Howdy all!
I've been trying to decide what to do as far as selenium administration goes for my goats. I called our vet a couple of weeks ago to ask them if they gave the BoSe shot and they do; however, they are out of BoSe and they don't know when they will get it back in.
That being said, I've also looked into the Vitamin E & Selenium gel (Kaeco brand). How do I know how much to give my goats? I have adult goats and eight- to nine- month old kids. Is it okay to give pregnant does the gel (they would be one to two months along)? Do the eight- and nine- month old goats get the same quantity as the adults? Or do I just administer according to weight? If by weight, then how many mls would you give per how many pounds of weight?
According to the map I found on selenium levels for my state, it looks like my county is either
.32 - .35 or .35 - .38. Would I be considered living in a deficient area?
Thank you so much for all of your help and advice! I really appreciate it!
~Lauren : )
Replies
That's what I was thinking it would be because from what it sounded like with the vet, they said they'd have to weight the goat first before giving the BoSe. From what Kaeco said on their site, it said 4mls to adult goats and 2mls to newborns. Obviously, the 8- and 9- month olds aren't newborns ( : P), but they're not quite adults, right? I suppose it has/ had me confused. I figured that they gave the dosage amount for standard-sized goats, not minis; it eases my nerves knowing what y'all do! : ) The herbal dewormer I use for our goats is dosed according to age and whether they are pregnant or not...so that's why I'm asking the same questions about the gel, too. My main concern is that I don't overdose and don't underdose terribly much either. I'm sure you can tell I've never done this before!! Here's the link from Kaeco's site, if that helps. http://www.kaeco.com/products?page=shop.product_details&flypage...
Thank you so much for that information! I hadn't found that link when I was doing all my research on selenium, selenium deficiency, BoSe, gel, and so on. Oh, I about drowned myself in information, links, and words! LOL Okay, crazy question here, but your goats can't overdose themselves on free-choice selenium?
I do give my goats Manna Pro loose minerals and dolomite. I've done research on kelp and would love to get some; it's just so expensive. So far, the best I think that'll work for us, is ordering the Thorvin kelp from Azure since we do Azure anyway. : )
I really appreciate both of y'all's advice. You don't know ( or do you? ; ) ) how much you've helped me!! Selenium had me really nervous since overdoses can be fatal (or always are? Dearest, I don't recall : ) ). And the information on the pregnant does, too. I'd read that you should give the BoSe before breeding and a week or two before kidding and wondered if it'd be the same for the gel. Speaking of kidding, I'm not sure the exact month our does will kid. I'm thinking that two of them might kid in mid-February ( I caught the dates for those breedings) and I'm pretty sure my third doe will kid in mid-March. Would you recommend me still giving the gel a week prior to what I think? or should I just leave it be?
Thanks so much!
Lauren : )
When I've used the gel, I just followed the amount recommended on the tube for adults and the same amount for 8-9-month-old kids. It is fine to give it to them when they're pregnant. You might also want to give it to them when they're a week or so away from kidding. I now keep selenium available free choice in a dish next to the multi-minerals (Sweetlix Meat Maker), kelp, and the baking soda. They should all be in separate dishes so the goats can pick and choose. I get the selenium from Caprine Supply.
Those selenium numbers sound more than adequate, but you could also look at the map in the middle of this page
http://www.uwyo.edu/vetsci/undergraduates/courses/patb_4110/2009_le...
It spells things out as far as inadequate, adequate, and excessive.
I go by the weight of the goat. I don't have the packaging right here with me... but from what you're saying, it sounds like your package gives you age doses? I *think* your amounts sound right... but like I said, I don't have my package here with me. :)
Okay, so you give 4 mls to each adult goat? Would you do the same for the 8-and 9- month old goats? or would you suggest I dose it in between the newborn and the adult doses, which would be 3ml? Thank you for replying! : )
I don't give selenium in a shot. From what I understand, a shot is a quick fix, and doesn't stay in their systems for very long, so I make sure to purchase loose minerals with high selenium. I would get granulated selenium, but I can't find it here in my area. I dose the Vit E and Selenium gel, and feed Black Oil Sunflower Seed.
I follow the dosing on the container, and I have given it to pregnant does with no problems.
I don't know if your levels are low, so I can't be of help in that area.