Baby goat with broken leg---please advise...

[Jillis]

Well, the baby goat with the hurt leg has a diagnosis now...it is broken above the knee (rear leg) at the growth plate. This makes it difficult to treat. The vet gave me 3 options.
Sedation, pins and cast, to be repeated in 3 weeks...might need to refered either to Montreal or Tufts U in Massachusetts---ultimate cost close to $600.00. Can't do that...
Cage rest and pain medication...
Euthanasia...
I sat in the office and tears came, holding that sweet little LaMancha with her camel head and gopher ears.
I asked the vet what would be in the baby's best interests---I know that I will have to make these types of decisions in the business I am going into, and I dont' want to be guided by my emotions, but by ultimately what is bext for the goat.
She said, due to her age and size (about a week or so old, I think), she had a good chance of healing on strict cage rest, no weight bearing and etc. and pain meds for at least 2 weeks. Even with that, or the cast, she will probably always limp.
The were going to give me Bantamyn (not sure of the spelling) for her for pain, and then she came out and said, instead, to give her 350 mg. of buffered aspirin. The problem is the buffered aspirin tablet is way too big for her tiny throat...I ended up poking a baby aspirin down her last night, only 81 mg. But I figured she only weighs not even 10 lbs. That might be enough at this point.
But I know she is in pain. She will only take her bottle if you hold her in your lap. If you try to give it to her while she is lying down she refuses it. Pick her up and hold her and she wolfs it down. Sometimes she only takes half.
I know she is in pain mostly because she is grinding her teeth. We had a patient in the nursing home who was mostly out of it, and she kept being really restless and grinding her teeth. I mentioned it to the nurse and she said, I'll give her some Tylenol. Sure enough, the woman rested easy after that. So even though she is not crying out, except once in a while when we pick her up, which we try not to do if we don't have to, I can tell she is in pain...
Plus, she is in a cage for the first 2 months of her life??? How ungoaty can that be? No sisters around to play with, no jumping, leaping and playing...
I don't know...I am so new at this, and I don't always know the right judgement call. I keep having an uneasy feeling that euthanasia might be the best thing, but then I think, it isn't her fault, doesn't the little critter at least deserve a chance? But I don't want her to suffer either.
And then, after 2 months (and I don't thing the cage will fit her that long, her head touches the top now and she has to hold it down when she stands up) in a cage in the house, will she be able to understand why she is now in the barn, and be put their in the dead of a northern VT winter for which she has not been acclimated?
I just don't know what the right thing to do it...I am looking for an objective opinion from experienced goat owners...please help, I am already heartbroken over this...
Jillis

[sancraft]

We have a cat named Hope. The movers didn't tell me that they dropped my soap making supplies, spilling the lye. Hope, not yet 3 weeks old and just starting to creep, stepped in the liquified lye and when it started burning her foot, she licked it off. It severely burned and disfigured her mouth and tongue. We took her to the vet and he said we had to bottle feed her and give her time to heal. She did "heal", but her mouth was permanently disfigured. She is now a healthy 2 yr. old. We had to have some of her teeth pulled because they were impacted. SHe has to be given water from a bottle and baby food meat from a baby spoon. She plays, lounges, sleeps, fusses and does everything any other cat would do. She isn't able to effectively groom herself because of her misshapened tongue, but she tries. For that reason, she gets 2 baths per week. She seems to have a good quality of life. My stance has always been that if they have the will to live and will have a decent quality of life, then I will do all that I can to help them. As long as your baby seems to want to fight for her life, I'd help her as much as I could. This may not make good business sense, but for me, when the business involves living beings, it's different than if you're a cardboard dealer. JMHO.

Sandra

[Milking Mom]

To tell you the truth dear if you can't splint it or cast it to where she can get around, I would put her down. It is an awful thing to have to do to a sweet little thing.

