Are you on the market looking for the best goat dewormer? Well, consider yourself lucky because you’ve landed at the right platform to seek advice!
While goats are sturdy creatures, they have a strong immune system to shrug off common illnesses common in other animals. They may depict a relaxed and calm nature, but from within, they are tough. Goats possess the ability to survive in the most challenging environments.
However, even with all the toughness and robustness, goats can still fall prey to internal parasites. While parasites like liver flukes, whipworms, tapeworms, and hookworms are common in goats, the one that always strikes out is barber’s pole worm, most widely known as Haemonchus contortus.
If you wouldn’t know whether your goat has to be dewormed, don’t worm them. Over-worming your goat can result in the development of drug-resistant parasitic infections.
But how would you know when and how to deworm your goat? While we may not possess similar knowledge compared to your local vet, we believe in our experience. That is why we will list down the best goat dewormer medications you should give your goats. Look out for the FAQs section at the end to find the answer to your remaining queries!
Contents
The Best Wormers for Goats
Dewormers come in three categories: imidazothiazoles, benzimidazoles, and macrolides. Deworming is perhaps the most common use for benzimidazoles. Wormers like Safeguard, Valbazen, Pancur, and others are popular.
Dewormers such as tramisol, lavisol, and others are imidazothiazoles. Moxidectin and ivomec, for example, belong to the degraded category of dewormers. The following are the best goat dewormers that you can get on the market:
1. SafeGuard Wormer for Goats
Among the most popular wormers for goats on the market, Safeguard Goat Dewormer is perhaps the best wormer for goats out there. The wormer is ideal for goats. This may seem self-evident, yet it applies to few medicines.
Several of the medicines that doctors suggest for goats are classified to be not labeled. That indicates the treatment was primarily for various organisms (typically sheep or cattle too) but is widely acceptable for goats to use.
So it’s unusual because it was primarily for goats. Before we move forward, let us tell you the prescribed dosage is 10mg per gram of body weight and 1.1ml per 25 pounds of body mass.
Safeguard is a liquid medicine. Hence, you’ll need to use a drenching gun or needles to administer medication. One can sprinkle this over their meal. However, some goats are fussy and will avoid drugged food.
Safeguard advises a 5mg/kg dose, according to the labeling. If you go to any goat veterinary, they will advise you that perhaps the labeled quantity is insufficient and that you should increase it to 10mg/kg of body mass.
Safeguard is still not thoroughly investigated to see if it leaves remains in dairy, so don’t use it on nursing goats that you’ll be milking.
2. Panacur C Canine Dewormer
Although Panacur C Canine Dewormer is a popular dewormer for dogs, most goat owners also use it for deworming goats. It is secure and efficient deworming medicine for goats. Even though it’s intended for dogs, it’ll worm the goats equally well.
Panacur is a wormer with a wide range of actions. That implies this should treat a variety of parasites, not only intestinal tapeworm. This will get rid of parasites in the stomachs, intestines, even lungs.
Employing Panacur C Canine for your goats has several drawbacks. Since it’s marketed as a floury medicine, not many would be okay with it. That’s offered as a powder to extend the drug’s lifespan. You must, therefore, dilute it with liquid and then use it.
Like most other wormers, you can’t just suck it up into a needle and then go. Furthermore, there is a mixed attitude among the general public to pharmaceutical dilution. There’s a chance you’ll make a mistake as a result of this.
You might combine it with plenty of water (which will make it ineffective) and not enough water (which will make it unusable). This can be harmful to goats if there isn’t enough water blended in with it. The prescribed dosage is 12mg/kg of body mass and 2.7ml/25lb of body weight.
And you’re on the borderline as to whether it’s watered too much or not enough. When we spoke with farmers, we discovered that the overwhelming majority of them favored pre-mixed wormers. Additionally, it also saves time and reduces the number of buckets one would have to wash later.
However, if you’re searching for a shelf-stable, powerful wormer that can handle a broader range of parasites, this is a good option.
3. Animal Health International Multi-Species Dewormer
Animal Health International Multi-Species is a proprietary dewormer that is very successful. Morantel is an essential element in this product. It can be found in a wide variety of goat deworming medicines.
Animal Health International is a Chinese brand that makes multi-species dewormers. It comes in pallets that eliminate the need for dirty drenching guns or needles, as well as the need to stay and support a goat’s head as it consumes.
Even though the granules are meant to appear and taste like food, many finicky goats may throw their nose up at them.
Separating goats is also a wise option to ensure that everyone receives the correct amount. When you wouldn’t divide the goats while eating, the fast eaters could get more, and the most docile goats won’t be getting sufficient dosage.
