Change needles
Maintain good farm records
Follow label instructions and all guidelines to medication use and administration-if extra-label, check with a veterinarian (Appendixes I &II)

References

Dawson, L. (2001). Caprine herd health program. Pp. 16-23 in Proc. 16th Ann. Goat Field Day, Langston University, OK. http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/library/field/dawson01.html. Received August 06, 2009.

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/goats/presentations/A5%20Goatmeds%5B1%5D.pdf.

Merck & Company, Inc. (2008). Management and nutrition: Goats. The Merck Veterinary Manual, http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp, Received July 21, 2009.

Tables

Appendix I.

Goat Guideline for Anthelmintic Dosages (Internal Parasite Dewormers) July 2006 *Important --- Please read notes below before using this chart*

Oral Dosing Note: 1 ml = 1 cc								Subcutaneous injection
Animal Weight		Valbazen Albendazole¹ 20 mg/kg 2 ml/25 lb	SafeGuard Fenbendazole² 10 mg/kg 1.1 ml/25 lb	Ivomec Ivermectin³ 0.4 mg/kg 6 ml/25 lb	Levasole Levamisole⁴ 12 mg/kg 3 ml/25 lb	Cydectin Pour on Moxidectin⁵ 0.5 mg/kg 1.1 ml/25 lb	Cydectin Drench Moxidectin⁶ 0.3 mg/kg 3.4 ml/25 lb	Cydectin *Injectable* Moxidectin⁷ 0.2 mg/kg 1 ml/110 lb
lbs	kg	Valbazen Albendazole¹ 20 mg/kg 2 ml/25 lb	SafeGuard Fenbendazole² 10 mg/kg 1.1 ml/25 lb	Ivomec Ivermectin³ 0.4 mg/kg 6 ml/25 lb	Levasole Levamisole⁴ 12 mg/kg 3 ml/25 lb
20	9.1	1.6	0.9	4.8	2.4	0.9	2.7	0.2
25	11.4	2	1.1	6	3	1.1	3.4	0.2
30	13.6	2.4	1.4	7.2	3.6	1.4	4.1	0.3
35	15.9	2.8	1.6	8.4	4.2	1.6	4.8	0.3
40	18.2	3.2	1.8	9.6	4.8	1.8	5.4	0.4
45	20.5	3.6	2.1	10.8	5.4	2.1	6.1	0.4
50	22.7	4	2.3	12	6	2.3	6.8	0.5
55	25	4.4	2.5	13.2	6.6	2.5	7.5	0.5
60	27.3	4.8	2.7	14.4	7.2	2.7	8.2	0.5
65	29.5	5.2	3	15.6	7.8	3	8.8	0.6
70	31.8	5.6	3.2	16.8	8.4	3.2	9.5	0.6
75	34.1	6	3.4	18	9	3.4	10.2	0.7
80	36.4	6.4	3.6	19.2	9.6	3.6	10.9	0.7
85	38.6	6.8	3.9	20.4	10.2	3.9	11.6	0.8
90	40.9	7.2	4.1	21.6	10.8	4.1	12.2	0.8
95	43.2	7.6	4.3	22.8	11.4	4.3	12.9	0.9
100	45.5	8	4.6	24	12	4.6	13.6	0.9
105	47.7	8.4	4.8	25.2	12.6	4.8	14.3	1
110	50	8.8	5	26.4	13.2	5	15	1
115	52.3	9.2	5.2	27.6	13.8	5.2	15.6	1
120	54.5	9.6	5.5	28.8	14.4	5.5	16.3	1.1
125	56.8	10	5.7	30	15	5.7	17	1.1
130	59.1	10.4	5.9	31.2	15.6	5.9	17.7	1.2
140	63.6	11.2	6.4	33.6	16.8	6.4	19	1.3
150	68.2	12	6.8	36	18	6.8	20.4	1.4
Valbazen Suspension (11.36% or 113.6 mg/ml): Do NOT use in pregnant does in the first trimester of pregnancy. Meat withdrawal time is 9 days and 7 days for milk (FARAD). Safe-Guard/Panacur Suspension (10% or 100 mg/ml): Approved in goats at 5 mg/kg with meat withdrawal time of 6 days and no withdrawal period for milk. Although the label dose in goats is 5 mg/kg, it is generally recognized that 10 mg/kg dosage is required for good efficacy. At 10 mg/kg dosage, meat withdrawal is 16 days for milk (FARAD). Ivomec Sheep Drench (0.08% or 0.8 mg/ml): Protect from light. Coughing may occur during and following drenching. Meat withdrawal time is 14 days (FARAD). Levasole Soluble Drench Powder (Sheep): Oral solution ONLY. To prepare use 1 packet (13 gm/11.7 gm active ingredient) dissolved in 262 ml (8.9 oz.) water (44.7 mg/ml) {or 52 gram packet dissolved in 1046 ml water (35.4 oz.). NOTE: This is a different dilution from the label directions for administration. Meat withdrawal time is 4 days (FARAD). Cydectin Pour on for cattle (0.5% or 5 mg/ml): Meat withdrawal time is 23 days. Not for use in lactating dairy goats. Cydectin Drench for sheep (.1% or 1 mg/ml): Meat withdrawal time is 14 days. Not for use in lactating dairy goats. Cydectin Injectable for cattle (1% or 10mg/ml): GIVE SQ. Meat withdrawal time is 30 days. Not for use in lactating dairy goats.
Note: Producers should consult their veterinarian for advice on their specific management situation for determining dosages for their herd. With the exception of Fenbendazole administered at the 5 mg/kg dose, these drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in goats, and when used in goats are considered extra-label (fenbendazole at dose rate of 10 mg/kg is considered extra-label). The FDA regards extra-label use of drugs as an exclusive privilege of veterinary professional and is only permitted when a bona fide veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists and an appropriate medical diagnosis has been made. The chart is intended to serve as a guideline for improving accuracy when dosing goats with an anthelmintic, but these drugs should be used in goats only when appropriate veterinary advice has been received. Drug resistance in parasites of goats is extremely common. The effectiveness of an anthelmintic should always be tested before used by performing a FECRT (Fecal Count Reduction Test) or larva development (DrenchRite) assay if available. The current recommendation is to use Cydectin cattle injectable formulation and NOT the pour-on** formulation (orally) or the sheep oral drench. When administered by subcutaneous injection, moxidectin provides improved drug levels as compared to when administered orally.
Reference: Kapan, R. M. (University of Georgia), Scharko, P. (University of Kentucky) and Dawson, L. (Oklahoma State University) Collaborating institution/organization: Alcorn State University, American Boer Goat Association, American Kiko Goat Association, American Meat Goat Association,Florida A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Langston University, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University, Tennessee Goat Producers Association, Tennessee State University, Tuskegee University, United States Boer Goat Association, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, and Virginia State university Web Reference: http://www2.luresext.edu/goats/training/qa.html