[ozark_jewels]

I would either try to splint it myself with pvc pipe or two paintsticks and duct tape well padded with gauze, or if that doesn't seem to work I would put her down. It is a terrible option, but it comes to everyone one time or another. I simply cannot afford to spend $600 on a kid that may or may not recover to be an asset to my farm. Sounds cruel to some maybe, but if I spend that $600 on a possible recovery, I won't be able to buy hay for the rest of my herd.
I did have a doeling that broke her leg at a week old. It was completely broken through right above her first joint in her front, right leg. I splinted it with two paintsticks, gauze for padding, and duct tape to hold it all together. I made sure the paint sticks extended down below her little hoof so that she could walk putting the weight on the paintsticks instead of her broken leg. She healed quite well with just a bump to show where it had been broken.
If you do decide to put her down, a 22 pullet to the base of the skull, angled toward the lower jaw will do it quick and painlessly as possible. Or the vet could do it, but some charge so much for that procedure.
I sincerely hope she recovers for you, but if not, don't feel guilty about it. She has had a good life so far and accedents happen. I know its hard.

[moonspinner]

Now I have no experience with your situaiton but what stood out to me in your post was your vet said she had a "good chance to heal" on the cage rest. That the fracture is in a bad place doesn't make the decision easier, but I would try her advice and take this day to day. What's in your favor is she is young and probably has a shot at healing quicker if you can keep her off that leg. And if you can manage her pain, that would be great. I would think the banamine would be a better pain med, but I don't know if her young age precludes this and that's why the vet decided against it?
At any rate, if it were me I would try the cage rest and see how it goes, if she eats well, etc. Maybe your kid will have less pain as time goes along. And if you don't mind a limp and she can get around well enough as she grows, it might be worth it to give her a shot at recovery.

[marvella]

i agree with moonspinner.

it will be a lot of trouble, but you are already clearly attached to her. as an adult, a limp won't affect her ability to be bred, or to be milked.

if it were miine, the big problem would be the time and energy involved. i've been known to take ailing critters of all sorts to work with me, but i know that's not an option for most people.

sounds like you'll have to find her a bigger cage. do you, or anyone you know, have a dog pen? a shelter, with lots of bedding, and a lightbulb or heat lamp should keep her protected long enough for her to get well. i tie tarps to three sides and another across the top, and it works pretty good. that way she can move around as she wants to, and will be protected for a while from her rowdy brothers and sisters.

i think the vet offered you the euthanasia option if you don't have the time or willingness to do the caging. try making one of those pro and con lists, and see what you come up with.

[Goat Freak]

I am sorry to hear that your little girl is hurt. I will pray for her. Good Luck. Bye.

[Teacupliz]

We had a doe kid break her leg this year. I splinted it myself.. I was worried for a few weeks. but now months later she is wonderful-- small lump in that broken area. I gave baby asprin for pain.. She went back with her friends and did okay0--kept getting the cast of and did not wear is to long.. I have read of many casting themselves and all went well--Liz

[Jillis]

Thank you so much, everyone, for your input! I have found this forum to be an invaluable source of support and information and I am so thankful to have found it!

I splinted it with two paintsticks, gauze for padding, and duct tape to hold it all together. I made sure the paint sticks extended down below her little hoof so that she could walk putting the weight on the paintsticks instead of her broken leg. She healed quite well with just a bump to show where it had been broken.

Thank you, Emily, and everyone else who spoke of doing this. I am going to try it. But if she continues to suffer, I will probably make the other decision...

[GoldenWood Farm]

I had a boer doe kid that I bought. She had broken her leg when she was only 2 weeks. It was RIGHT on the joint area in her back leg. We casted her leg but we had no real hope that she would heal up good or anything.

She is now almost 2 and when she was only 8 months she took Junior Grandchampion and Grand Champion over her mom at fair. You would never be able to tell that she ever broke her leg.

Give the little gal some time...goats can pull through some amazing stuff. But what ever you decide I know it will be the right thing to do.

MotherClucker

[annabella1]

if the break is in the growth plate that would either be near the knee or the hip (the bones grow from the ends) if it's near the knee, you might be able to get one of those human knee braces at the drug store they are not very expensive get a childs size and try it on her it might give her enough support and some pain relief continue the baby aspirin or you could use buffered aspirin powder.

[marvella]

the buffered aspirin helps, you could also give some antacid with the aspirin to prevent ulcers.

[marvella]

too bad you're not close- i'd be tempted to take her in....

stop me, please!! i swore i was full up here!! LOL!! no room at this inn!!

