Posted by GoatWorld on October 28, 2002 at 18:52:25:
Hi folks,
I recently helped a person whose goat had bottlejaw. Alot of times with bottlejaw, it can be a combination of worms and anemia. And usually the anemic goat will drag around like it has bad hips. Well, the usual course of action is to worm the goat once a week for three weeks and build up the iron content in the goat by using a product called Red Cell which is rich in iron, copper and a variety of other minerals and vitamins.
I told the person they would need to get some Red Cell and they told me that they had a problem with it because it states on the label "Not for use with cattle or other ruminants". Well, the "label" happened to be an added sticker label and yes, I suddenly was concerned that maybe there are two different types of this products. Nonetheless, I told the person to go ahead and administer the Red Cell (after they had read the ingredients back to me).
I called the manufacturer of Red Cell today and was told that the reason for the "added sticker label" warning against use in cattle and other ruminants is because of the Mad Cow Disease scare we had last year. Red Cell up to that time had been made using Animal Products and Sterols - an ingredient now banned for use in the dairy and meat industry. Even though Red Cell no longer uses these ingredients, the label was left on.
So, just in case you get a jug of Red Cell that states "do not use in ruminants", remember why it was placed on the jug in the first place. Oh, and one small footnote - the copper level in Red Cell is 1,100 ppm - extremely high for sheep and some goats. But in dealing with a sick animal that is deficient in iron and subsequently copper as well, giving the boost is better than giving nothing at all.
Best regards,
Gary