Animal Health International Multi-Species may not be as powerful against every sort of intestinal worm as most of the other drugs on our list, but it is incredibly efficient against the ones that do the most significant harm to goats.
There is no waiting period between milking and worming which implies you won’t have to throw away milk once the goat has been wormed. Meat goats, on the other hand, have a 30-day withdrawal process.
4. Cydectin Goat Wormer
Dewormers that contain Cydectin are macrolides. It’s also a wide range of anthelminthic, meaning this could destroy worms on the outside and the inside. Ivermectin-resistant parasites can be killed with Cydectin goat wormers. Because of its similarities to ivermectin, infections may develop resistance to Cydectin after constant usage.
Cydectin is taken directly in a single injection of 0.4 mg/kg. Regarding Cydectin, the beef withdrawal process is 17 days, while the dairy withdrawal time is eight days. Greater Cydectin dosages may necessitate a more extended withdrawal period.
5. Ivermectin Goat Wormer
Ivermectin dewormers are macrolides, divided into two categories: Milbemycins and Avermectins, for example.
You can also use ivermectin as a generalist dewormer, and it also has a significant degree of security. Ivermectin is unique in two ways: it is effective versus external worms and has a long-lasting effect.
Avermectins, on the other hand, have a more substantial withstanding effect. You can administer ivermectin via mouth at a dose of 0.4 mg/kg.
6. Merck Goat Dewormer
Merck is a diverse dewormer that forms a protective component of albendazole. The anti-wormer is effective versus liver anomalies. Merck is given orally at a dose of 20mg/kg.
However, this is not a suitable dewormer to use within the first three months of pregnancy of your goat. Otherwise, the Merck Goat Wormer is a tried and tested success for killing internal parasites.
Frequently asked questions
Why should you deworm your goats?
Internal parasites are a common occurrence in goats. Gastrointestinal worms such as Haemonchus Contortus (type of stomach parasite), widely known as “barber’s pole worm,” are a significant issue in some countries globally, such as the United States.
The gastrointestinal parasite feeds on the goats’ hemoglobin, resulting in a blood shortage and, finally, fatality if not treated. In the summertime, the stomach parasite disease achieves its height. The gastrointestinal worm produces diarrhea, ill health, and mortality if unchecked during the winter season.
Goats, like deer, are herbivores. To protect themselves from worms, they prefer to eat from top to bottom. When goats have to graze grasslands, there is a risk that they will consume gastrointestinal parasites.
Goats are picky eaters that choose the freshest and most nutritional plant matter, such as the newly sprouting meadows nearest to the ground where you may find worms.
The FAMACHA (a technique to assess goats for medication for parasitic infections) field inspection is the first line of protection from parasitic infections. The FAMACHA, on the other hand, is exclusively valid for diseases that cause anemia.
Can you over-worm your goat?
It’s pretty challenging to endanger your goat by feeding it far too much wormer when you utilize the meds described before.
The issue is not with harming your goat; it’s with influencing the worm species you’re attempting to eradicate. You’ll generate communities of worms that are immune to medicine if you feed your goat dewormer while they don’t need it.
It is a prevalent issue in today’s society. Worming animals regularly was typical practice a few generations earlier. It’s vital to remember that you won’t wholly eradicate parasites from your goat. Closer to the truth is a 95 percent eradication rate.
Whenever you treat your goat for parasites, the small proportion of them that aren’t destroyed proliferate. When you keep exposing them to the wormer, you’ll eventually wipe off the remainder of the species that could be harmed by it.
Everything sounds fantastic when you realize the only worms that really can (and therefore will) multiply are those that your wormer did not murder. They can transmit their capacity to withstand dewormers to their progeny, resulting in medication-resistant worms.
It’s not an extraordinary situation to be in.
So, although over worming the goat won’t typically hurt it, you’ll be generating a more significant issue for yourself in the long run.
What are untrustworthy types of dewormers?
We strongly advise that you exercise extreme caution while using many of the ‘homemade’ treatments. Indeed, utilizing herbal and other natural ways makes it feasible to keep intestinal parasitic burdens minimal.
Nevertheless, suppose your goat is exhibiting symptoms of parasite infestation. In that case, they are likely experiencing significant issues, and you would not have the luxury of waiting for herbal medicines to effect.
A large number of doctors support this assertion. However, natural treatments can assist. If that is a race against time and your goat suffers from parasites, adhere to the tried and true ways.
When the worm is no longer a danger to your goat’s survival, you may use some of the homeopathic cures to prevent the problem from recurring.
One that we would recommend is Valbazen. This is okay for usage on goats unless they’re expecting a baby.
