DE for deworning your herd? Goat specific question...

Goat wormer is a liquid, almost like milk. You worm every 3 months. 


Worming should never be done on a schedule. Only as needed based on fecal exams showing a high enough parasite load. The practice of worming just because X amount of time passes is how resistance forms. That and underdosing or using the wrong wormer.

Current livestock evidence based medical research supports worming only as needed.

Parasites are never fully eliminated. Their numbers are merely controlled.
 
Worming should never be done on a schedule. Only as needed based on fecal exams showing a high enough parasite load. The practice of worming just because X amount of time passes is how resistance forms. That and underdosing or using the wrong wormer.

Current livestock evidence based medical research supports worming only as needed.

Parasites are never fully eliminated. Their numbers are merely controlled.

I was told by a vet to worm on a schedule, because prevention is better than having them contract worms and then trying to treat it.
 
Vets, like human doctors, need continuing education. Most vets will not recommended worming on a schedule. A few old school ones will. Up to date vets will give wormers based on the results of a fecal sample.
 
Vets, like human doctors, need continuing education. Most vets will not recommended worming on a schedule. A few old school ones will. Up to date vets will give wormers based on the results of a fecal sample.

Interesting. It made sense to me at the time. I guess people can't be right 100% of the time.
 
I agree with Stacykins. Generally, livestock (sheep, goats, cows with an exception being llamas and alpacas as ivermectin is very good for P. tenuis and DOES NOT cause resistance in that species) should be treated when necessary, meaning regular fecals or when they are sick. The problem with worming on a regular schedule is the same as giving antibiotics for every illness. Eventually it builds up resistance and this is a very real and very scary problem.

As I understand it from my still ongoing veterinary education, horses are more regularly dewormed because the parasites they carry can cause fairly detrimental health problems like colic, which can require surgery or even lead to death. Still, wormers should rotated and there really is no substitute for good pasture management and hygiene. No matter how much you medicate, vaccinate, or worm, the treatments and preventions are only as good as the environment and hygiene.
 
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Interesting. It made sense to me at the time. I guess people can't be right 100% of the time.

Elimination of all parasitic worms is basically impossible. What is done is the levels are managed. Rotational grazing is a key step, keeping goats on fresh, tall pasture that isn't full of manure, reducing egg ingestion. You've likely seen something called FAMACHA? That is a program used to monitor herd health based on eyelid color, basically monitoring for parasites that cause anemia.

Fecal samples can determine the type of parasite and the numbers. Knowing what it is tells you what will kill it if an animal does have a high load. It is a cheap method of keeping an eye on your herd's health. Doing a fecal after worming tells you if the treatment was a success, or if you need to try another treatment (due to parasite resistance to the first drug).

Goat Vet Corner on facebook is full of up to date veterinarians that answer questions for goat keepers. Only veterinarians are allowed to answer questions, too.
 
It makes sense that the best maintenance would be screening on a regular basis rather than treatment on a scheduled basis.
 
Elimination of all parasitic worms is basically impossible. What is done is the levels are managed. Rotational grazing is a key step, keeping goats on fresh, tall pasture that isn't full of manure, reducing egg ingestion. You've likely seen something called FAMACHA? That is a program used to monitor herd health based on eyelid color, basically monitoring for parasites that cause anemia.

Fecal samples can determine the type of parasite and the numbers. Knowing what it is tells you what will kill it if an animal does have a high load. It is a cheap method of keeping an eye on your herd's health. Doing a fecal after worming tells you if the treatment was a success, or if you need to try another treatment (due to parasite resistance to the first drug).

Goat Vet Corner on facebook is full of up to date veterinarians that answer questions for goat keepers. Only veterinarians are allowed to answer questions, too.

That was something the vet did say. She said to keep the grass a certain length so that the parasites can't climb up the grass, yet it isn't too tall to hinder movement. I do not have my goat at my place, I keep him at a farm, so rotational grazing isn't an option for me. I have also heard that worms can breed and grow in conditions with mud and waste lying around.
 
That was something the vet did say. She said to keep the grass a certain length so that the parasites can't climb up the grass, yet it isn't too tall to hinder movement. I do not have my goat at my place, I keep him at a farm, so rotational grazing isn't an option for me. I have also heard that worms can breed and grow in conditions with mud and waste lying around. 


Yep, this is definitely true! Many worms are spread through fecal oral route and some even need time until they become infectious (sometimes a few days) so the more often fecal matter is removed, the less exposure the animal will have to those parasites.
 
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Yep, this is definitely true! Many worms are spread through fecal oral route and some even need time until they become infectious (sometimes a few days) so the more often fecal matter is removed, the less exposure the animal will have to those parasites.

Whats a shame is as I said before, this goat isn't at my house so I have no control over the amount of waste removed from the pen. It is my goat and 3 others on a tenth of an acre. As you can imagine this is a lot of waste building up!!
 

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