Dewormer Chart for Goats

By Ray Kaplan, DVM, PhD, University of Georgia

1 ml = 1cc

Valbazen
(albendazole)
ORALLY

SafeGuard
(fenbendazole)
ORALLY

Ivomec Sheep Drench
(ivermectin)
ORALLY

Prohibit
(levamisole)
ORALLY

Cydectin Sheep Drench
(moxidectin)
ORALLY

Rumatel
(morantel)
Feed Pre-mix
ORALLY

Weight Pounds (lbs)

20 mg/kg
2 ml/ 25 lb

10 mg/kg
1.1 ml/ 25 lb

0.4 mg/kg
6 ml/ 25 lb

12 mg/kg
2.7 ml/ 25 lb

0.4 mg/kg
4.5 ml/25 lb

10 mg/kg
45 gm/100 lb BW (Durvet)

20 1.6 0.9 4.8 2.2 3.6
25 2.0 1.1 6.0 2.7 4.5 11 grams
30 2.4 1.4 7.2 3.3 5.4
35 2.8 1.6 8.4 3.8 6.5
40 3.2 1.8 9.6 4.4 7.3
45 3.6 2.1 10.8 4.9 8.2
50 4.0 2.3 12.0 5.5 9.0 23 grams
55 4.4 2.5 13.2 6.0 10
60 4.8 2.7 14.4 6.6 11
65 5.2 3.0 15.6 7.1 12
70 5.6 3.2 16.8 7.7 12.7
75 6.0 3.4 18.0 8.2 13.6 34 grams
80 6.4 3.6 19.2 8.8 14.6
85 6.8 3.9 20.4 9.3 15.4
90 7.2 4.1 21.6 9.9 16.4
95 7.6 4.3 22.8 10.4 17.3
100 8.0 4.6 24.0 11.0 18 45 grams
105 8.4 4.8 25.2 11.5 19
110 8.8 5.0 26.4 12.1 20
115 9.2 5.2 27.6 12.6 21
120 9.6 5.5 28.8 13.2 22
125 10.0 5.7 30.0 13.7 22.7 56 grams
130 10.4 5.9 31.2 14.3 23.6
140 11.2 6.4 33.6 15.4 25.4
150 12.0 6.8 36.0 16.5 27.3 68 grams

Important Notes

Valbazen Suspension (11.36 % or 113.6 mg/ml): 20 mg/kg orally; withdrawal time is 9 days for meat and 7 days for milk Do NOT use in pregnant does in the first trimester of pregnancy

Safe-Guard/Panacur Suspension (10% or 100 mg/ml): the label dose in goats is 5 mg/kg, but a 10 mg/kg dosage is recommended. At 10 mg/kg, withdrawal time is 16 days meat and 4 days for milk. Add 1 day for each additional day the drug is used (e.g. if administered 2 days in a row then withhold milk for 5 days after 2nd dose).

Ivomec Sheep Drench (0.08% or 0.8 mg/ml): 0.4 mg/kg orally; meat withdrawal time is 14 days and milk withdrawal is 9 days.

Prohibit Soluble Drench Powder (Sheep): (Note that this drug is also sold as Levasol and Tramsiol) 12 mg/kg oral dose with meat withdrawal of 4 days and milk withdrawal of 3 days. Solution prepared by dissolving a 52 gram packet in 1 quart (943 ml) of water. This yields a solution with 49.6 mg/ml. If dosing kids, it is safer to dilute further (1 packet in 2 quarts of water), and then administer twice the amount listed on the chart. The larger volume administered will then provide a wider margin for safety if there are small errors in dosing.

Cydectin Sheep Drench (1 mg/ml): use orally at 0.4 mg/kg orally; for a single dose the meat withdrawal time is 17 days and milk withdrawal is 8 days. Note that these withdrawal times are only applicable for the sheep oral drench at the dose given here. Higher doses will require a longer withdrawal time.

Morantel tartrate (Rumatel) recommended label dose for goats is 10 mg/kg, orally. There is 0 (zero) withdrawal time for milk in lactating cattle and dairy goats. Meat withdrawal time for goats is 30 days. Because of the large differences in morantel concentration among the various products, it is important to carefully read the label and make sure you are dosing correctly. The dosage on the chart above is for Durvet Rumatel. {With Durvet Rumatel, feed 0.1 lb (45 grams) per 100 lbs. BW; and with Manna Pro feed 1.0 lb per 100 lb. BW}. There is also a highly concentrated form called Rumatel 88, but this is meant for mixing into large volumes of feed (feed 0.1 lb (45 gram) per 2000 lb BW). Note that the 10 mg/kg dose used for the chart is the label dose; administering 1.5 – 2X this dose may improve efficacy. If an elevated dose is used then withdrawal times would need to be extended.

Note on Guideline for Anthelmintic Dosages in Goats

The attached chart was developed by Ray M. Kaplan, DVM, PhD, DACVM, DEVPC (University of Georgia) with subsequent contributions by Patty Scharko DVM, MPH (Clemson University). It is provided as a possible guideline for anthelmintic (deworming) dosages for goats. Producers should always consult their veterinarian for advice on their specific management situation, for determining which of the dewormers remain effective on the farm, and for determining the most appropriate dosages for their herd. Meat and milk withdrawal times listed in this document are based on the most current information available from FARAD as of it’s writing. Be aware that these recommended withdrawal times may change over time as new pharmacologic information is obtained.

With the exception of fenbendazole administered at the 5 mg/kg dose, these drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in goats, and when used in goats are considered extra label use. Fenbendazole at the recommended dose rate of 10 mg/kg is also considered extra-label usage. The FDA regards extra-label use of drugs as an exclusive privilege of the veterinary profession and is only permitted when a bona fide veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists and an appropriate medical diagnosis has been made. The following chart is intended to serve as a guideline for improving accuracy when dosing goats with an anthelmintic, but these drugs should be used in goats only when appropriate veterinary advice has been received. Cattle pour-on dewormers should NEVER be used in goats to treat internal parasites.

Drug resistance to multiple drugs and sometimes to all available drugs in parasites of goats is extremely common. The effectiveness of a dewormer should always be tested before being used by performing a Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) or DrenchRite larval development assay. Contact Sue Howell in Dr. Kaplan’s laboratory (706-542-0742; or drenchrt@uga.edu) for more information about the DrenchRite test (current cost: $450).

To improve the effectiveness of deworming treatments, multiple dewormers may be administered at the same time sequentially. It is important not to mix the different drugs together as they are not chemically compatible. They should be given separately, but can all be given at the same time, one right after the other. It is always recommended to treat goats selectively given their individual need for treatment based on FAMACHA score, fecal egg count, body condition score, and other health measurements as a guide. This recommendation is even more important when using drugs in combination. If all animals in the herd are treated, resistance to the dewormers will develop rapidly, and if using a combination there will be nothing left to use when this happens.

Additional Note on Cydectin

For a short period, it was recommended to administer Cydectin (moxidectin) by injection. However, new information suggests that the oral route is preferred. If the cattle injectable is used, FARAD recommends a 120-130 day meat withdrawal time. NOTE that the cattle pour-on formulation should NOT be administered to goats orally – this is not permissible under extra-label use law. ALWAYS use the sheep oral drench. Check ACSRPC website for more information on drug choice and drug resistance.

Updated September 2014