Instructions for use and dosage of Oxytocin, when to give to a goat and analogues

The veterinary drug Oxytocin is used in agriculture to help animals give birth. This medication is a pharmaceutical analog of the same name, a hormone synthesized by the hypothalamus that controls the birth and lactation process. Oxytocin is administered to a goat to cause its uterine muscles to contract. The injection is given after an accurate calculation of the dosage, so as not to cause harm to the animal’s body.

Composition, active ingredients and release form of the veterinary drug

The veterinary hormonal drug is sold in the form of an injectable ampoule solution. The solution looks like a clear, colorless liquid. Auxiliary components are water and methylparaben preservative. You can purchase “Oxytocin” in ampoules of 2, 5, 10, 20 ml, as well as in bottles containing 50 and 100 ml. 1 ml of the drug contains 5 or 10 units of the hormone. The toxicity of the drug is low. If the dosage is observed, Oxytocin does not cause harm to the animal.

In what cases should it be used?

The drug "Oxytocin" refers to hormonal drugs, in certain cases it is used as an antagonist. The purpose of the hormone is to enhance the contractile function of the uterine muscles. The drug is used for animals in late stages of pregnancy to increase the tone of the uterus, stimulate the birth process and lactation. Oxytocin is administered frequently to goats in the final stages of pregnancy.

After the injection, the goat’s labor speeds up, and after birth, milk is produced more actively and comes out faster through the ducts of the mammary glands.

Indications for the use of the drug "Oxytocin" in veterinary medicine:

• weak birth process;
• pathologically weak or absent uterine tone;
• weak progress or getting stuck of the fetus in the birth canal;
• insufficient or absent lactation after lambing;
• inflammatory process in the mammary glands, mastitis;
• uterine bleeding;
• inflammatory process in the mucous membranes of the uterus;
• getting the placenta stuck inside the mother after the birth process is completed.

The active effect of the hormonal medication lasts about 45 minutes. If necessary, the veterinarian decides to reintroduce oxytocin.

How to properly use the drug for goats

The instructions for use indicate that subcutaneous, intravenous and intramuscular injections of oxytocin are acceptable. It is acceptable to combine the hormone with novocaine, but this combination is rarely used in veterinary practice. Oxytocin is not administered to goats using the epidural method, which is not very convenient, since with intramuscular injection the drug is consumed 2 times faster than with epidural injection. The intravenous dose for a goat is 2/3 of that administered into the muscle or under the skin, as can be seen in the table. The hormone begins to act almost instantly. The dosage is given in IU.

A farmer cannot always call a veterinarian, so he must know how to inject Oxytocin into a giving birth goat himself.

Sequencing:

1. Open the ampoule. Fill the syringe with the solution.
2. Tie the goat to prevent it from kicking.
3. Find the sacral muscle by touch.
4. Gently inject the solution into the muscle tissue.

Childbirth in a goat lasts from half an hour to 10 hours. The shorter the birth process, the better. If contractions are weak and the fetus does not move along the birth canal, then insufficient uterine tone should be suspected. That is, the muscles of the uterus cannot cope with the advancement of the baby. This phenomenon often happens if a pregnant goat has not been walked enough.

An oxytocin injection is given 10-12 hours after the first contractions. After the birth of the baby, you must wait for the placenta to come out. Usually the afterbirth appears at least 20 minutes after birth, maximum 4 hours. You should not attempt to remove the placenta on your own.If she does not come out after the specified time, then the goat is injected with oxytocin.

Contraindications and side effects of Oxytocin

Oxytocin is a harmless substance when used correctly. To prevent it from causing serious harm to the animal, contraindications must be taken into account. This:

• individual hormone intolerance;
• renal failure;
• sepsis;
• pathologies of the heart and vascular system;
• narrow pelvis in a goat (caesarean section required);
• incorrect position of the baby in the womb (high risk of hypoxia and damage to the uterine cervix);
• physical abnormalities of the fetus, the size of its body that does not correspond to the patency of the mother’s pelvis;
• tumors in the lining of the uterus;
• deformation of the uterine walls;
• previous births performed by cesarean section;
• lactation period in goats.

If the dose of the drug is exceeded, uterine bleeding occurs due to excessive tone. To prevent the fetus from dying, saline is administered intravenously to normalize hormonal balance.

In the absence of individual intolerance and compliance with the instructions for using Oxytocin, no side effects are observed. Otherwise the following are noted:

• spasms of the muscles surrounding the bronchial branches;
• failure of the rhythm of the heart muscle;
• a strong but short-term decrease in blood pressure;
• excessive tension of the smooth muscles of the uterus;
• allergic reaction.

special instructions

After using oxytocin, you can safely use milk and goat meat. The hormone does not deteriorate the quality of livestock products. While administering the drug to a goat, the worker should not eat, drink, or smoke.

Both before and after all manipulations, you need to wash your hands with a hygiene product. The syringe used must be sterile. The bottles remaining after using the solution cannot be taken away for household needs; they must be disposed of with other glass containers. If the solution accidentally gets on the skin or mucous surface of the eyeball, the affected area should be rinsed abundantly with water.

A person sensitive to the hormone oxytocin should avoid contact with hormonal medication. A person who accidentally swallows the solution or experiences an allergic reaction to the active substance should immediately go to a medical facility, taking with him the instructions for using Oxytocin.

Storage rules

The drug "Oxytocin" should be stored in a hermetically sealed container, in a dry, shaded place, inaccessible to children, where the temperature is not lower than 0 °C, not higher than +25 °C. There should be no food or animal feed nearby. The hormonal solution is valid for 2 years, subject to storage rules. After depressurization of the container, unused remains of the drug must be disposed of. Do not use medication that has expired.

Analogs

Pharmaceutical manufacturers offer drugs with a similar principle of action:

• "Oxytocin-MEZ";
• Oxytocin-Richter;
• "Syntocinon";
• Oxytocin-VIAL;
• "Oxytocin" from "Grindeks";
• Oxytocin-Ferein;
• "Pitocin."

You cannot buy Oxytocin in the form of tablets or spray for animals. As tablet analogues, we can name the drugs “Demoxytocin” and “Desaminooxytocin”.