FARAD Home Page:  www.farad.org 
FARAD's Species Pages
  • FARAD Species Pages
    • Poultry >
      • Treating Layers
      • Rules & Regulations
      • Resources
    • Dairy >
      • Dairy Species Classes
      • Dairy Residue Prevention
      • Special Topics
      • Dairy Resources
    • Small Ruminants >
      • Extralabel Drug Use in Minor Species
      • Medicated Feed Use in Small Ruminants
      • Small Ruminant Resources
    • Honey Bees >
      • VFD and Rx for Bees
      • Honey Bee Biology Basics
      • Honey Bee Husbandry Basics
      • Bee Resources
    • Wildlife >
      • Drug Use
      • Wildlife Resources
    • Rabbits >
      • Rabbit Resources
    • Spanish FARAD >
      • SP Poultry Aves de corral >
        • SP Treating Layers Tratamiento de las gallinas ponedoras
        • SP Rules & Regulations Normas y regulaciones
        • SP Resources Recursos
      • SP VFD >
        • SP For Vets para veterinarios
        • SP VFD Resources Recursos
      • SP Dairy productos lacteos >
        • SP Dairy Species Classes clases de especies lecheras
        • SP Dairy Residue Prevention-Prevención de residuos lácteos
        • SP Special Topics Temas especiales
        • SP Dairy Resources Recursos
      • SP Honey Bees Abejas meliferas >
        • SP VFD and Rx for Bees VFD y prescripciones para abejas
        • SP Honey Bee Biology-Conceptos básicos de biología de la abeja melífera
        • SP Honey Bee Husbandry Basics- Manejo básico de las abejas melíferas
        • SP Bee Resources Recursos
      • SP Small Ruminants Pequenos rumiantes >
        • SP Extralabel Drug Use in Minor Species ELDU pequenos rumiantes
        • SP Medicated Feed Use in Small Ruminants alimento medicado
        • SP Small Ruminant Resources Recursos sobre pequenos rumiantes
      • SP Wildlife Fauna silvestre >
        • SP Drug Use Uso de medicamentos
        • SP Wildlife Resources Recursos
      • SP Rabbits >
        • SP Rabbit Resources
      • SP Drug Handling Manipulacion de farmacos >
        • SP Drug Labels-Etiquetas de farmacos
        • SP Drug Handling Resources recursos
      • SP Organic Livestock Operations Operaciones con el ganado organico >
        • SP Organic Treatment Options Opciones de tratamiento en operaciones organicas
        • SP Organic Production By Species
        • SP Organic Resources Recursos
      • SP For Pharmacists
      • SP Compounding-Combinar medicamentos
      • SP CA SB 27 >
        • SP California Specific Antimicrobial Drug Laws
        • SP SB 27 Veterinarian Resources
        • SP Qualified Individual and Licensed Retailer Resources
  • VFD
    • For Vets
    • VFD Resources
  • CA SB 27
    • California Specific Antimicrobial Drug Laws
    • SB 27 Veterinarian Resources
    • Qualified Individual and Licensed Retailer Resources
  • Drug Handling
    • Drug Labels
    • Drug Handling Resources
  • Organic Livestock Operations
    • Organic Treatment Options
    • Organic Production By Species
    • Organic Resources
  • For Pharmacists
  • Compounding

Small Ruminants

It cannot be assumed that cattle withdrawal times can be applied to sheep and goats.


When extrapolating pharmacokinetic data between species, one should be aware that (1) this is not necessary a linear process; (2) target tolerances or MRLs may vary across species  and (3) clinical outcomes can vary. For these reasons, estimation of a withdrawal interval of a drug across species should be approached with extreme caution and the veterinarian should consult with FARAD. Below are examples of suboptimal clinical outcomes:

  • Different tolerance and/ or marker residues for the same drug in different species
  • Metabolic differences
    • There is some evidence that antihelmintics compounds are more rapidly metabolized and excreted in goats compared to sheep. (Aksit, et al. 2015)
    • " The greater ability to detoxify exogenous compounds, including anthelmintics, has been attributed to the specific feeding behaviour of goats, since the feeding behaviour of goats is quite different compared with that of sheep. Sheep are known as grazers, preferring to feed on grass and forbs, whereas goats are described as ingesting substantial amounts of browse (woody plants, vines and brush). Thus, goats are better adapted to tolerate and detoxify plant toxins and exogenous compounds compared with sheep" (Aksit, et al. 2015)
  • Milk Production differences
    • Small ruminants don't produce as much milk, so there is a potential for higher drug concentrations in milk compared to cows if using per cattle label.
  • Morphological differences
    • Digestive retention and absorption times can differer between species.
  • Diseased state of the animal
    • Pathophysiological states (fever, diarrhea, renal disease) have been shown to have an effect on the pharmacokinetics of a drug. (Schwark. 1992)

Age can also be a factor in the elimination of drugs.
  • In particular oral medications eliminate at a different rate in young animals then older animals.
    • oral drugs tend to be eliminated slower in neonates and pre-ruminating animals when compared to ruminating adult animals.
  • Kidneys are minimally functional at birth and there are differences  in the rate of maturation of renal function between mammalian species.   (Schwark. 1992)

 Drugs Labelled for Use in Sheep

Drugs Labelled for Use in Goats

See FDA-approved Drugs for Sheep

Minor Use Animal Drug Program- NRSP 7

The Minor Use Animal Drug Program is designed to address the shortage of FDA approved animal drugs for minor food animal species by funding and overseeing the efficacy, animal safety, human food safety research and environmental assessments required for drug approval.
MUMs Rx can be searched by drug name, active ingredient and species to find drugs and withdrawal information available for use in minor food species.

Visit Mums Rx
See FDA-approved Drugs for Goats
Picture

Picture

FARAD Digest: Drugs approved for small ruminants

Read FARAD Digest

Picture

Extralabel Drug Use in Small Ruminants

Prescribing an extralabel drug to a small ruminant?
Learn More
Picture

Medicated Feed Use in Small Ruminants

Writing a VFD for a minor species?
Learn More
Picture
Small Ruminant Resources

Locations

Kansas State University
North Carolina State University
University of California, Davis
University of Florida
Virginia-Maryland

Site Map

​FARAD Species Pages
Poultry Home
VFD
Dairy
​

Contact Us

Withdrawal Requests Phone: 1-888-873-2723
Online Withdrawal Requests Form
Email (other issues - no withdrawal requests):            usfarad@gmail.com
Web Address: www.farad.org
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Photos used under Creative Commons from thecasefarm, Dyn Photo, goingslo, thecasefarm