Within the first three months of pregnancy, Valbazen might induce miscarriages and other problems. As a result, it’s safer to avoid it than to unnecessary risk.
Should you worm a pregnant goat?
The pressure of conceiving, switching from a milk-based diet to concentrates and forage crops, and relocating young goats in a new environment cause the immunological process to perform less effectively, putting them at risk for contagious diseases.
Till the period of one year, worms and bacterial infections are quite common in young goats.
Deworming a pregnant female goat is necessary to reduce systemic parasite transmission to the baby goat. De-worming medication should be given to incubating females 2-4 weeks before parturition; nevertheless, not all de-wormers are suitable for soon-to-be-mothers. Therefore, caution must be used when selecting a wormer to give to lactating does.
As a result, it’s critical to keep an eye on the nursing goat for parasite issues. Does can rapidly get worm-infested, and should they become severely infected, they will need to be washed out to regain.
During the summertime, goats may get more afflicted with barberpole parasites, promoting anemia, decreased livestock productivity, and bottle jaw sickness. Infections will cause the animals’ body weight to drop and the amount of milk they produce.
Brown stomach parasites may cause discomfort to the goats throughout the wintertime. Those worms do not induce anemia in goats, but they can cause bottle jaw syndrome.
Other parasites that induce diarrhoea, decreased appetite, decreased milk supply, and severe weight loss may also exist.
As a result, choosing a dewormer that’s appropriate to use throughout maternity and won’t harm the doe or the fetus. There are numerous broad-spectrum de-wormers available; however, repeated use of certain de-wormers causes the animal’s parasite to grow immune to these.
When should you worm baby goat?
Like all the other grownup goats, baby goats are more susceptible to tapeworm infestation and other worms. When children reach the age of eight weeks, they must begin receiving parasite therapy.
You may repeat the worming every 1-2 months till the children reach the age of one year. They will then have an adult worming rhythm for the rest of their lives.
Goat de-wormer medications – Anthelmintics for goat producers
Be sure to also check this pdf guide on goat medication.
Avermectins
Brand Name: Ivomec, Double Impact, Top-line, Phoenectin Pour-on
Active Ingredient(s): ivermectin 1% (injectable) ivermectin 0.5% (pour-on)
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: 35 days before slaughter
Indications:
Control of internal and external parasites
Dosage: 1ml per 110 lbs. SQ (injectable) 1ml per 22 lbs. applied topically (pour-on)
Goat Notes: Give all avermectin wormers orally. 1% Injectable 1ml per 50lbs; 0.5% pour on 1ml per 10 lbs.
Brand Name: Ivomec Plus
Active Ingredient(s): ivermectin 1% and clorsulon 10%
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: 56 days before slaughter
Indications:
Control of internal and external parasites including adult liver flukes
Dosage: 1ml per 110 lbs. SQ
Goat Notes: 1ml per 50 lbs. to control external and internal parasites including liver flukes
Brand Name: Dectomax
Active Ingredient(s): doramectin 1% injectable; doramectin 0.5% pour-on
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: 35 days before slaughter for injectable; 42 days before slaughter for pour-on
Indications:
Control of internal and external parasites
Dosage: 1ml per 75 lbs. SQ or IM (injectable) 5ml per 110 lbs. applied topically (pour-on)
Goat Notes: 1 ml per 35 lbs. given orally (injectable) 1lm per 10 lbs. given orally (pour-on)
Brand Name: Eprinex (Ivomec)
Active Ingredient(s): eprinomectin 5mg
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: No slaughter or milk withdrawal on cattle
Indications:
Control of internal and external parasites
Dosage: 5ml per 100 lbs. applied topically (pour-on)
Goat Notes: 1 ml per 10 lbs. Great for treating kids; although a larger amount is needed per pound,
small goats can be accurately dosed.
Used frequently in dairy goats(No milk withdrawal) at 2-3 times the cattle dose.
Milbymycin
Brand Name: Cydectin, Quest Equine Wormer
Active Ingredient(s): moxidectin
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: No slaughter withdrawal on cattle
Indications:
Control of internal and external parasites
Dosage: 5ml per 110 lbs. applied topically
Goat Notes: 1ml per 25 lbs. given orally – this is the most effective wormer we have right now.
Benzimidazole
Brand Name: Safe-guard, Panacur, Benzelmin
Active Ingredient(s): fenbendazole
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: 8 days before slaughter
Indications:
Control of internal parasites
Dosage: varies with brand and type of product
Goat Notes: Treat with 3x the label dosage for 3 days in a row to kill tape worms. Most stomach and intestinal worms show resistance to fenbendazole products. Extremely high safety margin.
