# Ivomec oral vs. injected



## Redboer

I've been reading quite a bit about dewormers and have seen a lot of controversy about which route is better. Who here uses Ivomec orally? And who injects it SQ? And why? And what have your results been?


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## maple hill farm tina

I give it orally because I have two does who are super-huge babies and cry like they're dying when they get shots. And my big buck literally falls over when I give him a shot (he's Nigerian, not fainter) :wink: . The first time I gave him his CD/T booster, I seriously thought I killed him. So, I figure one less shot is always a good thing.  Less stress for them and me...


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## Burns Branch Boers

I am also learning this, as I am now caring for our first goat herd. I have read that oral is most preferred, but with a suspected HIGH worm load the injectable route is better. The injectable route is better with a high worm load, due to what I have read, because the worms do not die off in such mass quantities all at once-thus lessening the chance of the host animal bleeding internally. 

However, I gave mine their 1st oral doses of Ivermectin last Thursday. One of my doe's appeared to be anemic (acting fine and eating well-but the eyelids were PALE!). I dosed them before reading about the injectable method of delivery. So I am crossing my fingers and hoping that she will be ok. She still seems fine but today I checked her eyelids--still white??? Any suggestions for my doe? I read to de-worm 3x's each 10 days apart. My next de-worming date will be April 17th.


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## Maggie

I was doing ivomec orally. I did read the same thing Burns Branch Boers. We injected the ivomec this time to a new doe that was loaded with worms, her bucklings, and one other doe. I just did fecals yesterday on a couple does and the ones I gave orally still have a high amt of stomach worms, and the doe and her bucklings that I injected barely had any eggs. I can't really say if the route worked better, or maybe the particular animals had different reisistances. I think I may be injecting next time I deworm though. 
The only problem I had injecting is that the bucklings got a pea size lump at the injection site, the doe did not. The one doe didn't even notice I gave it to her, the bucklings did act like it stung a little. The good thing about injecting it was that I know exactly the amount they got. A few times giving it orally my husband lost his grip on the goat and they ended up putting their heads down and spitting some up, so I was left guessing how much more I needed to give.


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## Burns Branch Boers

Maggie--makes sense. I also think I will definately inject next time (and in the future) when we de-worm.


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## naturalgoats

when I talked to my vet about this he said that there had been studies that Ivermectin works best orally. I was at the time giving Ivomec plus and he said I should inject as he didn't know what the clorsulon would do orally..


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## peggy

Very good question..... I cannot get a local fecal done so I am going to worm my girls because they are due and one is thinner than she should be. I am going to inject but what is the dosage?????????


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## naturalgoats

the dosage my vet suggested (again this was for Ivomec plus) was 1 cc per 75 lbs


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## peggy

I have the regular ivermectin and it says for cattle and swine. Hardly anything is designed for gaot usage. I read somewhere that the dosage should be a lot more than stated on the box for cattle or swine??? So much conflicting info.....Do I repeat it again in 10 days??? I am scared to do it orally because I don't know how infected they are with the worms.


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## toth boer goats

> I've been reading quite a bit about dewormers and have seen a lot of controversy about which route is better. Who here uses Ivomec orally? And who injects it SQ? And why? And what have your results been?


 I use it orally most of the time... unless my goats get mites real bad then I inject it... just under the skin.. of course the goats don't like it but injecting works for the bad mite issues... :wink:



> I give it orally because I have two does who are super-huge babies and cry like they're dying when they get shots. And my big buck literally falls over when I give him a shot (he's Nigerian, not fainter) :wink: . The first time I gave him his CD/T booster, I seriously thought I killed him. So, I figure one less shot is always a good thing.  Less stress for them and me...


 Your buck is a big baby LOL.... :laugh: some don't like it and react that way... while others... it stings real bad with certain drugs..... this can also be that... the shot came from the fridge.. and got the injection right away... without getting it to room temp......it will feel like a burning sensation.... :wink:



> I am also learning this, as I am now caring for our first goat herd. I have read that oral is most preferred, but with a suspected HIGH worm load the injectable route is better. The injectable route is better with a high worm load, due to what I have read, because the worms do not die off in such mass quantities all at once-thus lessening the chance of the host animal bleeding internally.
> However, I gave mine their 1st oral doses of Ivermectin last Thursday. One of my doe's appeared to be anemic (acting fine and eating well-but the eyelids were PALE!). I dosed them before reading about the injectable method of delivery. So I am crossing my fingers and hoping that she will be ok. She still seems fine but today I checked her eyelids--still white??? Any suggestions for my doe? I read to de-worm 3x's each 10 days apart. My next de-worming date will be April 17th.


