broken leg splint????

mtn_gin · #1 10/27/06, 08:03 PM

Has anyone splinted a leg on a goat before? If anyone has can they tell me is they had any success with it. My daughters little doe broke her back leg we have no idea how but I was needing advice on how to splint it

mrs.H · #2 10/27/06, 08:39 PM

Hi,
I'm sorry to hear about your goat. You should go to the goat section of "Homsteading". The folks over there will have helpful and acurate advice.

goatlady · #3 10/27/06, 09:05 PM

Depends on what type of break and exactly where the break is. If the bone is through the skin she will likely lose that leg IF you get her to a Vet. Otherwise, with a compound fracture (through the skin) you will lose the goat to massive infection. A straight break can be splinted but skin breakdown and/or skin ulcers is a very real concern if the splinting is not done correctly and well padded. Get the poor thing to a Vet. If you have no experience in this area best to get an expert. You would not attempt to splint your daughter's leg, why subject the animal to further pain and suffering. You cannot learn splinting online.

mtman · #4 10/27/06, 09:42 PM

i would call a vet sometimes things happen and you need a vet
if the goat is still trying to get around on a broken leg that cruel

nduetime · #5 10/27/06, 09:56 PM

i agree, you need a vet to determine how bad the break is and the best way to set it. Plus, a vet can sedate to set and splint making the whole thing a lot less traumatic.
My little doe had her back leg stepped on and broken by a caretaker, she was set and splinted and is now two years old and fine as can be. Her bone did shift just the tiniest little bit and she has a small lump on her rear leg but she can do anything the others can. She did live in the house for three months while recuperating. lol That was as much for me as for her.

Christiaan · #6 10/28/06, 02:46 AM

Get a vet, that's why God made them. If you can't afford a vet, kill the goat. Needless suffering is only for humans, other creatures in our care deserve better.

ozark_jewels · #7 10/28/06, 06:53 AM

I have splinted several broken goat legs and they heal very well. If its not a multiple break or through the skin, I can do exactly what a vet will, so why pay him??

I take two paint sticks if its a kid(something bigger along the same lines if its a full grown doe), a piece of cheesecloth, and either vet wrap or duct tape. Carefully set the leg in its correct position, wrap it carefully with a few layers of cheesecloth(not tight!!), then lay the paint sticks along the leg on either side of the break. Holding it all in place(which can be tricky), wrap it firmly, but again, not tightly, with vet wrap or duct tape. If it seems to want to fall off, you can overlap the duct tape directly onto her hair to hold it. Just remember in a couple weeks when you take it off, you will need to use scissors to cut the tape from the hair. Keep an eye on it to be sure its not visibly rubbibg anything raw and leave it there for up to three weeks(many goats manage to release their leg from bondage around the two week line). I have splinted partial breaks and complete breaks where the leg was just swinging. Those girls are healthy and happy know with just a slight thickening of the bone to show you where the break was.
If it is a very bad break, with the bone through the skin, I would reccomend a vet.
If you can give the goat comfrey while she is healing, it will encourage the bone to knit quickly. You can give the goat a shot of Banamine when you are splinting the leg, its a pain killer you can get at your vet.

ozark_jewels · #8 10/28/06, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christiaan

Get a vet, that's why God made them. If you can't afford a vet, kill the goat.

What a waste to kill a goat for a broken leg. What do you think people did in areas where there were no vets? A splint for a leg is one of the easiest things to do.

nduetime · #9 10/28/06, 09:28 AM

The guy that owned my Gracie wanted to cut her throat because the caretaker accidently stepped on her and broke her leg. Lucky for me, the caretaker said wait I know someone who might want her and that was how I got her. I would have splinted her myself if I could not have afforded the vet, I was fortunate enough to be able to have him. Note:the total cost to me was less than 100.00 including a xray after a couple weeks. She is a fabulous goat and I cannot imagine her not around.

Jillis · #10 10/28/06, 05:34 PM

We had a 1 week old goat that got a broken growth plate in its upper rear leg. Vet said it would need surgery, pins, etc. Other choices, euthanasia.

I kept that little goat in a cage in my bathroom for several weeks and gave it pain meds when it was grinding its teeth. No other treatment.

She is a fine, fat, spoiled sassy thing now. Not a trace of a problem.

Glad I didn't have her put to sleep, for sure!