Originally Posted by Jillis

Thank you so much, everyone, for your input! I have found this forum to be an invaluable source of support and information and I am so thankful to have found it!

I splinted it with two paintsticks, gauze for padding, and duct tape to hold it all together. I made sure the paint sticks extended down below her little hoof so that she could walk putting the weight on the paintsticks instead of her broken leg. She healed quite well with just a bump to show where it had been broken.

Thank you, Emily, and everyone else who spoke of doing this. I am going to try it. But if she continues to suffer, I will probably make the other decision...

[goatkid]

A friend of mine first adopted a baby Alpine with a broken leg and paid her vet to do the pin and splint thing. Later that year, she took in another Alpine kid with a broken leg and splinted it herself. Both does are now grown, healthy and able to bear the weight of pregnancy. I would check with your vet to see what she thinks of you splinting the leg. Banamine is a good painkiller for goats, but it can only be given for three days without endangering a goat's health.

[mary,tx]

I had a little buck that broke his leg jumping a fence. It was a rear leg, but below the knee. I splinted it with the plastic end of a hockey stick(padded), and it did heal well. Splinting is not that difficult (trust me, if I can make it work, anyone can). My only concern would be that a splint really needs to come up above the next joint from the break. If I understand correctly the positioning of this break, that might make it difficult. It is, however, what I would try first. If the foot remains warm, that is a good sign that she has good circulation in it.
mary

[GrannyG]

I walked that walk too, when my Nubian doe broke her left hind foot. I couldn't afford to have it fixed, and the vet doesn't have alot of sympathy when she could be replaced cheaper , so I tried to do it myself. I used what I had, toilet paper tubes and duct tape, then used that padded stuff they put on pipes in the winter to keep them from freezing, taped that up, too. She limped along for about a month, then I removed it all. The foot is crooked yet, but she still manages and knows where the love is, she is getting along quite well. I would be inclined to try to save the baby goat.

[mygoat]

I would splint it like everyone says, and maybe your vet couls help you out at the same time. I would also cage her, or at least move her out of the pen with the other goats. They will be mean to her if she doesn't seem right. Hope she comes out fine....

[Jillis]

This morning she seems a little better. She still refuses the bottle unless it is just about exactly 12 hours since her last one, but I figure she is not in the cold barn burning up calories nor is she getting any exercise. I have seen her eating hay, I don't think she's eating the grain yet. Her water dish (very small) was empty this morning.
I read what one person said about the splint needing to be on the joint above the break, but I think if I do what one poster said and splint it so that the ends of the paint sticks are on the floor but not the foot it may help with that?
The baby aspirin is helping. I will try to give some liquid antiacid as well. Calcium carbonate is one of the ingredients of the Bufferin that won't for down her throat. When she has the aspirin she seems perkier and more interested in her surroundings. Also, this morning she is standing up in her cage more. I am kind of encouraged...
It is when I see the other babies in the barn that I really feel bad for her...then I think, well, she'll probably have a very special relationship to US, from having been with us in the house. Feeding all those babies in the barn is a gas. The barn seems to be warm enough for them, even when it went down to one degree the other night and I was so worried about them. There is no way I could fit 9 more babies in my house!!!
Either we will get a bigger cage for her or try to build a little separate stall in the barn for her and maybe put one of the gentler babies in with her, if she is mending okay. It has been only 4 days so far, but at her age they probably heal very fast...
Thank you, thank you. thank you, I can't thank everyone enough for all the advice, and if any of you pray, would you send up a little plea for this goatie girl to heal quickly and well?
Thanks and blessings, Jillis!

[titansrunfarm]

Originally Posted by marvella

the buffered aspirin helps, you could also give some antacid with the aspirin to prevent ulcers.

Good idea but note:

Don't give the antacid at the same time as the aspirin, it (aspirin) won't absorb well. Instead give the antacid at least 30 mins before aspirin. BTW you can crush reg. aspirin and put it in applesauce, honey or molasses, whatever she likes.

I would go with the splint/rest/antiinflammatory med and see how she does also.

Good Luck!

[moonspinner]

Great to do she's doing better! But you said she was only about a week old? She shouldn't be on grain yet.