Yes oral works best for Goats...and you are very correct... if they have a very very high worm load and you give the wormer orally... it does make the goat bleed out internally... this is for very severe cases... it can happen....
If it has been a couple of days... you are fine with the anemic goat.... she will be pale for a while ....giving something with iron in it... can help rebuild the blood....

yes it is 3x ....10 days apart for over wormy goats...



> I was doing ivomec orally. I did read the same thing Burns Branch Boers. We injected the ivomec this time to a new doe that was loaded with worms, her bucklings, and one other doe. I just did fecals yesterday on a couple does and the ones I gave orally still have a high amt of stomach worms, and the doe and her bucklings that I injected barely had any eggs. I can't really say if the route worked better, or maybe the particular animals had different reisistances. I think I may be injecting next time I deworm though.
> The only problem I had injecting is that the bucklings got a pea size lump at the injection site, the doe did not. The one doe didn't even notice I gave it to her, the bucklings did act like it stung a little. The good thing about injecting it was that I know exactly the amount they got. A few times giving it orally my husband lost his grip on the goat and they ended up putting their heads down and spitting some up, so I was left guessing how much more I needed to give.


 It is best to get a fecal before treatment of worms... so that you will know... if giving it orally or injecting ..did better....

Some goats have more of a reaction to the injection site than others do....

Giving orally you must do it slowly and at the back corner of the mouth....the ones that spit it out actually hold it in there mouth...rubbing their throat just under the chin... adams apple area...will make them swallow it....



> Maggie--makes sense. I also think I will definately inject next time (and in the future) when we de-worm.


 Get a fecal first... so you will know.... if it is injecting or giving it orally... that is working better... :wink:



> when I talked to my vet about this he said that there had been studies that Ivermectin works best orally. I was at the time giving Ivomec plus and he said I should inject as he didn't know what the clorsulon would do orally..
> 
> _________________


 Goats systems work differently than other animals and they find that giving it orally works the best with the goat.... your vet is right.... Giving it orally is easier on you and the goat.... goats metabolism ...is so high that the difference between injection and orally isn't really a factor at all. Most meds can be given orally. Only ones that need to really given by injection are antibiotics as they mess with the rumen otherwise. :greengrin:



> Very good question..... I cannot get a local fecal done so I am going to worm my girls because they are due and one is thinner than she should be. I am going to inject but what is the dosage?????????


 I used 3cc's for my 250 lb goat...when I did it.... that is what another breeder told me...

How much does your goat weigh?


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## naturalgoats

I second the thing about the cold shot... my goats are a whole lot worse when it's cold.... I'm actually warming some up now.... if you just get a bandage or somethin and strap it to your body for an hour or so that should get it nice and warm.... I'm wary about using hot water as I think that may be more sudden and affect the med and because I think the Ivermectin has a bad effect on water creatures.


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## toth boer goats

> I have the regular ivermectin and it says for cattle and swine. Hardly anything is designed for gaot usage. I read somewhere that the dosage should be a lot more than stated on the box for cattle or swine??? So much conflicting info.....Do I repeat it again in 10 days??? I am scared to do it orally because I don't know how infected they are with the worms.


 It is a off label product... I give 1cc per 33lbs ..per my vet recommendations..orally.... yes... it is 10 days later ...to get the hatching eggs...a 3rd time is recommended for the high worm loaded goats....

How is their gum color?... if it is pink they should be fine giving it orally.... if they are white it could be bad.... :hug:


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## toth boer goats

> I second the thing about the cold shot... my goats are a whole lot worse when it's cold.... I'm actually warming some up now.... if you just get a bandage or somethin and strap it to your body for an hour or so that should get it nice and warm.... I'm wary about using hot water as I think that may be more sudden and affect the med and because I think the Ivermectin has a bad effect on water creatures.


