the price of ivermicten pour on in canada and usa

[farmers_son]

large bottle $500 -$550 CANADA
SAME PRODUCT MONTANA $150 -$178
SEE THE NEWS AT PAGE 9 FEBRUARY3
IN THE" WESTERN - PRODUCER"
DID ANYBODY SEE THAT ????
PHONED LOCAL OUTLET AND SAID THIS IS
HAPPENING.
ANY COMMENT??????

[WoolyBear]

You might have the wrong issue date.

The vet that commented on her customers buying US Ivomectin rather than her Ivomec/Dectomax and shorting her on some sales. I felt like saying that there were alot of us out there that didn't preg check last year....... maybe if we had taken advantage of the cost savings (and it is considerable), then maybe we would have been more able to afford to pay for the preg checking.

I think that if a fellow bought the product in the US, we shouldn't think of them as "turncoats" supporting the US in these times of BSE, but considerate managers looking out for the health of his animals. But really......... why is
it allowed to be priced so much in Canada?

[grassmarketeer]

Why can this vet not get some cheap USA generic product and sell it here. There is no way that we should be criticized for trying to keep afloat in tough times.

[kato]

Ivermectin has been around long enough that now that it can be sold as a generic. Apparently it's legal for a farmer to cross the line and bring it home to use, but it can't be imported for re-sale. Probably something to do with labelling, if my guess is correct. You wouldn't believe the red tape attached to the label changes when a new product comes to Canada. It needs French on it, and needs to be approved by the government. We all know how quickly those sort of things happen! I would think generic ivermectin will find it's way here one of these days.

I work at a clinic, and believe me, there is no markup on Ivomec or Dectomax. I know this for a fact. Don't blame the local vet if it's expensive. You have to go higher up the chain than that.

Don't forget the other side of the story, either. If you talk to your local vet you will find that sales of vaccines, drugs, and such make up a fair portion of their income. Even a very busy practice cannot survive on the proceeds of calving cows and preg checking.

Picture this, it's two in the morning. It's the weekend. It's cold and windy and nasty outside. You have a heifer out in a pen with a prolapsed uterus. You and your neighbours have been shopping around for your best deal on drugs for years, and the local vet has packed up and left town. The town has been unable to attract a new veterinarian.

Watcha gonna do? This is not a theoretical picture. It has happened in our part of the country already. There are towns near here who have been looking for a vet for years, and can't get one. There are more jobs than graduates and 9 to 5 cats and dogs are a lot more appealing than being up to your shoulder in a cow out in the cold snow.

We consider keeping our business in town as an investment for that cold nasty middle of the night calving that's bound to happen.

[Willowcreek]

I bought 2 large bottles of generic Ivomec in Billings for $100 each- enough to pour 160 cows--comes out to about $1.25 a head. Few years ago it was around $5.00 a head...

But we in the states have some of the same restrictions-Some Canadian weed sprays are 1/4 the price of what they cost in the states.. Same product with identical ingredients, but different names and labels- can't even buy it in Canada and bring it into the States..Chemical companies wouldn't reap as much profit.

Long way from being free and fair trade..

[WoolyBear]

Kato........

I can sympathize with the loss of a sale of ivermectin, but if there isn't any margin in it, and if the farmer is buying the vaccines and services from his vet, then whats the problem? Like willowcreek said, there was a $3.75/head saving, and that should pay for preg checking, plus milage, and maybe even some leftover to help pay for the vaccine.

The inequities of animal health products, and farm chemicals (savings and higher costs on both sides) can't be explained except possibly charging at what the market can bear. We all know what a good job ivermectin (or dectomax) does, it doesn't mean a darn thing to me if it doesn't contain French labling.

Veterinarians are an important part of our farm operation. But everytime we can save, means the more we have left for the rest.

[cowman]

Prolapsed uterus: A dirty job for sure...but you don't need to waste your money paying the vet!
If you know how to do the drawstring stitching and you have the long special needle(around $40), a flat shoe lace(like in a hightop sneaker) and a tractor with a front end loader...you are in business!
If she's down, great! If not throw her down! Logging chain around each hind leg and hoist her up a bit! You sure don't need to clear the ground!!!
Wash it all off real good with hot water and dish soap before you get her too far up because once you start to raise her rear end the whole uterus basically starts to fall back in. Push whatever doesnt fall back in and make sure it is positioned how it should be! She can't really strain very well in this postion and gravity is working for you! Sew her up using the drawstring and VOILA you just saved yourself $250! If you feel the need give her a shot of Liquimiacin LA... and you are done!
Oh and by the way us old Hereford boys are very adept at stitching up prolapsed vaginas as we got lots of practice!LOL

[ALICIA]

Most of us old hereford boys know our cow and get rid of the ones that prolaps before it gets to that stage.
I've found that prolaps is in cow familys, and my last one went last year. She started at 5 yrs old last year she started 3 days before she calfed and she was gone in Aug., I told you's this and she weight 1785 and had a heifer calf, and I'll just bet she went into some ones herd and they have a problem, but I sold her as a cull for 19.5 cents, and I don't feel one pit bad about it. I'ts just to bad that use breeders are trying to clean this up by culling and people keep buying culls to but in their herd and we still have to keep being reminded about this problem.
But I do know that it is a problem in other breeds, its just that herefords have been around the longest. Its just like the Udder and teat problem, most good breeders have cleaned up the problem by culling, but the cull get bought by other cattlemen because they are cheep.
The saying is" You get what you pay for." I bet if you go to a good hereford breeder and pay a couple thousands you wouldn't have a problem. But in life their are know garentee, things happen, Leg down, hard pull, two big a calf, twins, slips, I see my smart lic is made in Texas, when did they start the feed ban of bone and blood meal.

[ALICIA]

oh, we also have a cancer eye problem, and a pink eye problem because of the white face I'm told. I think that just about covers it.
One more thing, they are easy keepers, so we have to watch they don't get to fat on hay. They finish sooner in the feed lot, so this is a problem because they have to be moved out sooner then their harder keeping herd mates that take longer to grade on more and better quality feed.

We all have our problems. It's just money. I like my hereford, and I'm working towards being problem free by culling the problem. The problem is people buy the culls for their own herd and then have a problem so they think the breed is to blame.
I'm done writing. I know you were just being helpful about prolapses, and I felt like talking about my feelings on herefords and the problems in the breed. Got to go my herefords want in the barn its dark out side and they my not be able to see, I leave a light on in the barn for them. So I can see what they are doing in the middle of the night.