worming

[Sally A Molloy]

If any of you have used Safe-guard to worm sheep, can you tell me which product (drench or paste) and what dosage you've used? Thanks in advance.

 

---Sally

[Pipedream Farm]

Sally,

 

We've use safeguard paste periodically. We typically dose with at least the amount per lb on the product label. I can't remember exactly, but we may have gone as high as 2x the dose on the product label. Do a google search on the active ingredient and you should find a "safe" dose range for sheep.

 

Okay I'm procrastinating at work and found this for you.

 

Fenbendazole paste is marketed as a 10% fenbendazole paste (each gram of paste contains 100 mg of fenbendazole) approved for use in horses or non-lactating cattle. The 10% fenbendazole paste comes in a 92-gram syringe for cattle, a 290-gram caulking gun cartridge for cattle, and a 25-gram paste syringe for horses. The 92-gram and 25-gram paste products are marketed in a dial-a-dose syringe with multiple 250-lb. dose increments (at the lower 5 mg of fenbendazole/kg dose). Therefore, a 250-lb. dose of fenbendazole paste would deworm a 250-lb. sheep at the 5-mg/kg dose or a 125-lb. sheep at the higher 10-mg/kg dose. With either paste syringe product it is difficult to administer less than a 250-lb. marked dose. Therefore, a 150-lb. sheep would most likely receive a 250-lb. dose of the paste. Cost for this would be roughly $1.25 per dose for the horse product and $0.65 per dose for the cattle paste. While the 25-gram horse paste product may be convenient for a small hobby farm, it only deworms 4 average-sized sheep and is rather expensive. The 92 gram cattle paste product could deworm about 16 average-sized sheep at a per dose cost of roughly half the cost of the horse product.

Source: Available Sheep Anthelmintics (Dewormers)

 

I did read a toxicity report showing the lethal dose at a 5,000-mg/kg. You should check to confirm the exact dose, but I know it was well above the normal dose.

 

Mark

[kajarrel]

Pipestone (and other suppliers) carries a 10% Fenbendazole suspension (100 milligrams per milliliter). This is what they say in their catalog:

 

"Safe-Guard is a safe and effective dewormer for roundworms and tapeworms. Safe-Guard is safe in any stage of pregnancy. This is a great choice for deworming in early pregnancy or deworming ewes in the jug. Dose: 4.5 cc per 100# of body weight. 8 day slaughter withdrawal. L $113.35"

 

On another page of their catalog they do a price comparison of dewormers. Safe-Guard costs $.77 per head a little less than Ivermectin (at $.92) but significantly more than Valbazen (at $.32, but should not be used early in pregnancy).

 

Kim

[sasten]

Just fyi and to give you some peace of mind, I once overdosed a wether lamb with Safeguard, got bumped and shot almost the whole tube in! Called a friend who is a large animal vet who advised me that he would be fine (about a 40 lb lamb). He was fine, and is still around 4 years later to talk about it while being chased by puppies....

[Sally A Molloy]

Thanks Mark and Kim and Sue.

 

---Sally

[NancyO]

Sally,

Valley Vet has some wormers on sale. I use safeguard drench, supposed to give 2.3cc/100lb. I usually give 4cc. Per my vet you can give this at any stage in pregnancy.

Nancy O

[kajarrel]

Nancy,

Be careful, the 2.3 dose is for cattle. According to Pipestone, you're underdosing, which can lead to parasite resistance. You may want to recheck with your vet about the dose.

 

Kim

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

I'm so envious of you all who can use Safeguard. I'm on Cydectin and shudder to think what will happen if we develop resistance to that. Our big goal this year is to keep our ewe numbers down small enough so we can go to a pasture rotation of more than a couple months.