These are some care tips that apply to multiple species.
General care
What to do if bleeding caused when cut toe nails/hooves
Trimming nails and hooves is part of farm life, and sometimes you'll accidentally cut the quick, causing bleeding.
If the toe/foot is barely bleeding, you can likely get away with just cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide or Betadine (hydrogen peroxide doesn't sting). We just squirt some on a piece of gauze and wipe off the blood; we'll maybe also squirt some right on the site. (With chickens, it's important to get rid of any blood on them because they (and especially their friends) may pick at it.) If the animals are healthy, the bleeding should stop quickly.
If the bleeding doesn't want to stop quickly, you can squirt on Wonder Dust. This is a powder that stops bleeding.
If the cut is bad, you can put on antibacterial spray, plus triple-antibiotic ointment and then wrap the foot.
Fecal tests
It's a good idea to do fecal tests one or two times a year (or more, depending on circumstances). Most state or county agricultural agencies offer cheap fecal tests. Here in Nevada, they cost $5; for more information, click here. Basically, you're seeking to learn whether your animals have parasites such as worms. Based on the test results, you can target your treatments.
How to give a subcutaneous shot
Subcutaneous means "under the skin". To give a sub-cue shot, tent the skin before administering the shot. Find a loose area of skin and hold it up while you inject the meds into the base of the tent — this will ensure you are going in the correct spot. Sometimes you'll get a bubble at the injection site. This is no big deal, and they should go away once the medication is absorbed.
Natural fly spray
This is a recipe used at Farm Sanctuary when I was there. It didn't seem that effective, but then nothing seems that effective. They mix up the following and spray it on a rag and rub it on the cows. We're going to try it on our donkeys this summer and see how it goes.
Vinegar — 1 cup
Water — 1/2 cup
Eucalyptus oil — 1 tablespoon
Citronella oil — 1 tablespoon
Tea tree oil — 1 tablespoon
Skin So Soft bath oil — 4cc
Adding molasses to oral medications
Adding molasses to oral medications — medications you generally squirt down an animal's throat with a long, curved-nose syringe — makes the medicine more of a treat so the animal might actually look forward to the medicine. Not all will because few of us like something squirted down our throats against our wills, but at least it won't taste so bad. It works best for goats and sheep.
0 Comments