DISCLAIMER: We are not trained vets! We have gathered this information that we have learned throughout our experiences and reading and education but always recommend you speak to a vet who understands goats before making final assessments of your herd.
Below are a listing of natural items that we keep in our goat emergency and daily kits:
GARLIC
It can be fed raw form (cloves) 3 to 4 times a week for immune boosting. In times of illness, it can be made into a paste using garlic and ginger in EVOO or by itself. Or you can give Garlic Barrier concentrate. It can be given in tincture form, in a pinch in human gel-cap form, or used in an ointment or poultice, depending on what you are needing it for.
Not only is Garlic a very powerful antioxidant, but it has other healing properties; it destroys bacteria, fungi, parasites (kills coccidia) and viruses. The allicin in raw garlic has been shown to kill 23 kinds of bacteria, including salmonella and staphylococcus.
It also contains enzymes, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. Because garlic is rich in selenium, it helps boost effectiveness of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, glutathione, lipoic acid and coenzyme Q-10.
Vitamins in garlic include Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B12 (riboflavin), Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C. It also contains dozens of bioflavonoids, more than 80 sulfur-containing compounds and many other beneficial compounds that have never been identified.
Other properties of garlic include, antibacterial, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, anthelmintic, carminative, intestinal disinfectant, anti-rheumatic, anti-malarial, rubefacient.
This list is not all inclusive, but highlights some of the benefits from garlic:
* At high doses, the sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity.
*Garlic is now being used for its ability to lower cholesterol in smaller animals.
*There has been a reduction in clots, tumors, and other cell degeneration.
*The property of garlic rich in antioxidants fights the free radicals that promote cancer in human and animal subjects.
*By helping to remove these toxins, the body is less susceptible to cell retardation.
*evidence has also supported garlic’s ability to inhibit tumors and other agents that are responsible for causing cancer.
*In rodents, garlic and its constituents have been reported to inhibit the development of chemically induced tumors in the liver colon, prostate, mammary gland, esophagus, lung, skin, and stomach.
*With high antioxidants, garlic helps to eliminate free radicals and sickness-causing toxins.
*for centuries, garlic has been cited as a useful agent to fight infectious diseases
*Used as a treatment for internal/external parasites
*useful in treating digestive conditions
*effective treatment against yeast infections caused by candidia albicans (yeast bacteria linked to overuse of antibiotics)
*the allicin and other essential volatile compounds also have been found to have antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal activities
*AND, bacteria do not seem to evolve a resistance to garlic the way they do with typical antibiotic medications as the Allicin, the active antibacterial compound in garlic, modifies the ability of bacteria to reproduce and prevents them from spreading.
CAYENNE PEPPER
Cayenne pepper is a thermogenic. This means it increases body temperature. Cayenne pepper increases metabolism which in turn raises body temperature. It also helps normalize glucose levels, helps with shock, heart issues, contains many B vitamins, has great antiseptic properties, and stops blood flow externally (in the case of a wound) as well as internally (in the case of hemorrhaging).
If you purchase cayenne to be used medicinally, make sure it is at least 40,000 heat units.
The heat from the cayenne pepper is what helps to increase core body temperature when dealing with hypothermia (low body temperature). The active compound in the cayenne pepper, capsaicin, is what helps in boosting the blood circulation in and around the body, thus helping in boosting the body temperature as well.
To use to help raise temperature and regulate glucose levels:
For Kids: pinch of cayenne pepper rubbed on the gums OR dab honey on one fingertip, dip in honey (molasses/syrup), then dip in the cayenne pepper and then rub on the gums OR wet your fingertip good with water and dip in ground cayenne pepper then rub on the gums
For Adults: good sized pinch of cayenne pepper rubbed on the gums OR dip 2 fingertips with honey (molasses/syrup) then dip in cayenne pepper then rub on gums OR wet 2 fingertips in water and dip in ground cayenne pepper then rub on the gums
NOTE: This can be done every 15 minutes until temperature is normal again.
CINNAMON
It will kill cocci and stop scours and diarrhea.
Babies up to about 3 months- Maintenance dose 1/4-1/2 tsp daily. Double or triple that and give every 15 minutes if needed in bad cases.
Serious case- 1-2 tsp every 1-2 hours till symptoms are gone resting over night if possible. Can mix in probiotics to help the gut balance back out. Also mix in a pinch of Cayenne for replenishing B-vitamins and help heal.. Adults- 1-2 tsp or up to 1 tablespoon every 1-2 hours if a bad case of diarrhea.
Make sure they are getting enough fluids to replace what they are losing. Drenching with electrolytes may be necessary.. Also Blackberry leaves/tea will help if its just an upset stomach.
Mix in water and blackstrap molasses and drench them with it. You can add to yogurt as well. Cinnamon gels up quick so you have to work fast with it.
I also make an herbal mix that is equal parts
Cinnamon powder
Ginger Powder
Slippery Elm OR Marshmallow root(more sustainable with the same properties as Slippery Elm)
Garlic powder
Clove powder
and 1/2 part Cayenne powder
Mix the dry herbs together then add 1/4 tsp to bottles for prevention for bottle babies. Its helped avoid things like Cocci, scours, other parasites and enterotoxemia. This is based on Fir Meadows GI Soother but not exactly the same.
It can help adults recover as well. I will do an individual post on it.
Cinnamon is an immune booster as well. There is some debate about the types of Cinnamon available. Ceylon is typically the best and has the most benefits. Cheaper cinnamon may have more coumarin so may drop blood pressure more..
One tablespoon of ground cinnamon contains approximately (3):
19 calories
6.2 grams carbohydrate
0.3 grams protein
0.1 grams fat
4.1 grams dietary fiber
1.4 milligrams manganese
77.7 milligrams calcium
0.6 milligrams iron
2.4 micrograms vitamin K
In addition to the nutrients listed above, each serving of cinnamon also contains a small amount of vitamin E, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, zinc and copper.
https://draxe.com/nutrition/health-benefits-cinnamon/
Molly's HERBALS
https://fiascofarm.com/herbs/mollysherbals.php/categories/all-products
We use Molly's Herbals as a preventative herbal solution for parasites. There are other brands out there as well.
The best protection, however, is prevention and that includes good husbandry for all of your animals. Pasture rotation, low stress, good diet, good minerals are all part of raising goats with strong immune systems.
In addition, here is a listing of some useful things to keep in your herbal tool kit:
Coming soon...
Sept. 23, 2023 at 11am
Coming soon
Sept. 23, 2023 at 11am