2 The purpose of a medicine cupboard or cabinet should not be for ''do it yourself'' veterinary medicine. Rather, it should be used with your veterinarian's approval and counsel to do routine things and emergency things in his absence.
3 Talk over the following list of requirements with your veterinarian and resolve to keep your herd in top health condition. Experience with the medical problems peculiar to your herd will help both of you to be better prepared to do the best possible job of disease prevention and emergency medical care.
4 Necessary supplies stored in your cabinet should include:
5 INSTRUMENTS
A fifteen inch piece of 3/4 inch diameter pipe which
can be used as a speculum for giving medication by
mouth.
A four foot long section of 1/2 inch rubber or plastic
tubing for use as a stomach tube. This can be passed
through the 3/4 inch pipe which is held in the mouth
as far back as the rear molars. The stomach tube can
be gently passed beyond it as the animal swallows.
The speculum is a good means of holding the head steadily
in a natural position.
A small funnel can be used for pouring the medication
into the tube.
A good hoof shear for trimming feet (a Burdizzo hoof
shear) should be hung on the wall or inside the cabinet
door.
A ''caulking gun'' dose syringe for dosing goats with
Thibendazole or other wormer paste should also be
placed in that location.
A curved serrated scissors for use in removing extra
teats should also be hung nearby.
An electric clipper, such as that commonly used for
grooming dogs, plus at least one extra blade should
be kept in its box on a shelf in the cupboard.
An open hoof groover at least 3/8 inch wide should
be placed with the clippers, speculum, tube and hoof
shears. It will be useful for cutting out excessive
growth from foot soles and for removing foreign bodies
from soles of the feet.
The tattooing equipment and necessary numerals and
ink for using it should be placed on this shelf.
6 MEDICAL SUPPLIES
A half pound roll of absorbent cotton, several rolls
of 1 inch adhesive tape and a dozen 4 x 4 inch sterile
gauze pads should be kept together in a small carton
on a shelf in the cupboard.
Several 10 ml glass hypodermic syringes should be
sterilized by boiling ten minutes and stored in a
sterilized dry fruit jar on a shelf.
At least a half dozen 18 gauge 1 inch sterile hypodermic
needles should be kept in the fruit jar covered by
their protective plastic tips. These, of course, are
used for various subcutaneous or intramuscular hypodermic
injections.
7 MEDICATIONS
Liquid medicines necessary should be put together
in one location:
An eight ounce bottle of 2Tincture of Iodine and a
small baby food jar with a cover should be placed
together for use in disinfecting navels of newborn
kids.
Pint bottles of hydrogen peroxide and 70 0sopropyl
alcohol, a four ounce bottle of scarlet dressing or
similar wound dressing (Sulfa-Urea, etc.), and a four
ounce bottle of astringent blue lotion will be helpful
for treating superficial wounds.
Dry medicinal powders, magnesium hydroxide (dry milk
of magnesia, epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) and baking
soda (sodium bicarbonate) should be kept in one pound
boxes or jars and properly labelled.
1 quart bottle of heavy mineral oil and 1 quart bottle
of propylene glycol should be placed together on a
shelf.
8 PESTICIDES
Coumaphos (Co-Ral), Methoxychlor, or Ciodrin for lice
and mange control and Captan wettable powder for ringworm
treatment should be kept on a bottom shelf in tightly
sealed containers.
9 BIOLOGICS
Any biologics kept for routine use should be kept
by themselves under refrigeration at all times. If
they are administered carefully, using sterile needles
and syringes and their rubber caps wiped thoroughtly
with 70alcohol before removal of the biologic, they
will stay in usable condition until their expiration
dates.
Routine biologics for herd health programs, administered
by the herdsman, should be kept in small ten dose
vials.
Injectable antibiotics, such as penicillin-streptomycin
combinations, oxytetracycline (Terramycin), chlortetracycline
(Aureomycin), and tylosin (Tylan) should be stored
under refrigeration and handled when used in the same
way as routine biologics.
The condition and kinds of biologics used should be
decided in consultation with your veterinarian. He
can also advise about stocking and storing other emergency
medications.
10 Remember, the purpose of a medicine storage cabinet is not for replacing the veterinarian, but for assisting him to help you. When you hang a medicine cupboard on the wall, depend upon him to advise you where and how to store things you may need.