• For treatment of:
  • Stress and depression.
  • Lavender has a calming and mood lifting effect.
• Goat dose:
  • If the goat is being kept in a stall due to illness, place 4 drops of oil in three different places in the goats stall twice a day.
  • If the goat is not being kept in a stall, place two drops of oil on their muzzle, above their nose.
• Notes:
• I consider this a "must have" and always have a bottle available in the barn (as well as the house)
• Click here to see more detailed information on the use of Lavender in animals.

What is it?

Dr. Edward Bach developed this therapy in England in the 1930's. Dr. Bach was working with a homeopath when he discovered Flower essences. While flower essence was developed for humans, it has been found to work on animals as well.

How does it work?

Flower essence therapy works on a similar mechanism as homeopathy. Parts of the flower are diluted and then potentised to become effective. The flower essences are found in liquid form. Thus, the remedies work on an energetic level, similar to homeopathy, acupuncture and Reiki. They affect the mental and emotional parts of our being. Dr. Bach felt that physical illness can be caused by emotional upset and by fixing the emotional balance the physical illness disappeared.

Flower essences work to heal both physical, mental and emotional illness. All of the aforementioned illnesses affect each other in one way or another. Therefore, flower essences restore the inner balance by working on the vital force. The vital force is an inner force within the body that governs our strength and well-being. As we get sick our vital force weakens and therefore, the flower essences work on our vital force to strengthen it. The particles of the essences work in specific patterns. This means that certain essences cure certain illnesses. Overall, flower essence are to said to release negative emotions and help heal and calm, using either internally or externally non toxic and have no side effects.

• Ingredients:
  • Star of Bethlehem: For trauma and shock.
  • Clematis: For the tendency to "pass out", and unconsciousness, being ‘far away.’
  • Cherry Plum: Fear of mind giving way, verge of breakdown, anger.
  • Impatiens: For irritability, tension and fidgety.
  • Rock Rose: For frozen terror and panic.

• For treatment of:
  • Beneficial for traumatic situations, such as, stress, emergencies, illness and many other stressful situations.
  • A does labor can be made easier and less traumatic by giving Rescue Remedy.

  Excerpt from The Nature of Animal Healing by Martin Goldstein, D.V.M.:

  "Of the thirty-eight Bach remedies, the one I use the most is the Rescue Remedy. That's no surprise to anyone who's worked with flowers. Rescue Remedy is the most commonly called for because it addresses both mental and physical stress. I'll use it with pets who've been subjected to any stressful situation, from weaning and relocation to a new home, to injections to turmoil or trauma in the home. To cats who are sensitive to needles, I'll give a few drops of Rescue Remedy on the tongue; within seconds, you can see the cat relax, enough so that when ease a needle in to take a blood sample, he barely notices it. WHen I use it on a pet who's in shock, or has been hit by a car, bitten by another animal, or subjected to some other acute physical trauma, the results can be truly dramatic.

  One other wonderful use for Rescue Remedy is as a grief medicine. When one pet in a household of several pets dies, I recommend that an owner give Rescue Remedy to the other pets. The satr0of0Bethlehem, which is one of its ingredients, is the flower that soothes grief- well enough that I often advise a deceased pet's grieving owners to take it, too."

• Goat dose:
  • Administered as needed, usually about 2-4 times a day. Since RR is absorbed through the mucus membranes, I have found the best way to administer is drip four drops on and/or in the goat's nose.
  • Be careful not to contaminate the dropper by touching it to the animal.
• Milk withholding time: none
• Notes:
  • I am never without a 2 bottles of Rescue Remedy; one for the house, and one for the barn. I use it for all humans and animals in our family, as well as on our farm.

• For treatment of:
  • Udder Edema, "congested udder"
• Goat dose: Oral
  • 5 - 500 mg. chewable Vitamin C tablets twice a day for 5 days.
  • In extreme cases, follow up with 1 - 500mg. tablet for 5 more days

• Benefits:
  • Vit E works in conjunction with selenium and is essential for tissue, muscular and udder health.
  • We find supplimenting with Vit E before kidding, aid in easier kiddings.
• Goat dose: Oral
  • 1- capsule (500-1000 IU) squirted on grain daily, starting 3 weeks before kidding.

• Used for:
  • Use in prevention/treatment of Selenium deficiency can which and cause Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy, or White Muscle Disease. (weak legs in kids)
  • Also can increase fertility and also aids in easier birthing.
• Goat dose: Oral
  • adult goat - 5 ml (this provides the same amount of Selenium/E as 3 ml of Bo-Se)
• Milk withholding time: none
• Notes:
  • Selenium can be toxic, and the margin of safety is narrow. Use only in Selenium deficient areas (check with your vet)
  • We give pregnant does this product at 5 weeks and two weeks before their due dates. You can also give to bucks and does at the start of breeding season.
  • Kids born with weak legs are also given Bo-Se.
  • Currently, it's a little hard to find this gel. The best price I have found for it is from PBS Livestock Health. At this writing, Jeffers does not carry this product yet.

Complete nutritional suppliment. Provides vitamins & minerals, skin & hair conditioners, blood-building nutrients, amino acides & digestive aids.

• Benefits: Aids in holistic care by supplying vitamins & minerals, blood-building nutrients, amino acides & digestive aids that may be missing from thier diet. We take vitamins every day, why not give your goats vitmains very day as well?
• Goat dose: Oral
  • Kids: 1/4 oz. (1/4 scoop) in grain one a day.
  • Dry does, bucks: 1/2 oz. (1/2 scoop) in grain one a day.
  • Lactating does: 1 oz. (1 scoop) in grain one a day.

