# What pain killers do you use for disbudding, if any?



## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

Getting ready to disbud my two boys and I'm concerned about pain. I have seen that a lot of you recommend banamine, but I don't have access to any at this time. What else could I use for pain management, and what would the doseage be?

Thanks for your help.


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

I had the vet do it, she numbed thier little heads with lidocaine and then gave me a slow release pain killer that worked for 3 days, so I'm not much help sorry! But I think it was called meloxiocam or something like that.


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

You could try some baby aspirin...one every 12 hours.

That's what my breeder suggested, after she banded my boys.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

I use Ow-Eze from Molly's herbals. It didn't seem at first to make a difference (we did some with and some without) during the disbudding, but we noticed afterwards the ones who had gotten it were calm and went back to hopping around -- the ones without took a little longer and were more "ouchy".


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Baby aspirin is too low a dose to be effective, I've given one 325mg aspirin crushed and dissolved in kool aid and given in a syringe as a drench to bucklings banded at 7 weeks.


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

liz said:


> Baby aspirin is too low a dose to be effective, I've given one 325mg aspirin crushed and dissolved in kool aid and given in a syringe as a drench to bucklings banded at 7 weeks.


Would you use 1/2 that for a 8 day old 6 lb buckling?
-thanks.


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

Personally, I would not give asprin because it thins the blood. Sometimes disbudding can draw blood.


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

I think I'll use ibuprofen. Found some doseage info on Fias Co Farm page, double the human doseage. I have some liquid, children's formula. Hopefully it will make my little boys more comfortable during and after disbudding.


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

caprine crazy said:


> Personally, I would not give asprin because it thins the blood. Sometimes disbudding can draw blood.


Thanks! I hadn't thought of that.


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## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

grain alcohol .... we get them drunk


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

really lilbleats??

To be honest I dont find any pain relief is required anyway, my kids are bouncing around back to normal as soon as I let them go. If they are acting like it hurts or itches, I know I havent burned them long enough because a proper disbudding job is a third degree burn which will kill all nerve endings. I noticed that those that act like the site is bothering them after I disbud, those are the ones that grow scurs and I have to re-burn.


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## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

yuppers ....
Molly's Herb - OwEase has a large % of grain alcohol. 
After taking a few swigs of that after dropping a railroad tie on my foot, I decided I'd just go with the alcohol ...


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

LilBleatsFarm said:


> yuppers ....
> Molly's Herb - OwEase has a large % of grain alcohol.
> After taking a few swigs of that after dropping a railroad tie on my foot, I decided I'd just go with the alcohol ...


So it helped numb the pain? I def know the kids were a little ditsy when it set in :laugh:


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## 8566 (Jul 18, 2012)

After taking a few swigs and thinking I just took shots, I looked at the label and saw grain alcohol. Don't know if she changed it at all, but if I've got a big burn I give banamine/alcohol. Heck if John Wayne can do it ... it's got to be ok for my goaties .... JK If I'm doing a 2-3 day old baby then I don't bother with anything because that's a mild burn. It's when they are bigger and older and I need to go to town.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I've never used a pain killer.. just get it over and then stick them under momma for a drink. That makes everything better!


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

milk and honey said:


> I've never used a pain killer.. just get it over and then stick them under momma for a drink. That makes everything better!


Agreed.


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## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

I use OwEase too - seems to work well.


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## rb555 (Oct 17, 2012)

OK, so I disbudded Domino this evening. Never again. It was horrible, he is fine, but I'm not. There is a vet about 45 miles away and she said she would dehorn them for $30 each, after they are at least 10 pounds. So I'm gonna have to go that route or loose my mind. My DH said he would gladly pay that rather than have me so upset. Thank goodness. I'm just not cut out for disbudding.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

rb555 said:


> OK, so I disbudded Domino this evening. Never again. It was horrible, he is fine, but I'm not. There is a vet about 45 miles away and she said she would dehorn them for $30 each, after they are at least 10 pounds. So I'm gonna have to go that route or loose my mind. My DH said he would gladly pay that rather than have me so upset. Thank goodness. I'm just not cut out for disbudding.


I'm so sorry ... our first time was horrible too -- but it was because we didn't have someone to hold him still and it took a long time ... I'm sorry :hug: It is a whole lot more stressful for us, that's for sure!!


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

rb555, my first time was pretty bad too. I had the vet do several kids after that, but I thought he put them through more pain and stress than necessary, and when I had two doelings obviously in discomfort the next day, I determined to do it myself in future. Next disbudding I did went very well! Much easier on the kid - and on me, since I felt I was doing a better job than the vet.
Just be sure the iron is HOT. The easiest way to hold the kid still is to cover it with a towel, straddle it kneeling, pinning down the towel so it can't struggle or hurt itself, and hold its head down against the ground (which is also padded with a towel).
You never get "used to" it, but you get to where you know how to do it with the least pain and stress possible.
This is why I love polled goats!!!!

Lilbleats, where do you get grain alcohol and what is the dosage?


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## WillowGem (Aug 3, 2011)

Rhonda, I'm so sorry you had such a traumatic time with the disbudding.
I KNOW I would never, ever be able to do it myself.

I was visiting the breeder, when Merlin was scheduled to be disbudded.
She suggested that I might want to leave before they started...and I was out of there!


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