Appendix II.

Medications Commonly used in Goats and Approximate Withdrawal Times

I. Antibiotics:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route	Frequency	Withdrawal Time
I. Antibiotics:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route	Frequency	Meat	Milk
Ceftiofur	Naxcel®	APPROVED	0.5-1 mg/lb	IM	Once a day	0 days	0 days
Neomycin	Biosol® and other products	APPROVED	5 mg/lb	PO	Twice a day	3 days	NA
Amoxicillin	Amoxi-inject®	extra-label	5 mg/lb	SQ	Once a day	26 days	120 hours
Ampicillin	Polyflex®	extra-label	5mg/lb	SQ	Once a day	10 days	72 hours
Benzathine Pen G	Pen BP-48®	extra-label	20,000IU/lb	SQ	Every 48 hours	30 days	N/A
Erythromycin	Erythro-200®	extra-label	1 mg/lb	SQ	Once a day	5 days	96 hours
Florfenicol	Nuflor®	extra-label	9 mg/lb	IM	Every 48 hours	28 days	120 hours
Oxytetracyline	LA-200®	extra-label	9 mg/lb	SQ	Every 48 hours	29 days	144 hours
Procaine Pen G	Crysticillin®	extra-label	10,000-20,000 IU/lb	SQ	Once a day	16-21 days	120 hours
Sulfadimethoxine	Albon®	extra-label	25 mg/lb Day 1, 12.5 mg/lb Days 2-5	PO	Once a day	12 days	5 days
EXTRA-LABEL USE IS PROHIBITED IN LACTATING DAIRY COWS. DO NOT USE IN LACTATING DAIRY DOES.
Tylosin	Tylan®- 200	extra-label	10 mg/lb	IM	Once a day	30 days	96 hours
Chloramphenicol	Chloramphenicol®	EXTRA-LABEL USE IS PROHIBITED
Enrofloxacin	Baytril® 100	ExTRA-LABEL USE IS PROHIBITED
Furacin, nitrofurantoin	Furox®	EXTRA-LABEL USE IS PROHIBITED
Gentamicin	Gentocin®	DO NOT USE
Tilmicosin	Micotil®	DO NOT USE-TOXIC TO GOATS
II. Anti-inflammatory Drugs:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route	Frequency	Withdrawal Time
II. Anti-inflammatory Drugs:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route	Frequency	Meat	Milk
Aspirin	Aspirin	extra-label	100 mg/kg	PO	Once a day	1 day	24 hours
Flunixin meglumine	Banamine	extra-label	1.1 - 2.2 mg/kg	IV or IM	Once a day	10 days	72 hours
Phenylbutazone	Bute	extra-label	10-20-mg/kg	PO	Once a day	60 days	DNU
Dipyrone	Dipyrone	DO NOT USE IN LACTATING ANIMALS EXTRA-LABEL USE IS PROHIBITED
lll. Prevention of Coccidiosis:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage			Withdrawal Time
lll. Prevention of Coccidiosis:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage			Meat	Milk
Decoquinate	Deccox®	APPROVED	13-91 gm/ton of feed			0 days	24 hours suggestedminimum, DNU
Monensin	Rumesin®	APPROVED	15-20 gms/ton of feed			0 days	96 hours suggestedminimum, DNU
Amprolium	Corid®	extra-label	25-50 mg/kg BW in feed or water			2 days	48 hours
Lasalocid	Bovatec®	extra-label	20-30 gms/ton of feed			0 days	24 hours
lV. Anthelmintics:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route		Withdrawal Time
lV. Anthelmintics:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route		Meat	Milk
1. Avermectins:
Doramectin	Dectomax®	extra-label	0.3 mg/kg	SQ		56 days	40 days
Eprinomectin	Eprinex®	extra-label	0.5 mg/kg	PO		N/A	N/A
Ivermectin	Ivomec® Drench	extra-label	0.3 mg/kg	PO		14 days	9 days
Ivermectin	Ivomec® 1	extra-label	0.3 mg/kg	SQ		56 days	50 days
Moxidectin	Quest®, Cydectin®	extra-label	0.5 mg/kg	PO		23 days	56 days