 :thumbup: I usually just cup it in my hand...switching it back and forth...yes... you are very right and I am glad you mentioned this... :thumb: 
Please don't try to use hot water to warm it...it may make the drug not work....


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## peggy

Okay, I have the Ivomectin and needles all ready..... the girls weigh 86 and 118 lbs according to the weigh tape. So...... I read on the Goatlink, that Ivermectin should be given at 1cc per 40lbs. And should only be given by injection.... So much controversy..... Like I said before I can't get a fecal done, this is something that I will have to learn on my own. So I am hoping that injecting 1cc per 40lbs. is not going to overdose them...... So far it sounds like most of you do it orally but because I don't know the extent of the worms, I am going to inject this time. Does 1cc per 40lbs. sound about right??


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## naturalgoats

if it is plain ivomec then i don't know... but for ivomec plus my vet said 1 cc per 75 lbs....


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## peggy

Thanks "naturalgoats", I think I will go with the 1cc per 75lb. No one seems to be in total aggrement with the correct dosages for injecting the Ivermectin. It is regular Ivermec by the way.


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## Burns Branch Boers

Well we gave the 2nd rotation of the ivermectin via injection last night! I was sure that I had killed the 1st 2 goats! LOL but I was panicing so that the 2nd doe-who sulled up when she got her shot and just flopped down earned herself another shot of dexamethasone since I was frightenend she was having a reaction. Hubby who is always calm....said "I think she just layed down to scratch the spot where it stings"....he was right lol! We brought some food to her and she popped right up and whent to town! LOL! We then finished with the other 2 goats who bawled like babies! UGH! Not a process I relish lets say. I ended up staying in the barn 45 min after they all got the shots just to re-assure myself they were all ok. This a.m. the first place I went was the barn and I was so glad to see them all peering back at me! Whew-I know it was just that it stung but man, what an experience!! 

re: the dosage I have finally figured that it is 1cc for every 20lbs when given orally and 1cc per 110 lbs if injecting the ivermectin. This is for the 1% ivermectin only-without the plus.  but that is just what I have learned and decided to stick with--who knows if it is right! LOL!


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## peggy

Sounds like everyone has their own dosages...... I finally did my two girls today, here is what happened. I couldn't decide whether to do injectable or oral. So I ended up doing one of each. My smaller girl, I did subQ and she didn't react at all except when I put the needle in. No after affects or anything. My second girl I did oral. I added the meds to sunflower seeds, which the goats will dance on their heads for. I added the wormer a little at a time to the seeds and she ate them right up, no problems from her either. I will do them again in 10 days but will do the oral route. It was much easier and a lot less stressful for me and the goats. I read that the only time that doing it orally is a problem is if they have a big worm load and the worms all die at once causing the goat to bleed out....scary, but if a person follows a worming program then the goats should never get too wormy. I will give my ivermectin orally from now on.......


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## melindafarms

do not use pour on wormers for they have alcohol in them that is BAD it will Kill Them. Use only injectable Ivomec not pour on


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## dnchck

naturalgoats said:


> the dosage my vet suggested (again this was for Ivomec plus) was 1 cc per 75 lbs


I have been given Ivomec plus to my seven goats recently for mites and the vet told me 1cc per 40 lbs sQ.. Happy bleats and several others have told me the same. I wonder which one is correct. I hope i'm not od my goats..


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## dnchck

peggy said:


> Okay, I have the Ivomectin and needles all ready..... the girls weigh 86 and 118 lbs according to the weigh tape. So...... I read on the Goatlink, that Ivermectin should be given at 1cc per 40lbs. And should only be given by injection.... So much controversy..... Like I said before I can't get a fecal done, this is something that I will have to learn on my own. So I am hoping that injecting 1cc per 40lbs. is not going to overdose them...... So far it sounds like most of you do it orally but because I don't know the extent of the worms, I am going to inject this time. Does 1cc per 40lbs. sound about right??


Yes, that is correct according to most sources on this forum. I have used 2 ccs for my 85 lb doe with no problem..It does sting so some will cry like you just killed them. My little guy dropped to the ground ,,then jumped up like nothing happened. It will sting for about 5 min, just love them them after..lol


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