Brand Name: Synanthic
Active Ingredient(s): oxfendazole
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: 11 days before slaughter
Indications:
Control of internal parasites
Dosage: varies with brand and type of product
Goat Notes: Treat with 2x – 3x the label dosage for 3 days in a row to kill tape worms. Most stomach and intestinal worms show resistance to fenbendazole products. Synanthic can be given to weak and anemic goats at 2x the sheep dosage when goats heavily infested with parasites and are unlikely to be able to recover from the bleed out of a large parasite population dying at one time. Extremely high safety margin.
Brand Name: Valbazen
Active Ingredient(s): albendazole
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: days before slaughter
Indications:
Use Valbazen to control of internal parasites including adult liver flukes.
Dosage: varies with type of product
Goat Notes: Treat with 3x the label dosage for 3 days in a row to kill tape worms. Most stomach and intestinal worms show resistance to fenbendazole products. Extremely high safety margin. Do not use on does of breeding age that have been exposed to a buck, or those that are bred. May cause abortion or birth defects.
Tetrahydropyrimidine
Brand Name: Strongid – T
Active Ingredient(s): pyrantel pamoate
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: not established
Indications:
Control of internal parasites
Dosage: 3 mg per 1 lb.
Goat Notes: 4.5 mg per 1 lb. Has bee recommended for use in goats.
Brand Name: Rumatel
Active Ingredient(s): morantel tartrate
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: 30 days before slaughter
Indications:
Control of internal parasites
Dosage: Use to medicate feed at the rate of 0.44 grams per 100lbs.
Goat Notes: Mix crumbles in feed at the rate of 25 lbs. per ton. Use this as supplemental parasite control; continue worming with other products as needed. Worm goats thoroughly before starting on medicated feed.
Coccidia Prevention
Brand Name: Bovatec
Active Ingredient(s): lasalocid sodium
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: None
Indications:
Control of coccidia FDA approved for non-lactating sheep.
Dosage: not less than 15 mg and no more than 70 mg daily. Do not feed to Equines.
Goat Notes: It is available as a feed additive and in blocks. Caution: Bovatec blocks are high in copper.
Brand Name: Corrid
Active Ingredient(s): amprolium
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: 1 day before slaughter for beef calves
Indications:
Control of coccidia
Dosage: mix in drinking water as directed. Corrid is available in liquid or soluble powder.
Goat Notes: Coccidia has shown a high incidence of resistance with Corrid. There are other products on the market that are more effective. Also, Corrid depletes the thiamin levels in the rumen, need to watch out for thiamin deficiency polio when treating.
Brand Name: Deccox
Active Ingredient(s): decoquinate
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: none
Indications:
Control of coccidia
Dosage: Mix in feed ration to provide a daily dose of 22.7mg per 100 lbs. Feed for at least 28 days during exposure or stress.
Goat Notes: Although many people prefer Deccox because of it is safe around equines, Deccox is a rumen inhibitor, and I don’t believe is as effective as rumensin or bovatec.
Brand Name: Rumensin
Active Ingredient(s): monensin sodium
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: None
Indications:
Control of coccidia
Dosage: Mix 20g rumensin per ton of feed. Can feed continuously.
Goat Notes: Most effective product for goats. Ingestion by equines can be fatal.
Brand Name: Sulmet
Active Ingredient(s): sulfamethazine
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: 10 days before slaughter
Indications:
Bacterial pneumonia, E.Coli, Diphtheria, mastitis, and coccidiosis. May use soluble powder, constitute per package instruction and give 15cc orally.
Dosage:
Goat Notes: Dose orally or mix with drinking water, first dose is double the following four doses. Do not give with penicillin.
Brand Name: Albon
Active Ingredient(s): sulferdimethox
Availability: OTC
Withdrawal: 10 days before slaughter
Indications:
Sulferdimethox is effective against Bacterial pneumonia, E.Coli, Diphtheria, mastitis, and coccidiosis. May use soluble powder, constitute per package instruction and give 15cc orally.
Dosage: can be drenched or mixed with drinking water for self-medicating.
Goat Notes: Available in liquid and soluble powder form. Albon is also available in injectable form. It is very effective for coccidia and certain types of mastitis. Can also be added to milk replacer to treat kids. Good management for freshly castrated kids. Do not give with penicillin
Conclusion
This article reviews the best goat dewormer available on the market today. We firmly believe all of them are capable of eradicating the worms from within your goats. From the ones we have covered above, Panacur C Canine and Animal Health International Dewormers are also ideal for treating cattle.
We hope this article has provided enough information for you to make an informed decision in the future. With the likes of the SafeGuard Wormer for Goats, the tried and tested giant is well above the other when it comes to gaining the trust and confidence of today!
