Orange essential oil is studied to be effective against barberpole worm specifically. For a BP issue, this is the protocol I would use in my Nigerian herd. Start with a fecal if possible. Double all dosages for standard sized goats:
- 1 drop lemongrass EO
- 1 drop oregano EO
- 2 drops sweet orange EO
- 3-5ml blackstrap molasses diluted enough to drench
- 1/2 teaspoon nettle leaf powder
You can buy all three of these oils in my Goat Essentials set.
Dosed orally:
- 4x daily 3 days
- then 3x daily for 2 days
- then 2x daily for 2 days
- then 1x daily for 2-3 more days, assessing each day to determine if stepping down a dose is a suitable approach.
While I will step down the essential oil dose, I would continue to dose the nettle + blackstrap molasses 4x daily. So if dosing EOs 3x daily, add nettle + blackstrap to those 3 doses and dose nettle + blackstrap one more time separately. Blackstrap + nettle can be dosed for a couple of weeks if needed. If that much support is needed, I would also add kelp.
It is totally acceptable to add double the sweet orange; sweet orange has a very high margin of safety in and out of pregnancy. For pregnant goats, feel free to eliminate the oregano if you are concerned. See the oregano in pregnancy topic and pick up a copy of the book Essential Oil Safety (aff) by Tisserand if you would like a detailed authority on EOs – it’s what I reference frequently for researching topics like this.
Send in a follow up fecal to assess results and determine the next course of action. By sending in before and after fecal samples, you can verify if what you’re doing is working in your specific situation.