Onion Creek Ranch, Lohn, Texas
Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, Lohn, TX
Lohn, Texas
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Chemical vs. "Natural" Deworming

There is no scientific evidence that any "natural" product, including Diatomaceous Earth (DE), is effective against internal parasites in goats.

In addition to "natural," "herbal," and/or "organic" dewormers being unproven for effectiveness, these products can have the additional drawback of being dangerous because effective and toxic levels can be very close.

Example: Wormwood is a plant-based "natural" product believed by some to have deworming properties. But for wormwood to achieve any level of effectiveness, the dosage has to be so high that it can kill the goat.

Plants protect themselves from pests by producing high levels of toxins. Chemical compounds occur everywhere. Because something grows untouched by human hands ("naturally") does not mean that it is safe. Arsenic is a good example; there are many more.

"Natural," "organic," and "herbal" products can and do vary in product composition, safety, and effectiveness, and mean different things in different states and geographical areas.

There are a few plants which you can cultivate for goats to eat that have some documented success in controlling worm loads. Serecia lespedesia is one of them, but it is not successfully grown in dry climates.

Worm-trapping fungi (Dunningtonia flagrens) is new non-chemical method to control worms in goats. There are some serious limitations to it use and the cost may be prohibitive. See my article on this topic on the Articles page at http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com.

Bottom line: ethical chemical dewormers must be used with goats to control stomach worms. Although companies sell some "natural" dewormers because people want to buy them, they do not work.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, Texas 6.1.21

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Important! Please Read This Notice!

All information provided in these articles is based either on personal experience or information provided by others whose treatments and practices have been discussed fully with a vet for accuracy and effectiveness before passing them on to readers.

In all cases, it is your responsibility to obtain veterinary services and advice before using any of the information provided in these articles. Suzanne Gasparotto is not a veterinarian.Neither tennesseemeatgoats.com nor any of the contributors to this website will be held responsible for the use of any information contained herein.

The author, Suzanne Gasparotto, hereby grants to local goat publications and club newsletters, permission to reprint articles published on the Onion Creek Ranch website under these conditions: THE ARTICLE MUST BE REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE AUTHOR'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND CONTACT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPRINT. We would appreciate notification from any clubs or publications when the articles are used. (A copy of the newsletter or publication would also be a welcome addition to our growing library of goat related information!)

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