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Over the counter can be over the top.

6/20/2013

4 Comments

 
Often in chat groups over the counter treatments are recommended for this situation or that.  Do they work? Yes, in a way. Pepto Bismol and Milk of Magnesia are two we hear of quite
often.  But...........always the buts.  Are they the right thing to
use for our goat kiddies?
PEPTO BISMOL. Pepto Bismol can be a very effective treatment when used  properly. Is Pepto Bismol completely safe? There are risks when taking any over the counter medications. Here are some issues when using Bismuth subsalicylate. It is not recommended during the last half of pregnancy, due to a
condition called bismuth encephalopathy, which is a premature closure of the ductus arteriosus. Taken within the last 3 months of pregnancy has caused interference with normal labor and delivery in humans and some harm to the fetus. Salicylate containing
medications have been linked to Reye's Syndrome in children, teens, and adults.

Yes, these are conditions for humans, but consider the  following....Pepto Bismol works by slowing the growth of bacteria that might be causing the diarrhea. Goats need various bacterium in order for their stomachs to function properly. For a goat, their rumen is their life!  Without flora, good flora in their gut they can sicken and die quite fast.  
 
Another thing to consider is that using Pepto will slow the SYMPTOMS of  parasitic issues, but not resolve those nor help fight them.  It should never be used if there is a fever or blood/mucus in the stools.  So would we use Pepto for our
herd? Actually never. We wouldn't even use Pepto Bismol ourselves for that matter. 
 
Other inactive ingredients' are: benzoic acid, flavor, magnesium
aluminum silicate, methylcellulose, red 22, red 28, saccharin sodium, salicylic acid, sodium salicylate, sorbic acid, and
water.

MILK OF MAGNESIA.  Who hasn't heard of MOM.  We,
ourselves, grew up with the MOM jingle as often as we heard the famous Alka-Seltzer 'Oh what a relief it is' every time we turned around. But what do we really know about MOM?  Known generically as magnesium hydroxide, Milk of Magnesia is actually a magnesia suspension.  What does that mean?  It  means the inorganic compound that is 'suspended' in water, making the product liquid instead of solid.  In solid form, the mineral is called brucite.

Milk of Magnesia is used to reduce stomach acid and increase water in the intestines to help with constipation.  Like Pepto, they don't recommend using this product if pregnant or breast-feeding.  Children under 2 years of age should not be given this product either.  
 
Some side effects include: difficulty breathing; closing of your
throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; weakness; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; and hives.  MOM also interferes with the absorption of folic acid and iron.  There have been issues with drug interactions, such as some antibiotics, blood thinners, antifungals, etc.  
 
Now let's think about our goats. Why would we dose them with MOM?  If it effects the acid in stomachs, then this product would affect the rumen of our goats.  Anything that would risk the rumen flora is to be avoided.  Especially if our goats aren't constipated.  Probiotics would work far better assisting their rumen and aiding their digestion.  Would we use this
product? No, so why would we give this to our goats?

Other inactive ingredients' are: Purified Water; & Sodium
Hprochlorite.
 
TREATING WITH OVER THE COUNTER PRODUCTS.  When considering treating livestock with over the counter products, we need to consider some serious issues first, especially when products are formulated for human use, not animal use.  Ask
yourself some simple questions:  
 
What is the product recommended for? 
What symptoms do our goats actually have?   
Will it affect their rumen in a negative way?  
Does the product have a children's dose listed?
What other treatments are we giving our goats? 

 
Think about these questions.  Answering these simple questions will help you use over the counter products or better yet, not use them at all is possible.  Remember products made for human consumption may not be the best item for our goats. But any product that affects their rumen, we need to use caution.

Peace always
Brenda Lee
4 Comments
Nancy
10/23/2013 10:19:54 am

I have used Milk of Magnesia in the past for goats. The only real reason I have heard it recommended is for grain overload/acidosis. So, in that case, it is a very good thing to use and changing the pH of the rumen is actually a good thing. I used it for mine when I did not latch the gate and had escapees eating loads of grain.

Pepto, I have never used on goats. But, there is another pink liquid for diarrhea, kao pectate (not the name brand as I have heard this has changed to be same formula as pepto). It is kaolin and pectin. It is not something to use solely...you need to correct the reason for the diarrhea to begin with, but especially in young kids, they can easily die of dehydration due to having diarrhea.

Reply
Brenda lee link
10/23/2013 11:48:01 am

Our belief is that using any man made product has risks and side effects. Why use MOM when probiotics would work FAR better at adding a goats rumen? We practice prevention, not correction. A goats rumen can be adversely effected by Pepto or MOM. The warnings against using these products during pregnancy or with infants - so why would you treat your goat with it?

Reply
Nancy
10/23/2013 11:15:02 am

Kao pectate is just kaolin and pectin.

For the reasons I mention above. Absolutely it would be better to prevent a goat from gorging on grain and subsequently getting acidosis, but stuff happens. You can bet your boots I make sure my gate is latched every time I leave now, lesson learned! But, sometimes you just can't prevent accidents from happening, and no amount of probiotics is going to save a goat from ruminal acidosis from an accute grain binging session.

Actually, for a ruminant animal, most probiotic products are pretty useless, because they mostly contain lactic-acid bacteria, which are only a small portion of their rumen flora. They work great for young kids (pre-ruminating), but other than that, not so much. The best probiotic for a ruminant is a stolen cud (or even better juices from the rumen) from a healthy herdmember (the fancy name for this is rumen transfaunation).

Reply
Brenda Lee link
10/23/2013 11:46:57 am

Yes, you can't prevent everything, but probiotics is the first thing we use with any goat showing signs of health issues, accidents included. The product we use is Fortified Vit. B complex oral gel by Kaeco. 100 mg Thiamine; 500 mcg Vit. B12; & 2.5 billion CFU probiotics. Not only has it saved a goat, it has prevented vet calls, and aided in a quick recovery of any illness.

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