Pour-on for pregnant cows..

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Wisteria Farms

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Hey all...
Can anyone tell me if products like Ivomec or Iver-On (Ivermectin) etc. are safe for use on pregnant cows? Before anyone hollers at me I READ THE LABEL on my bottle of pour on but it says safe to use on lactating Dairy cows... but nothing of pregnant cows...

Here's my problem... they're rubbing the hair off the back of their necks (noticed it on about 3 cows) so I want to catch it before it gets out of control but also want to be sure I'm using something safe...
 
Sorry.... I was just reading posts and ran across the one further below about the guy with aborted calves...
Thanks so much though.... they're just starting to rub the hair off so I want to get it NOW before it gets bad... I'm assuming its lice? I didn't record last time we did the pour-on so I know its OUR FAULT for not being timely with it.... :mad:
 
It should be fine, but one thing to consider is cattle grubs. Check with your vet about your area but there is a period of time where, if they weren't treated with a similar product after fly season, you could run into trouble. It varies by region when they migrate so it's best to ask locally. If the grubs die at the wrong time you can get fatal bloat or paralysis. There are plenty of other lice pour-ons that don't kill worms that work well but you usually have to apply them 2 weeks apart (more work).
 
Also, pour-on dewormers only get 1 of the type of lice (biting & sucking - don't remember which one), so I would use a specific DELICE product. No worry about timing for the grubs that way also.
Ivomec injectable gets both types - but also kills GRUBS
 
mnmtranching":35p6tz0e said:
I didn't think Ivermectin was approved for lactating dairy cattle. :???:

I'll look again...but there was something on that label that confused me and I thought it was something about dairy cattle...as I said, I'll look again and correct the post if I stated wrong...
 
Wisteria Farms":pt4puz2z said:
Hey all...
Can anyone tell me if products like Ivomec or Iver-On (Ivermectin) etc. are safe for use on pregnant cows? Before anyone hollers at me I READ THE LABEL on my bottle of pour on but it says safe to use on lactating Dairy cows... but nothing of pregnant cows...

Here's my problem... they're rubbing the hair off the back of their necks (noticed it on about 3 cows) so I want to catch it before it gets out of control but also want to be sure I'm using something safe...

Could it be from sticking their heads thru the hayring? I have seen that from time to time, more so about the time they start shedding.
 
1982vett":31fo10jn said:
Could it be from sticking their heads thru the hayring? I have seen that from time to time, more so about the time they start shedding.

If it's just the back of their necks and they aren;t rubbing all over the hay ring would be my guess.
 
how about using a cattle rub with diesel and pyrethrym (sp?) across a gateway or some similar area they pass through rather than a pour on? This is an external insecticide just in case it is lice or some insect. The pour on is really more for internal parasites as I understand it and there would be no concern about pregnant etc with a rub.
 
WF ~ you can for sure do what you think is best, but just for the record I would never have come on here and said "its OK to use" if I was not sure, had it ok'd by more than one vet, and did it myself with my pregnant cows. I would not risk your cattle by making such a difinitive statement.
 
We don't use Ivermectin we use Dectomax and the vet applies it himself to bred cows and calves when we do herd health and preg check in the fall. I am assuming they are relatively the same product just made by different companies so therefore as Angie said it is very safe for bred cows ..

However I do agree with the rubbing from the bale feeder if it is just on their necks..
 
Wisteria Farms":3ottd3st said:
Sorry.... I was just reading posts and ran across the one further below about the guy with aborted calves...
Thanks so much though.... they're just starting to rub the hair off so I want to get it NOW before it gets bad... I'm assuming its lice? I didn't record last time we did the pour-on so I know its OUR FAULT for not being timely with it.... :mad:

Do you feed round bales with a round bale feeder? If so that is probably why they have rubbed the hair off their necks.
 
angie":2sv6oft3 said:
WF ~ you can for sure do what you think is best, but just for the record I would never have come on here and said "its OK to use" if I was not sure, had it ok'd by more than one vet, and did it myself with my pregnant cows. I would not risk your cattle by making such a difinitive statement.

Angie.... I know you wouldn't. I was more concerned about my own statement as to what I thought I read on the label being wrong (which it was).
As for everyone's suggestions about the hay ring... I WISH that's what it is and I've see that too but no, I've actually seen them "itching".
 
Jovid":38lbe3c3 said:
Wisteria Farms":38lbe3c3 said:
Sorry.... I was just reading posts and ran across the one further below about the guy with aborted calves...
Thanks so much though.... they're just starting to rub the hair off so I want to get it NOW before it gets bad... I'm assuming its lice? I didn't record last time we did the pour-on so I know its OUR FAULT for not being timely with it.... :mad:

Do you feed round bales with a round bale feeder? If so that is probably why they have rubbed the hair off their necks.
Jovid...yes we do...and they camp out there by the feeder most of the day but as I said, I've seen a couple of them itching yesterday which made me realize I've probably got BUGS and need to get it licked!! Thanks everyone....they're getting treated tonight after dinner (hopefully I've got enought left in the jug!....the stuff wasnt cheap!!)
 
I ran across this bulletin which seems to describe your cattle's problem:

http://msucares.com/insects/beef/lice.html

Here is the body of it for those that don't like links:

Insect Pests of Beef Cattle
Cattle Lice

When cool weather arrives most of us forget about insects. However, cattle lice are cool weather pests. The lice problem starts in the fall, builds through the cold winter and peaks in the late winter or early spring. Left uncontrolled, a cow can carry tens of thousands of lice by late winter.

Our cattle are subject to attack by one species of biting louse and three (3) species of sucking lice. The biting lice eat dead skin and scabs primarily. The sucking lice suck blood and serum from cattle. The sucking lice are the most important as they take energy directly from cattle. Lice are especially important insect parasites as they infest our cattle during the season when cattle are receiving the poorest diet.

Lice are active insects, moving over the body of the cow. The itching caused by lice results in the symptoms we usually notice. Hair can be rubbed off in large patches and large areas may be rubbed until raw and bleeding. Cattle rub against trees, posts, feed-bunks and barns in a response to the itching.

November is when cattle are most often routinely treated for lice. This is a good practice for most cattlemen. However, if a systemic pesticide (such as Ivomectrin) has been used since July it may pay to wait until symptoms show-up to treat. This is because the sucking lice will have been controlled with the systemic treatment - and sucking lice are more damaging than biting lice. To follow this course, it is important that all cattle will have been treated with the systemic. If some individuals were not treated, or if cattle have been added to the herd, these untreated cattle may reinfest the others.

The most economical method of treatment is with "pour-ons" or spot-ons". Available products (tradenames) are: Lysoff, Tiguvon, Spotton, Co-Ral, Ectivan, Atroban, DeLice, Permectrin and Expar. All are effective - buy based on price. Be sure and read labels before purchasing products, because some have class and weight restrictions.

--------------------------------
Permectrin is the insecticide I was trying to remember above. This added to diesel fuel on a rub works well also. I take mine down over the winter but usually put it back up again in March or so. After reading your post I may just put it up again this week.

This publication also seems to indicate also that pour on is ok for cows about any time, as Angie suggested. Good luck.
 
When we've suspected lice we've just gien them a squirt down the back of UltraBoss
 
We used UltraBoss this year with good results, especially after the second application (has to be given 2 weeks apart). Just can't put it on in subzero weather, the stuff is too thick and doesn't penetrate the haircoat well.
 

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