How to Give Cattle Oral Medications

Last Updated: May 7, 2024 Approved

There are times when medications or nutrients are not given to cows by injection. Instead, they must be given orally. Most oral medications come in the form of a very large pill (by human standards) called a bolus . Boluses come mainly as magnets, anti-bacterial sulpha drugs, coccidiostats, slow-release nutritional boluses (such as copper boluses, vitamin mixes, rumen stimulating yeast), and anti-parasitic medications. ^{[1]
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Research source} Their administration requires the use of a bolus or balling gun, which is a long cylindrical tube made of stainless steel or plastic material that can either have a spring-action handle, or a three-holed plunger (similar to a syringe used for giving needles, except there is a hole at the top for the thumb instead of a flat surface to push down on, and two other holes to hang on to with the index and middle fingers) that act to push the pill deep down into the back of the cow's mouth to facilitate swallowing. ^{[2]
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Research source} Other oral medications are given in the form of a paste or liquid, and are given in the same manner as a bolus with slightly different tools. A simple step-by-step procedure for giving cattle oral medications is discussed below. ^{[3]
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Steps

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The cow's head must be restrained in order for the cow to be given a bolus, because any other method will be too stressful and dangerous for both the cow and the people helping with the restraining process. A head-gate is a piece of equipment (always made of heavy-duty iron for greatest strength and durability against even the feistiest one-ton beast) that allows the head to be accessed by the handler, and locks in place so that the animal cannot force its way forward nor backwards. Once the bovine is locked in place with its head easily accessible, then the bolusing process can begin. ^{[4]
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Load the pill or pills into the bolus gun. You can do this by simply inserting the pill into the tip of the balling gun. Hold the "business end" of the gun up so that the pills don't fall out onto the ground. ^{[5]
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- When giving many different types of medication through one single application, always load any gel-based pill last because soft-coated capsules may melt under the heat of the cow's mouth and stick to the insides of the balling gun.
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Position yourself so that your body is acting as an object to hold the cow's head in place and reduces her action of trying to avoid getting the medication, and for easier grip on the animal's mouth. Place your butt up to the chute with the cow's head against your side, and use your legs as leverage and as a means to brace yourself. With your arm closest to the cow's head, wrap your arm over the top of the cow's muzzle so that you can get her opposite lip, not the side of the lip that's closest to you, so you can safely get to her mouth and elevate her head. Push your hand under her lip and use the same hand to stroke the roof or palate of her mouth. This will encourage her to open up wide enough to get the balling gun in. Be sure you are keeping her head elevated. ^{[6]
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With your free hand, the gun will need to be inserted down the middle of her mouth right to the very back, but not so forcefully that she will choke on it. It's best to initiate the swallowing reflex once the tip of the gun is at the very back to the entrance of the esophagus (into the pharyngeal area) and slowly let the end of the gun work its way down--you helping it along--until the handle of the gun reaches the lips of the cow's mouth. She will chew on the balling gun as she swallows it--this is completely normal--and at this point you can press the plunger to deposit the bolus. ^{[7]
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Keeping the gun in position from the above step, press down on the plunger or handle to deposit the bolus into the very back of the cow's mouth. This projects the pill further down the back of the mouth into the esophagus. ^{[8]
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You can also encourage this by stroking the throat, optional this may be. The sign she gives that she has swallowed the bolus is licking her lips and nose, likely followed by a cough. By then you can let her head go if you have no more oral medications to give. ^{[9]
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If you have other oral medications to give that are not in bolus form, the same steps described above apply in administration.

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Is there an antibiotic that can be added to drinking water to treat larger numbers of animals?

Karin

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There's more than just one, and it depends on what the drug is for. These can be less reliable in treatment or prevention than actually restraining the animal and giving the medicine to that animal directly because water intake is highly variable, with herd dynamics, environmental conditions (heat, cold, humidity), health status, feed salinity, etc. Note that these drugs are actually not to treat animals, but more to act as a preventative against diseases like coccidiosis.

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Just like with any medication you give to an animal, always remember to give only when they need it.

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If you think you cannot handle a cow or calf on your own, make sure you have a partner with you to help you when need be. If worse comes to worst, one person may be needed to hold on to the cow while the other gives the bolus.

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The same instructions apply to giving pills to calves, but the bolus gun you would use should be roughly half the size of the adult cow bolus gun. Look for guns that are labeled specifically for calf use.
- When administering, it is important to make sure not to elevate the calf’s head so high that she has difficulty swallowing.
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Warnings

Expect to have a fight on your hands. No cow, even the most docile-looking dairy cow, likes to have her head restrained and her mouth forced open to have any oral medication put down her throat, and will struggle against you. You will need to be strong and have yourself braced up against the headgate in order to be successful with this on your own. Otherwise, get help if you really think you need it!!

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Be careful not to force the bolus gun too hard or too far back towards the pharynx because cattle still have soft tissues that can be easily damaged.

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Things You'll Need

Head-gate
Balling gun
Boluses you need to administer

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