• For treatment of:
  • Contains specific, beneficial bacteria to keep the rumen working.
  • Use during and following antibiotic treatment or any time a goat seems "off".
  • Helps relieve stress.
  • We give to a goat any time they are transported.
  • We also give to 2-3 day old kids to help get their rumens going.
• Goat dose: Oral
  • 5 gms for kids
  • 10 gms adults
• Milk withholding time: none
• Notes:
  • Yogurt containing active cultures with acidophilus can be used in an emergency, but is not really as good as products formulated especially for ruminants because yogurt dose not contain all of the beneficial bacteria that these specially formulated product do.

• For treatment of:
  • I-D Supplement is a natural immune system booster that is based upon cow colostrum. It is a source of natural antibodies that can be administered orally, topically, or intravenously. When these live antibodies are introduced into an animal's body, they stimulate the animal's immune system into producing massive amounts of disease-, infection-, and bacteria-fighting antibodies. It can be used as a preventative or reactive immune system booster.
    (more info)
• Goat dose: Oral
  • liquid- 3 cc. per day for three days and 2 cc. per day for the next three days.
  • powder- 1 tsp. per day
• Milk withholding time: none

• For treatment of:
  • Bloat (SEE Bloat)
• Goat dose: Oral
  • Give 60-90 cc and massage goats left side (rumen) until the goat begins to burp.
• Milk withholding time: none
• Notes:
  • Do not use mineral oil. Because mineral oil is tasteless, the goat may not know to swallow and the mineral oil could get into thier lungs.

• For treatment of:
  • For rehydrating sick animals.
• Goat dose: Oral
  • Mix the Re-Sorb packet with 1/2 gallon warm water
• Milk withholding time:
• none

Make your own electrolyte mixture:

Mixture #1
1 package of Jam & Jelly pectin (Surgel).
1 Tbs baking soda
1 Tbs potassium chloride, Lite Salt (can find in the grocery aisle with the diet foods)
Mix with 2 quarts of water.

Mixture #2
1 can beef consume (not beef broth)
1 package pectin
1 tsp LIGHT salt (because of the potassium)
2 tsp baking soda
Mix with 2 quarts water

• For treatment of:
  • Rhododendron/Dog Hobble Poisoning

Irene's Recipe for Rhododendron Poisoning.
Renco is the tradename for junket rennet and you can buy it in any supermarket. The action of the rennet is to neutralise the toxins from the rhododendron. One dose is usually sufficient. It is important to keep the goat warm, but not in the sun, and out of the wind. Have a bucket of fresh warm water available for the animal to drink, and each time it gets fouled by vomit empty and refill it, otherwise the goat will just be drinking up more poison. A goat which is vomiting all over the place is getting rid of the toxins much more efficiently than one which is not, so vomiting is good.

• For Adults: Mix together.
  • 15 mls Renco
  • 15 mls Mylanta
  • 5 mls brandy
    
• For Kids under 4 months: Mix together.
  • 5 mls each of Renco
  • 2 mls Mylanta
  • 2mls brandy

• For kids over 4 months: Mix together.
  • 10 mls of both Renco
  • 10 mls Mylanta
  • 5 mls brandy

Lorraine's Recipe for Rhododendron Poisoning.
Quantities do not need to be too exact.

• Ingredients: Mix together and drench the goat with the entire mixture.
  • 1/4 cup cooking oil
  • 1/2 cup strong/strong cold tea (6 to 8 tea bags)
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

• For treatment of:
  • Fly larva;
  • External parasites: lice, mites, fleas, etc...
• Goat dose: Applied topically
  • Dust on animal and around his/her living quarters (house, yard, barn, etc.)
  • Do not breath in dust; Inhaling it can cause lung problems
• Milk withholding time: none.
• What is is and How Does it work?:

DE is a kills parasites by mechanical means. It is not a poison.

DE isn't dirt or earth, is made up of the fossilized skeletons of siliceous marine and fresh water organisms, particularly diatoms. These skeletons are made of hydrated amorphous silica or opal. When crushed, they break up into tiny pieces of "glass'' (so tiny that the material feels like talcum powder). This is easily picked up by the hairy bodies of most Insects. Whereupon it scratches through their protective wax layer. The result being that the insects lose water rapidly, dry up and die.

Natural diatomaceous earth (DE for short) is the remains of microscopic one-celled plants (phytoplankton) called diatoms that lived in the oceans that once covered the western part of the United States and other parts of the world. Huge deposits were left behind when the water receded. When crushed, they break up into tiny pieces of "glass'' with razor sharp edges (so tiny that the material feels like talcum powder). This is easily picked up by the hairy bodies of most Insects. When DE comes contact with the insects, the sharp edges lacerate the bugs' waxy exoskeleton and then the powdery DE absorbs the body fluids causing death from dehydration. Said more simply, DE kills insects by drying then up.

• Notes:
  • Diatomaceous earth is very dusty and can cause lung problems if breathed heavily, so when applying it dry always wear a good dust mask or stand up wind.
  • Whereas with a contact pesticide (poison), the insect dies quite quickly, with DE control may take several days.
  • The DE sold for swimming pool filters is ineffective for insect control because it has been heated and chemically treated. It won't kill insects and it is very dangerous to breathe. Make sure to use "food grade" or "garden grade" DE.
  • Natural DE will kill beneficial insects too, so use it sparingly to kill problem infestations of harmful insects and don't use it too often.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Some people say you can use this for internal parasite control.  My own experiments showed that it was not an effective control.  I have read information from others that their goats health actually degraded when they fed DE in an attempted to worm their goats and then improved when they ceased to use it.  I, personally, would never use this as a wormer since there are more effective natural choices.