Friday, May 8, 2009

Can you give pitocin (oxytocin) to a heifer to make her labor? If so, how much??

We have a cow that is so pregnant she is hardly walking. Can we give her pitocin to induce her, as they do in humans. If so, what dosage do we give, and what route do we give it?
Answers:
yes you can give it. we use it at times, it is also used when a cow does not shed her afterbirth. the dosage will depend on the weight of the cow. contact a vet and they will give you a dosage rating
Oxytocin can be given to most animals but should only be given under the direct supervision of a vet. It could be that your heifer isn't ready to give birth yet. Either way she will need to see a vet. If she is way past her due date and has not given birth she needs to see a vet ASAP.
Call the vet and see how much you should give - if at all. If there is no vet available, just let nature do it's work.
You can give it to just about any animal, I've given it to an egg bound turtle Thing is you can't "just' administer it. You really need to get the vet out there to check her and administer the meds. It's entirely too risky to try that yourself.
Call your vet. This is NOT your call!
This has to be inserted via IV. It is not your place to be doing this, please call a vet if you think she needs some oxytocin to induce labor.
The vet is highly unlikely to induce labor in that cow, and usually they'll have their calf when the calf is ready.
You need to call your vet to ask this question.

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