How much penicillin for a goat?

[res]

I wouldn't give it IM, either.

Very very rarely do we ever give IM injections to our food production animals. Even with the slaughter withdrawal period, the muscle you inject into can be "damaged" and has to be discarded at slaughter. ***MOST*** antibiotics and other meds are absolutely okay to be injected SQ, it only affects their absorption rate... However, there are some meds that you have to be very careful with admin method, such as Banamine, that you ONLY want to inject IV. Banamine IM or SQ runs the risk of horrible gangrene infection....

It is best to ask your vet, but if you explain you are more comfortable with SQ, they will likely say that is fine.

 

[cassie]

OMG! Don’t get your panties in a wad. I am a veterinarian and I advised her to follow her own veterinarian’s recommendation. Nobody else had stepped up to help her yet.

Sorry. I did not intend to cause offense. If I did I do apologize. My friends tell me tact is not my strong suit but I am working on it. I did step up to help the OP. I don't have a lot of degrees after my name but when it comes to goats I do have a lot of field experience. Also, because of where I lived and because I was involved (or my goats were) in field trials having to do with Johnes and CAE, I was fortunate enough to have the counsel of probably some of the best caprine specialists in the country. I simply passed on what they told me.

This has nothing whatever to do with the subject at hand, but we also found a workable way to eradicate CL from a herd. I just mentioned this on the off chance you might be interested. I will shut up and go away now.

 

[thinkyesi]

So i have been giving my goat 5cc and she would seem fine. Today we gave her 5cc again but this time she started to wobble trying to walk right after my husband injected it intramuscular. It's been about 2 1/2 hours and she's still alive. About 15 minutes after the injection she started coughing Abit, and now she is breathing a little bit weird, occasionally she will shake her head a bit. But nothing like a seizure so far. I tried calling the vet but the are closed and their emergency number went to voicemail and the voicemail box is full. Also it's 7pm and there's no vet that's open right now either.

 

[cassie]

You got some in a vein. If you get enough in the vein it is lethal. Procaine penicillin in the vein can cause cardiac arrest. It will definitely cause shock. That is why I always gave procaine penicillin subq. Since the goat is not dead she will recover shortly and be none the worse for wear.

 

[thinkyesi]

I'm outside with her and her breathing sounds better. Still a little off but better and she is now eating chicken. scratch Which is a start. She doesn't want her own food yet or water.

What do you suggest is the best area to inject the it subq to avoid injuring her?

Thanks for replying, your advice is so much help for me

 

[cassie]

I used the loose skin right in front of the shoulder. Just pick up a fold of skin and slide the needle underneath. You were fortunate. It is very easy to accidentally inject some into a vein. My husband once gave a shot to a Nubian kid. He said the ears went straight up, the goat fell over, kicked a few times but regained consciousness. I wasn't there but that must have been a sight to behold. The ears I mean. I had a friend who wasn't so lucky. She gave some penicillin IM to a goat and it dropped dead right then and there. Both my husband and my friend were experienced stockmen. Both of them had pulled back on the needle to check for blood, but some got in the vein anyway. Glad your goat is recovering. If she isn't herself very shortly, there may be something else going on.

 

[ShannonR]

I'm outside with her and her breathing sounds better. Still a little off but better and she is now eating chicken. scratch Which is a start. She doesn't want her own food yet or water.

What do you suggest is the best area to inject the it subq to avoid injuring her?

Thanks for replying, your advice is so much help for me

I like the loose skin behind the front leg for injections, like the armpit, easiest for me and what I was taught to do for goats. I will second the subq route in goats.

 

[thinkyesi]

We will try doing it that way from now on.
She is doing great, she is back to her old curious self. Today I bought some tri-care ointment to start putting on her wound. Hopefully it'll help with the healing too.