Calming Drug

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ffamom

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At the Ft. Worth Open show I noticed a great number of breeders showing the jr. members cattle using Thorazine.

Here's my question. How quickly is it metabolized? Do they test for it in the jr shows? Is it always squirted in the nose?

I dont' think the breeders would put a jr. member in jeopardy if a drug test was run at a junior show later down the rode. In some heifers the thorazine didn't didn't help a bit and others it looked like the heifer could lay down and take a nap. Must be a real science choosing the correct amount to give them.

Not judging...just trying to learn a bit more about thorazine.
 
ffamom":1qsd4mds said:
At the Ft. Worth Open show I noticed a great number of breeders showing the jr. members cattle using Thorazine.

Here's my question. How quickly is it metabolized? Do they test for it in the jr shows? Is it always squirted in the nose?

I dont' think the breeders would put a jr. member in jeopardy if a drug test was run at a junior show later down the rode. In some heifers the thorazine didn't didn't help a bit and others it looked like the heifer could lay down and take a nap. Must be a real science choosing the correct amount to give them.

Not judging...just trying to learn a bit more about thorazine.

If you have to drug them to show them I don't want em.

Plus I think it should be outlawed on show cattle.
 
ffamom":1bqgit9q said:
At the Ft. Worth Open show I noticed a great number of breeders showing the jr. members cattle using Thorazine.

Here's my question. How quickly is it metabolized? Do they test for it in the jr shows? Is it always squirted in the nose?

I dont' think the breeders would put a jr. member in jeopardy if a drug test was run at a junior show later down the rode. In some heifers the thorazine didn't didn't help a bit and others it looked like the heifer could lay down and take a nap. Must be a real science choosing the correct amount to give them.

Not judging...just trying to learn a bit more about thorazine.
I tried to find the information you requested, and could find surprisingly little on the topic. It sounds like it is metabolized very quickly, I could not find a specific time. No, that is not the only administration technique ~ it can also be injected, given orally and rectally (?). As to reaction in individual animals, it sounds as though some animals are more sensitive to the drug than other animals (like people they react differently), and I would imagine that dosing plays a part as well. Some animals indicate no reaction, and others it had an opposite effect on (it made them hyper). Overwhelmingly people were against its use, and considered it dangerous and unethical.
 
I didn't think there was ever a time when there would be drugs allowed to show???? The only "legal" substance I have ever heard of is the "calf calm" stuff. Right???????
 
Is the use only a Texas thing, or is it just more hush hush in other states?

It is illegal in the jr shows, but in Texas it is widely used in the open shows. They use it openly and seek it out from others when needed, so it is tolerated even if it is against the rules.

My son's heifers are not good enough for a breeder to want to use, but I would worry what drugs they are exposed to when in the care of someone else.

Last year at the National Jr. show, one member was looking for it to calm her heifer before showmanship. Again, she/he wasn't keeping it a secret.

We don't use it and our vet wouldn't prescibe it anyway. It is tough enough to get him to sell us a bottle of Nuflor.

I feel the only time it should be used it, if a young child is showing in the open show and the use makes it safer for them. I know, some will say that they shouldn't be showing anyway, but when a well behaved cow hits the freshly plowed dirt after being tied for a couple of day, sometimes they want to play.
 
ffamom":383rt5cm said:
Is the use only a Texas thing, or is it just more hush hush in other states?
I could not confirm when I was reading about it last night that it was illegal. It looked like a drug called "ace" was illegal. As far as thorazine there was conflicting information so I wondered too if it was state by state. iowahawkeyes, there was plenty of information to indicate that it is used in cattle for veterinary purposes (?).
 
ffamom":4qlwjf0v said:
but when a well behaved cow hits the freshly plowed dirt after being tied for a couple of day, sometimes they want to play.

Who in their right mind would leave an animal tied for a couple of days? they should be getting daily exercise.
 
Let me correct a statement I said earlier:
When I said they have been tied for a couple of days, I didn't mean to imply that they hadn't been walked twice a day.

I received a PM from a member that stated I could share the following information.

At a recent Texas major show, they had a cow/calf pair that didn't like strangers. Momma cow was fine with their family, but a little aggressive toward others. After talking with the attending vet at the show, he/she told them that Thorazine was not longer being made. Instead he prescribe a table that was a sister drug to Thorazine. Vet stated that is was not a substance that the show tested for (I don't know if this meant it was an illegal drug or if it was fine to use when prescribe by a vet.) Vet did say that Ace was a banned substance.

If you are going to use a calming substance, please don't take what I have stated above as an okay to use it. Always check with the attending vet at the show.
 
ffamom":n5s8jsq3 said:
Let me correct a statement I said earlier:
When I said they have been tied for a couple of days, I didn't mean to imply that they hadn't been walked twice a day.

I received a PM from a member that stated I could share the following information.

At a recent Texas major show, they had a cow/calf pair that didn't like strangers. Momma cow was fine with their family, but a little aggressive toward others. After talking with the attending vet at the show, he/she told them that Thorazine was not longer being made. Instead he prescribe a table that was a sister drug to Thorazine. Vet stated that is was not a substance that the show tested for (I don't know if this meant it was an illegal drug or if it was fine to use when prescribe by a vet.) Vet did say that Ace was a banned substance.

If you are going to use a calming substance, please don't take what I have stated above as an okay to use it. Always check with the attending vet at the show.

The one at houston prescribed it, we gave the calf what he gave us and hit a 2nd place hole. 2 months later letter from Houston saying I was DQ'ed and Banned because my calf tested out for the substance the vet gave us.
 
Jovid":edib5qcm said:
If you have to drug them to show them I don't want em.

Plus I think it should be outlawed on show cattle.

i do think it should be outlawed too. and if you have to drug them to make them behave in the ring they have no place being there. JMO
 
I have to agree totally.. I don't think there is ANY place in showing cattle for drugs. If your cattle are unruly, take them home. I had a heifer a few years ago at Ft. Worth that acted up in the ring, and I excused myself before they placed the class. I also think that's good sportsmanship.

Having said that, I've also seen MANY instances of banned substances being administered at open shows. I know of a doctor that owns cattle that routinely brings enough drugs for his cattle and his friend's cattle. It's no secret.... or doesn't appear to be. And the bad thing about THAT is that he's using "human" drugs on the cattle.

It's a shame, no doubt about it. But I guess until people complain and raise he11, it won't change.
 
If you spend the necessary time on an animal it shouldn't need a calming drug. And if it does, it shouldn't be at the show, or your herd even. I could have a 'perfect' animal but if it had a bad temperament I wouldn't keep it. Ace is a terrible thing. When I was younger an older member drugged my Limo x Hereford when she clipped him because 'she didn't like him'. He was useless for about 3 days. He looked stoned and I couldn't get him to do a thing.

I am 100% against drugging them anywhere, let alone the show. I've never seen any calming drugs tested for in Aus. But I have never seen anyone one use them either.

Please, I beg of you, do not even consider drugging your animals.
 
If you want to use something that won't test then go down to CVS and pick up some melatonin and put it in their feed.
 
Cowboy 2.0":1xa6grj0 said:
If you want to use something that won't test then go down to CVS and pick up some melatonin and put it in their feed.

:mad: :stop: not a good example to be setting
 
We've used ace before, just to take the edge off, especially at the first show. Obviously not drugging them up so much they're slow in the ring. I 'd rather have my calf drugged as a precaution (especially if they're nervous) than having it spook at something, get loose and possibly get shot because we couldn't catch it.
 

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