Nuflor vs Micatil vs Baytril

[ctlbaron]

Nuflor costs about $60.00 for 100 cc here. Vet here charges $1.25 a cc to buy it by the dose. It's worth keeping around. Finding the vet in is like locating Osama Bin Laden.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

I've never even come close to needing to use Micotil, and I thought it was supposed to only be given subQ. But the current issue of The Cattleman has the following article that might be of interest to some of you. It is about darting cattle with various meds, including Micotil --- FWIW:

http://www.thecattlemanmagazine.com/iss ... 5/rope.asp

 

[stocky]

arnold, micatil is supposed to only be given subcutaneously and that is why you shoot the dart in the neck, where the skin is and use a 3/4 inch needle so it doesnt go into the meat. looks like whoever wrote that article has been reading our posts here on the boards. we had a good discussion just a few days ago about the time saving and animal saving usage of the dart gun. some people are set up to be able to get their cattle up to do these things, alot of us use the dart gun to keep the animal from getting excited and be able to doctor anywhere in the field, even if they are a mile from the nearest pen.

 

[Bama]

I have a question about the darts. That artical said that they stayed in until the animals body heat heated up a wax barb. How long does this take the dart to drop out. Or do you have to take it out to insure finding it and not losing it in the pasture.

 

[stocky]

bama, i have had them stick in the cow for as long as an hour. most of the time it is 5-10 minutes. when the wax melts, it falls out. that is the disposable dart. they make a re-usable dart and it doesnt have the gel-collar, so it falls out in a minute or two usually. of course, you can sneak up and take it out, if you want to. if they are in a small area when there isnt deep grass, you can go the next day and pick up the dart. if the grass is deep, you might want to keep an eye on the cow to keep from having a dart in your field

 

[Bama]

The dart in the field part is what I was worried about. I have looked into getting a dart gun but so far I just can't justify it.

 

[stocky]

if you are good with your hands, you can get the re-usable darts, they cost about 12 dollars whereas the disposable are from 2.50-3.00. the reusable ones have to be cleaned each time and a cap put inside and it is simple, if you keep the stuff stored in a tackle box in the truck, and are good with your hands. the dart comes out pretty quick and you just pick it up and take it apart and clean it and it is ready to load again next time. I bought my gun 4 years ago and 1 calf more than paid for it and i have saved too many calves and cows to count that i or my dad couldnt have gotten up to doctor. the reason i broke down and bought the gun was because i found a 500 lb calf just before dark and couldnt get it up to doctor it and the next morning it was dead. that calf would have paid for a gun and a half, i think it has been a life saver

 

[Bez]

Lancemart:

Sub cue shots.

I never tent the skin.

I always slap the injection site hard with the back of my hand to create a sting that hides the feeling of the needle entry.

When injecting into the animals neck, hold the needle so it is pointing at the ground - move your hand into the neck and strike downward into the neck.

Needle slides under the skin and does not enter the meat - simple, quick and safe. Use the thumb to drive the drug home.

When injecting in a secondary site - ie: under the loose skin high and just back of the shoulder - hold the needle so it points away from you and is parallel to the slope of the body. Strike after slapping.

Drive the drug home. 10 cc's max per site.

In all cases the animal never moves.

Bez

 

[Farminlund]

arnold, micatil is supposed to only be given subcutaneously and that is why you shoot the dart in the neck, where the skin is and use a 2/4 inch needle so it doesnt go into the meat. looks like whoever wrote that article has been reading our posts here on the boards. we had a good discussion just a few days ago about the time saving and animal saving usage of the dart gun. some people are set up to be able to get their cattle up to do these things, alot of us use the dart gun to keep the animal from getting excited and be able to doctor anywhere in the field, even if they are a mile from the nearest pen.

So somehow the needle penetrates the skin but not the meat of the neck. Given the toughness of the hide, it would seem to me that to insure that you got thru it you would then be in the meat. In a later post by Bez, he talks about not tenting the skin; but from what I can gather it is due to the entry angle. As we use Micatil, I think it worth trying to learn his method but in both cases, I am not 100% sure I understand how without actually seeing it happen.

 

[stocky]

Farminlund, it isnt absolutely guaranteed that the dart will not get into the meat at times. I mistyped and said 2/4 inch needle and should have said 3/4. when you are looking at a cow from the side and she turns her head to look at you, there will be alot of loose skin back on the side of the neck toward the shoulder, if you shoot in this area, the dart should seldom get into the meat. after it hits and injects, you will see the dart flop, which means it is hung in the skin and not deep enough to be firm in the meat. If you shoot the dart into the tight skin, then it will probably get in the meat. I think one thing that is important in subcutaneous injections is length of needle, many people use a needle that is too long. you only need under the skin and many time a 1/2 inch, large gauge needle is perfect for quick under the skin shots in active cattle, especially for blackleg shots in calves. Micatil is the main medicine I use in darts because the other medicines need too many cc's for the dart.