# Can Ivermectin paste be used for goats?



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

A couple bought 2 of my kids but can't pick them up for about 5 more weeks & they have a horse & want to know can they use the ivermectin paste on the goats too & how much to give. I use the ivermectin drench & it is a little expensive so I understand when they'll only have 2 goats not wanting to buy a big bottle for 70.00 that will last them for years if they don't really have to. I really didn't have the answer since I don't have horses. Does anyone really know or should I ask in Equine?


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

Absolutely! I buy a case of it, use it for the horses and the goats. You triple the dosage for a goat - so if it's a 100 lb goat, give as for a (hypothetical) 300 lb horse. One tube does me for 2 big goats and 2 little goats.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Yes...I have used the paste. Like Pook says, 3 times the horse dose. BUT, you can also tell them that their small animal vet should have it and they should be able to buy it by the cc so they wouldn't have to buy a whole bottle. That is what I do now...Just have the vet measure it out into a syringe.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Thanks, I buy the big bottle but it is a little pricey & they already have a horse.


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## DixyDoodle (Nov 15, 2005)

I can buy injectable ivermectin, $30 a bottle and a box of 12 syringes for $3.75. Pretty cheap, I thought, at least for my area.  At least you can be sure with injections that they get the entire dose and don't spit it out or whatever. 

My only concern with the horse version would be giving too much, as you would have to "cut" the paste so many times to bring it down to a safe dosage. The injectable goes by strict weights....ie, so many mL for each 5 lbs. None of my goat are over 65lbs.


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

DixyDoodle said:


> I can buy injectable ivermectin, $30 a bottle and a box of 12 syringes for $3.75. Pretty cheap, I thought, at least for my area.  At least you can be sure with injections that they get the entire dose and don't spit it out or whatever.
> 
> My only concern with the horse version would be giving too much, as you would have to "cut" the paste so many times to bring it down to a safe dosage. The injectable goes by strict weights....ie, so many mL for each 5 lbs. None of my goat are over 65lbs.


A 65 lb. goat would need the dose for a 195 lb. horse -- and a slight overdose won't hurt the goats (but keep it well away from your dogs). So you could give the dose at the first mark on the syringe, which is 250 lbs., I think (I'm at work and don't have a syringe in front of me). 

Kathleen


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

The problem I have with paste is that I'm afraid the "good stuff" might be at one end or the other of the tube. When you give it to a horse it's usually almost the whole thing so there is no worry...so when I have used the paste in the past I squirt the whole thing into a bowl and mix it up good and then suck out the dosage into a smaller syringe. A lot goes to waste.


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## DQ (Aug 4, 2006)

I would think that the manufacturer should do a good job of making sure that the effective ingredient is well distributed throughout the tube. it is made for small horses and foals too which wouldn't require the whole tube by a long shot. but you never know I guess. I wouldn't be able to stand wasting most of a tube. I stock up on tubes when they are on sale.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I will make sure they have all the imformation for the paste & explain how it has to be given & such. Maybe their vet will dispense it in single dose syringes like Minelson suggested. I don't think mine would but have never asked them.
As for the injectable I prefer to do the oral Ivermectin drench since it burns so bad & some people don't really like to give shots if they don't have too, I am 1 of them I guess too.

These are nigerian dwarf goats so they will never even see 65 pounds so they will have to cut it down an awful lot won't they?


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## Christiaan (Mar 13, 2004)

I use pour-on. Works great, easy to measure, a lot easier on the goats.
It is almost impossible to overdose to a toxic level with Ivermectin on goats, so it is safe to error on the high side rather than do an ineffective job with a too low dose.


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## DixyDoodle (Nov 15, 2005)

I wonder why that is, that goats actually take a higher dose than horses, must be that horses are just very sensitive to ivermectin? You would think it would be the other way around, wouldn't you?


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I think it's because of the difference in metabolizm...that's what I heard anyway


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## crazygoatgal (Jan 15, 2008)

Backfourty said:


> These are nigerian dwarf goats so they will never even see 65 pounds so they will have to cut it down an awful lot won't they?


What do you mean they will never see 65 pounds? That means you are saying that mine are overweight or what? Please don't tell them that, they think they are just perfect!


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## TennesseeMama23 (May 10, 2006)

ALL wormer should be given orally. Not poured on, not injected. 

Pour on ivermectin-give label dose. Injectable give double label dose.


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## Goat Servant (Oct 26, 2007)

The problemo here is that unless you get indivual doses from the vet, you have to to extra label as none of them ive seen mention goats, whether you use the paste, injectable or pour on. 
I use the 1% ivermectin injectable at 1cc pr 50lb..draw it up, pop off the needle and give orally.


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## zukeeper (Feb 4, 2008)

TennesseeMama23 said:


> ALL wormer should be given orally. Not poured on, not injected.
> 
> Pour on ivermectin-give label dose. Injectable give double label dose.


OK , I am a lurker but you got me curious . Why not pour on ? We raise foundation quarter horses and have compared pour on with paste ( on a rotation program ) over the last two years and have found no difference in samples . The pour on worked equally as well as paste............in horses. 
Are goats a different matter ? why would pour on in goats be as label but paste 3 times the dose of a horse ?? Any help is appreciated as we are going to be getting into boer goats this fall


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## Goat Servant (Oct 26, 2007)

Well Zukeeper, goats have higher metabolic rate compared to horses, which is why the dosage for horse worming paste is so much more. 
I have heard that using the pour on for goats along the back can burn the skin. The only time I have used it as a pour on is when I've had a few with chorioptic mange and then only maybe 3 cc on the affected site as a pour on.


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## zukeeper (Feb 4, 2008)

Goat Servant said:


> Well Zukeeper, goats have higher metabolic rate compared to horses, which is why the dosage for horse worming paste is so much more.
> I have heard that using the pour on for goats along the back can burn the skin. The only time I have used it as a pour on is when I've had a few with chorioptic mange and then only maybe 3 cc on the affected site as a pour on.


ohhhhhhh , geeez , I'm such a idiot LOL , I thought ya'll were talking about pour on like in pour on their feed !! arghhhhhhhhhhhhh 

now everything makes much more sense  thank you !!


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## Goat Servant (Oct 26, 2007)

Hey Zu!! :buds:I didnt have a clue at first when they talked about "top dressing" so this is why we are here, to learn!!


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## crazygoatgal (Jan 15, 2008)

Zukeeper-- I'll admit it now, but I thought "pour on" meant onto their food too. Fortunately, I never had any of that kind to work with. Lucky goats, they never would've eaten their supper and probably would've thought I was trying to poison them.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Thanks everyone, I'm keeping all this imformation for them & will try to help them get the best imformation, of course they will do what they think is best but they are really nice people & love & take good care of their horse so I'm sure they will the goats too.

Crazygoatgal, I better weigh my doe's again I guess but they are full grown & I know last year I weighed them & they were both roughly 45-50 pounds & my buck was 60 pounds this last Serptember but he looks slim, nice build just a little taller than my girls. Now you got me thinking somethings wrong with my goats. They are definately not underfed here either! hahahaha!!


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## jlrchisamore (May 4, 2009)

I heard it was something to do with the fact that a horse only has one stomach and a goat three.


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