Goat question for a friend (worming)

[canesisters]

A friend just got 2 little goats.
3.5-4months old, 25lbs each
She says they're settling in well. Eating & drinking & pooping & peeing - acting pretty normal. However she feels like they have lost some weight - even with plenty of food available.
She mentioned that she thinks they need worming. I said YES! from what I've read here, goats get worms like dogs get fleas.
As a general shotgun approach - what should she pick up?
These are get first goats & the only ones on the property.

 

[fuzzi]

Watching.

 

[rachels.haven]

What kind of food? She may want to keep some nice dry hay out for them too.
Personally I think she may want to get a fecal run to verify coccidia or worms since they are kids and kids will get both (the type of worm will almost always be barber pole or bankrupt worm) unless she can get together the stuff to treat for both. They could have multiple things, alone or together.

Toltrazole is not legal for use in food animals in the US but is commonly used for coccidia at a rate of 1 ml/5 lbs. One dose, one day. A vet won't have anything better and probably won't want to hear what you use or give you any recommendations for treating coccidia in goats because there are no treatments for coccidia labeled for goats. I guess we're supposed to let them die from it. If the vet is brave they may want you to use sulfamed, which is an antibiotic which sort of kills coccidia too, but not well, for multiple days. (This is obviously bad antibiotic stewardship) Corid mixed like a drench and never mixed with their drinking water can also be used for goats, but it's a 5-7 day treatment and can mess with their thiamine which can kill them so I only use it for emergencies.

We don't worm often but I like to pair valbazen with cydectin to treat and dose according to Cornell's chart.They have other wormers listed too.

Tape worms, which don't always shed eggs or segments 24/7 but can cause gradual GI tract blockage and weight loss in weakened animals such as small kids require something with praziquantel (sp) to kill everything including the worm's "head", such as a horse wormer like Equimax, but those are hard to dose and annoying so I always treat with everything else before I go to the store for it.

 

[Mini Horses]

Agree with above. Young, so you want to be sure. Absolutely get some good hay for them.

 

[canesisters]

Thanks. I'll pass this along.
Also, she does have hay out, I just forgot to mention it.

 

[rachels.haven]

Also, she does have hay out, I just forgot to mention it.

Then they do probably need one of the above. Skinny butt! Good luck.

 

[Mini Horses]

And rough coat.