Rumensin for goats has been a hot topic in the industry within the last year, and with it has come heated debate. While potentially unintentional, mis- and dis-information about the safety and labeling of Rumensin, also known generically as monensin in classes of the goat species has reared its ugly head on social media and beyond.
As goat breeders and producers, we all want to do the best by our animals’ health and welfare, so what’s the truth behind the drug found in most medicated feeds for ruminants? We sat down with Dr. Sara Linneen, a ruminant nutritionist with Elanco, the company responsible for Rumensin, to get to the bottom of the matter.
“The first thing to remember is [Rumensin is] a well-researched, proven, well-supported feed additive that is subject to ongoing rigor,” Dr. Sara Linneen said. “It’s an excellent coccidiostat, and there’s a multitude of research published on how effective it is.”
Label Changes for Rumensin for Goats
The main concern highlighted within the last year by goat producers on social media consisted of the product’s labeling now including a statement that says Rumensin is for goats maintained in confinement except reproducing or lactating goats. Some producers on social media, and even industry media outlets, posited that the addition of, “…except reproducing or lactating goats,” may have been due to recorded adverse reactions.
Dr. Linneen understands the confusion behind the label change but assured that the label change was not due to any sort of recorded adverse reactions.
“Rumensin has never been approved for lactating or reproducing goats,” Dr. Linneen said.
Dr. Linneen added that in 2020, the FDA issued a new mandate under the guidance of a document called GFI #191. Before 2020, the only information required on the animal health product label was that of the classes it was approved for within a species. Following the FDA’s issuance of GFI #191 in 2020, animal health products now must include approval information for every single class of a species, hence the addition of, “…except reproducing or lactating goats,” on the Rumensin 90 label.
“We think it’s important to follow that FDA guidance and those mandates,” Dr. Linneen said. “This was not added to the label in response to adverse feeding events where Rumensin was fed off-label to goats. Not at all.”
The Science & Approvals Behind Rumensin
“I think we can use the cattle industry as a good learning opportunity,” Dr. Linneen said. “I don’t want to see the goat industry go in reverse. We have this excellent tool for the prevention of coccidiosis if it’s followed according to label implications.”
Rumensin was first approved for use in cattle in feedyards in 1975. According to Dr. Linneen, before Rumensin was introduced to feedyards, about 60% of morbidity was due to coccidiosis. Today, because of Rumensin use, coccidiosis morbidity is so insignificant that it no longer has its own category within the feedyard morbidity or mortality contributions reported by Elanco.
“We do have an understanding of the effect of Rumensin in reproducing large ruminants,” Dr. Linneen said. “It’s approved for dairy cows and reproducing beef cows, and the reproductive safety has been well demonstrated.”
But that begs the question why we see the Rumensin label state, “…except reproducing or lactacting goats.” If it’s been demonstrated safe for reproducing large ruminants, why does the label say this?
“The approval process for any feed additive is very long, intensive, and it’s financially a very high cost,” Dr. Linneen said. “You have to gain an approval within every single class of that species.”
Dr. Linneen pointed to Rumensin’s approvals in cattle as an example. She demonstrated that the ionophore antibiotic had to have separate research, applications, reviews, and approvals for each of the classes of cattle: reproducing dairy cows, reproducing beef cows, growing cattle, feedyard cattle, and replacement heifers.
“The market share has to justify that expense,” Dr. Lineen said. “It was a very intentional decision by Elanco to not pursue [the reproducing and lactating goats] labeling because of that ROI when it comes to the investment versus the future return.”
Dr. Linneen also stated that research—both internally and externally to Elanco—for goat nutrition, especially for Rumensin, is few and far between.
Rumensin Alternatives
Rumensin, or monensin, is not the only direct-fed antimicrobial on the market. Other naturally derived products also exist, like probiotics and tannic acids. While some producers notice a difference with Rumensin alternatives, results are largely inconsistent.
“I think of it as a dartboard,” Dr. Linneen said. “When I’m looking at research for any natural direct-fed microbial, they may hit the dartboard for coccidiosis prevention. But when I look at Rumensin, it comes close to the bullseye nearly every single time.”
Issues with natural alternatives to Rumensin don’t stop at the inconsistent performance, as most are also not FDA-approved and therefore have not been subject to the same research rigor as Rumensin has.
“They are not approved through Food & Drug Administration channels,” Dr. Lineen said. “So, they have not been required to demonstrate safety or efficacy such that an FDA-approved product would have.”
Importance of Rumensin for Goats and Whole-Herd Health
Coccidiosis is a very common disease within goats, and according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, chronic infections lead to increased time to puberty, increased time to finish, decreased weight gain, and decreased feed intake. In more severe cases, coccidiosis also leads to the thickening of the large intestine, poor body condition, dehydration, and death.
“The risk of not including [Rumensin] in a complete ration is putting the health and welfare of my animal in jeopardy,” Linneen said. “Rumensin is one of the most effective coccidiostats on the market today, and to be frank, we don’t have a lot of options for coccidiosis control in goats.”
Dr. Linneen encourages any goat producer who may have questions about Rumensin to reach out to someone who has a really good understanding of how the drug works—whether that’s a professional at Elanco or another producer.
While Rumensin, or monensin, may not be labeled for reproducing or lactating goats, there is no evidence that the medication is unsafe for these classes of the goat species. It’s safety and efficacy have been well-demonstrated in reproducing and lactating large ruminants. After all, because of the overall lack of research behind small ruminants, as goat producers, we already rely on established, research-based knowledge of large ruminants to help guide us through nutritional, health, and welfare decisions within our herds.
“I have a veterinarian coworker who likes to say that goats are little coccidia machines,” Dr. Linneen said. “It’s a huge challenge in the industry, and I don’t want to see one of our best tools eliminated because of misinformation.”