	Cydectin® drench	extra-label	0.3 mg/kg	PO		14 days	N/A
	Cydectin® Injectable	extra-label	0.2 mg/kg	SQ		30 days	DNU
2. Benzimidazoles:
Albendazole	Valbazen®	extra-label	10 mg/kg	PO		7 days	120 hours
Fenbendazole	Panacur®/Safeguard®	APPROVED at 5 mg/kg, extra-label as recommended	10 mg/kg	PO		14 days	120 hours
Oxfendazole	Synanthic	extra-label	10 mg/kg	PO		14 days	120 hours
3. Cholinergic Agonists:
Moranted Tartrate	Rumatel®	APPROVED	10 mg/kg	PO		30 days	0 days
Levanisole	Levasole®	extra-label	8 mg/kg	PO		10 days	4 days
V. Anesthetics and Tranquilizers	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route		Withdrawal Time
V. Anesthetics and Tranquilizers	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route		Meat	Milk
Ketamine	Ketaset®	extra-label	5-10 mg/kg	IV or IM		3 days	48 hours
Lidocaine	Lidocaine	extra-label	Variable for local anesthesia use, 1% in goats
Thiamylal Na	Biotal	extra-label	10-20 mg/kg	IV		1 day	24 hours
Xylazine	Rompun®	extra-label	0.05-0.1 mg/kg	IV or IM		5 days	72 hours
Yohimbine	Yobin	extra-label	0.25 mg/kg	IV		7 days	72 hours
Vl. Hormones:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route		Withdrawal Time
Vl. Hormones:	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route		Meat	Milk
Cloprostenol	Estrumate®	extra-label	125 microgram	IM		0 days	0 days
Dexamethasone	Azium®	extra-label	20-25 mg	IM		14 days	4 days
Dinoprost	Lutalyse®	extra-label	5-10 mg	IM		1 day	24 hours
Oxytocin	Oxytocin	extra-label	10-20 IU	IM		0 days	0 days
VII. Electrolytes	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route		Withdrawal Time
VII. Electrolytes	Brand Name	Approval	Dosage	Route		Meat	Milk
Calcium	Calcium borogluconate	extra-label	60 to 100 ml of 20 to 25% Solution	IV		0 days	0 days
Calcium	Calcium gluconate	extra-label	50 to 100 ml 10 to 23% calcium ion	IV		0 days	0 days
NOTE: In the table above, PO = oral administration; SQ = subcutaneous injection; IM = intramuscular injection; IV = intravenous injection. DNU = insufficient data available to make WDI estimation, this drug is not approved for lactating goats.
Use of drugs listed as "extra-label" is legal only if prescribed by your veterinarian in the context of a valid client-patient relationship. The listed dosages and withdrawal times, as well as drug status and legality of use, is subject to change. Consult your veterinarian before any treatment.
Reference: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AnimalSciences/goats/presentations/A5%20Goatmeds[1].pdf Dawson, L. 2001.

Footnotes

This document is FAMU004, one of a series from Florida A&M University, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date September 2009. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

Ray Mobley, director, Cooperative Extension; Carmen Lyttle-N'guessan, veterinary care manager; Thomas Peterson, extension veterinarian; Florida A&M University, College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Programs; Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.

The Herd Health Handbook for Goat Producers: Vaccination Protocol and Quality Assurance Measures for Goats1