Goat Health Question

[Mr.Hoppes]

Our goats were kept in our back yard when we got them. I had no idea that they would be so attached to Humans and want to stay as close to the house as possible. There is a deck and walk way around the house made of wood. WELL we came home and it had been a rainey cold day, no ice on the walk ways but they were slippery. Our male goat 4 months old, was limping. His right front leg was the one being held up so I checked the leg and found no obvious sores or breaks and figured it was just a sprain. I wrapped it loosely yesterday inhope of making it better but this morning the joints are swollen and warm to the touch. The other legs are fine and there still seems to be no obvious injury. What could it be? A break? Sprain?

I changed our whole yard - fence system around so there is no chance of this happening again. It was hard moving the chicken house but the goats and chickens are now getting along well.

Any ideas or sugestions will be greatly appreciated. I checked on fiasco but wasn't able to find the info I need. ( most likely there, I just couldn't find it)

[goatkid]

Sounds like he may have sprained it or torn something. Keep an eye on him and if it gets worse or doesn't start to heal, have your vet check him out.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Goats get sprains and strains and bruises all the time, especially young ones. The body is already doing exactly what needs to happen, swelling and making a firm cast around the hurt area. I don't do anything with things like that, time heals it. Now an obvious break, and yes for a breeding buck or a show kid you would want the vet to look at it immediatly.

When we were building our house we had roof trusses stacked up on the side of the house, the baby goats decided to walk up them, problem was with all of them up there, nobody was smart enough to get out of the way so they could get down, so they started jumping off of them, onto the wall, onto a pile of plywood and onto our deck...I about had a heart attack. My husband kept saying 'Vicki they are goats'....I think we all tend to forget this now and then.

But nothing makes goats nicer to have around than a good fence Vicki

[DocM]

It sounds sprained. Give him lots of love and attention, and be prepared for him to lift his leg and limp whenver he's feeling like he needs some extra TLC. Decks are like goat-magnets. Whenever my goats escape, they make a mad dash for the covered deck, where they promptly make themselves comfortable on the deck furniture, especially the lounge, and the small ones love the deck swing. A goat that's never seen padded adirondak chair before knows instinctively that it's a good place for a nap.

[AllWolf]

Sounds like a sprain to the leg. I had a goat one time tried to climb over the fence we did have up which is now gone and hurt her leg it was nice and swollen at the knee. I gave her just for one night for her pain was Bayer Children’s Chewable aspirin and put a warm towel on her knee. She still has trouble out of it but I had a vet to check it and they said she almost broke her leg and it will always give her a time.

I have my front yard fenced off and a chainlink gate at my deck or my goats be up there in a heart beat.

I hope your goat gets well soon.

[Sweet Goats]

Something you might want to think about is giving that little guy some asprin. I had to do it for a goat that really favored a leg. That was the only thing that really helped. It took down the swelling and helped the pain. Remember goats have to have three time the asprin that other animals need. I used a horse asprin.