BoSe dosage for goats

helmstead

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You can try! You see, both copper and selenium have narrow margins of safetly...if he were to hand you a bottle and advise you one way or the other...and you killed your goats somehow he'd be responsible as the prescribing vet. No vet I've ever come across will recommend bolusing.
 

aggieterpkatie

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We live in a selenium deficient area and I've never once treated any of my animals with BoSe and I've never had any problems. None of the farms I've ever worked at have ever used it either.

Not saying you should give it to them or you shouldn't, just saying perhaps your vet has a good reason for not giving it to people.

I've seen so many people giving BoSe at the first sign of any tiny little issue, and I think that's probably why your vet is hesitant to give it out.
 

ksalvagno

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If you aren't sure whether you want to give BoSe or not, why not talk to goat breeders in your area. Where I am, everyone gives BoSe shots. My vet even recommends it. It is up to you. I like to at least have it on hand in case you really do need it.
 

()relics

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aggieterpkatie said:
I've seen so many people giving BoSe at the first sign of any tiny little issue, and I think that's probably why your vet is hesitant to give it out.
...BoSe isn't used to correct "some issue" like a magic bullet...It is a supplement to an animals daily diet, that provides Selenium, in particular,which, in most cases, is severly deficient in most goats diet, even taken into account free choice minerals and nutrient added feed rations. Unless you live in an area that is not SE deficient. That is a fact. If your vet tells you differently, then He IMO, doesn't have the right information....Not to say you couldn't raise a goat without BoSe....just like you, yourself, can live a full life without a daily multi-vitamin...
 

ksalvagno

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Ok, so do you give the pregnant doe her shots at 4 weeks or 6 weeks prior to delivery? I have seen 2 different opinions on this and now I'm trying to decide what I should be doing. My first doe got her shots at 6 weeks prior but then I read a post to do it 4 weeks prior and now my current doe got it at 4 weeks prior.
 

helmstead

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Karen, the BoSe you want to do 30 days prior (or about that). The CD&T you need to give at least 3 weeks prior...so most do them both at once at the 30 day mark.

Aggie, your statement has already been addressed by Relics...but I've got to agree with Relics and push the point home that BoSe is used as a treatment and prevention by producers when in an area it's KNOWN to be needed. Count your lucky stars that you haven't "had any problems" and end that sentence with a "yet". Selenium is one of those little things that causes blase symptoms until you have super weak kids and fertility issues. I would say, you're probably managing to keep the levels "just OK" somehow despite bioavailability.

Having been a vet tech for years and apprenticing under a large animal vet... I KNOW why they oft don't recommend bolusing (among the many hundreds of owner-administered treatments for all classes of animals)...and its more of a butt coverage than a "I know for sure you don't need it". I know the vet the OP uses, and LOVE him dearly (hated moving away from him!) but still I know better than to hang off his every word...

Off the soapbox!:duc
 

Roll farms

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I give 1 BoSe shot 5 weeks pre-kidding (same time I give CDT) and then another 2 weeks pre-kidding.

For 3 years I gave it to our bucks, pre-breeding season. We always had lots of trips and some quads. This year I didn't 'bother'....time got away from me. Mostly twins and singles this year.....Partly because we bred them early, but I do also believe the BoSe helps buck fertility.

I didn't use BoSe at all the first 2 yrs we kidded here, and had lots of boer kids born who were knuckled under and weak.

Since we started using BoSe 6 yrs ago (I researched it a long time before I decided to do it), I might get 2-3 kids a year (usually a trip or quad) who 'needs' a BoSe shot...the rest come out on strong legs.

IMHO, that shows me more than what a non-goat-breeding vet 'thinks'.
 

aggieterpkatie

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()relics said:
aggieterpkatie said:
I've seen so many people giving BoSe at the first sign of any tiny little issue, and I think that's probably why your vet is hesitant to give it out.
...BoSe isn't used to correct "some issue" like a magic bullet...It is a supplement to an animals daily diet, that provides Selenium, in particular,which, in most cases, is severly deficient in most goats diet, even taken into account free choice minerals and nutrient added feed rations. Unless you live in an area that is not SE deficient. That is a fact. If your vet tells you differently, then He IMO, doesn't have the right information....Not to say you couldn't raise a goat without BoSe....just like you, yourself, can live a full life without a daily multi-vitamin...
I understand why it is used, and I also think many people abuse it. I'm not saying anyone on here is, I just have noticed that on some other forums I visit, it's the first thing people say to give when anyone has any little issue with an animal. I've not noticed that on this forum, but if so many people on the other forum are giving it at any sign of sickness, that tells me that many people probably over use it. I don't blame vets for being a little hesitant to hand it out. I was just expressing my opinion that in our area, we have animals thriving without receiving it. Perhaps our area isn't quite as deficient in other areas.

Different strokes for different folks.
 

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