months old, or your goat is sick or stresed, reach for the ANTITOXIN. When you see ANTITOXIN, think ANTIDOTE. In the case of CD organisms and Tetanus, they make the goat sick, or dead, by creating a toxin (poison). An ANTITOXIN is the antidote for that toxin. If you suspect, or know, one of these toxins is affecting your goat, the ANTITOXIN is the quicker way and easier way to neutralize the toxin. If your goat is too young, weak, stressed, or otherwise depressed, the ANTITOXIN could be the way to go. Back in geometry class with the flu, there is no way you're going to recognize a polygon, much less calculate its area. But, the nerd sitting beside you slips you answer all worked out for you. Even though you cheated on that day's homework, you won't pass the test without actually understanding the
polygon area formula. After you're all well again, you stil have to figure out how to work that geometry problem. Even though you should not cheat in geometry, I encourage cheating for goat health by administering ANTITOXIN, so long as you eventually administer the vaccine so that the goat will actually form an immunity.
Stepping out of a perfect world and into the real world where things, especially with our goats, rarely go perfectly. Let's say your doe did not get her vaccination 30 days before kidding. Or your kids did not get the superior colostrum you like them to have. Or you end up with a kid that you do not know whether he has had colostrum. You could give the kid a dose of ANTITOXIN to provide some protection. Tetanus ANTITOXIN is especially important if you are going to be castrating or disbudding the kid. Or you could opt to give the kid two doses of CD/T TOXOID, 2 to 4 weeks apart (even if the kids is less than 3 months old) and then give a THIRD does when the kid is more than 12 weeks old.
If the kid gets sick, depending on the symptoms, your vet may recommend you give the ANTITOXIN as well as the TOXOID. In either case, once your kid has
recovered his strength, it is important to follow up with TOXOID at the appropriate age to give your kid's immune system the best chance to react and develop that all-important immunity.
So, are we clear on the difference between the vaccine/TOXOID which stimulates the goat's immune system to form a lasting immunity towards an organism, and an ANTITOXIN which temporarily neutralizes a toxin which is already present?
Just Kidding
What do you call an unemployed goat?
Billy Idol
What do you call an outlaw goat?
Billy the Kid
What do you call a goat that floats?
Billy Bob
What's the mama goat's favorite TV show?
The Nanny
Billy: Doctor, doctor! I feel like a goat.
Doctor: How long have you felt like that?
Bily: Since I was a kid.
Goat Humor
5