Suspect arthritis but what to do?

[lunagardens]

I have an older saanen/possible mix (5-6 yrs old but no one knows for sure) which is also a heavy weight. I Cut back on her grain to no real effect.
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her history with me:
She came to me after going through a few homes but was originally a rescue goat. She likes to pick on all the other goats and never got along with pen mates. Now I have had her for about 1 year and she does fine, still bossy and a diva but has come a long way in her personality and ways. Amazing the progress daily massage has made! Even my 18 mo DD can do what she likes to her and she just acts like its nothing. A major difference from her arrival.
Just recently her knees started the noise like when you crack your knuckles- but each time she moves. It is coming from her front knees. I do not see any big swelling- just slightly as ones joints do when irritated/arthritic with no extra heat to the site. I suspect arthritis since it never happened before here- or at her previous home. She also has a dry skin/dandruff condition which I have not found a way to deal with/cure. She has this from before the time we acquired her.
What can i do to make her more comfortable? Am i lacking something in her diet?
She gets 1 1/2 cups( saw I put 2 1/2- so I cam back to correct that- sorry-) grain a day, free choice quality hay and goat complete mineral block
Your opinions please.

[fishhead]

Some people prefer loose goat minerals because goats don't eat as much from blocks.

[Idahoe]

My does get real dandruffy this time of year, and I read giving a handful of black oil sunflower seeds with their grain adds an essential oil of some sort to the skin.

Is her dandruff tiny small specks or large flakes? And does she seem itchy or unbothered by it?

She looks pretty big . . . a doe not bred or milking gets fat easily, which could affect her joints just like it does with humans. I am no judge of whether or not your doe is overweight . . . but there's a chance with her getting grain and being unbred/nonlactating.

[Sweet Goats]

Well, first off, I never grain my goats unless they are pregnant, nursing or just a little thin at a show. With the grass she is eating on there, that is very nice ans she does not need the grain. IF you think you have to give her that grain, then you can add some gulcosamine(sp) to it. I just bought some Horse stuff for a old goat that I have.
On the mineral, it should be loose, not just a blosc. They will wear a hole in their tounge before they get all the minerals that they need. But I would say she does not look like she is lacking anything. It doesn't mean you can not give her a handfull every now and then just because.
She is very pretty

[Jim S.]

Like Lori, I'm looking at that goat going, "Hey, what's not to like?" Except she is overweight. Also like Lori, I'd advise gradually cutting back the grain til it is out of the diet. Your lawn grass is fine. She'll lose weight, become thinner and more diarylike, all good things when it comes to reducing the impact on her legs and knees. Skinny is better with older goats.

The cracking noise is totally normal in older goats. Natural wear on the cartilage puts more bone to bone pressure points in the knee. When it moves, CRACK! Reduce her weight. They'll still crack, but it will reduce further bone wear.

Dandruff is totally normal in an older goat. You will have to live with it to some degree. Adding a spot of veggie oil mixed in her ration (if you keep feeding ration), or feeding sunflower seed will all supply more oil to the skin. But the older they get, the more dandruff they get. If you want to try the veggie oil, feed her a small amount of alfalfa pellets with a bit of it mixed in, and you can still get rid of the grain. Over 2 weeks of small amounts, you should start to see shinier hair and better looking skin.

All my first group of goats bought 17 years ago died of old age on the place, so I have a wide range of geriatric goat experience now.

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Does who creak in the knees usually have poor shoulder asembly, it puts more weight on the knees when they are 'over at the knee'. With you lawn grass soo short, it is a very hard thing on older does...and we actually don't consider your doe to be aged yet, not until 8, but eating with her head down like this is not only very hard on her joints, but reparasitizes her with every mouthful.

If you aren't going to breed her and keep her in production than she doesn't ever need any grain. Loose mineral would be better for her than the block especially as they age and bite at the block....and as she ages for you, you might want to move some of her hay to alfalfa pellets which are easy for older does to chew, and they loose their molars and their ability to really chew up the cud contents.

Arthritis in goats is CAE, which you could test her for or not, if you aren't breeding her it's not a consideration. Vicki

[lunagardens]

Thank you for all the informative responses. Everything I have read states give grain, so I thought she was suppose to get it... Now I know. I have only been able to locate the goat block locally so I will call that pbs livestock to see if they carry the loose. They have a store 45 minutes from me, but worth it for her health.
That line is 50ft long attached to a tree so I can move her where I go. We have TONS of clover in the grass which she seems to prefer over the unmown grass I leave for her.
Her back hip area slims out to where she looks like I am starving her and could never tell if she was considered overweight due to her body barrel. Her skin is loose and hangs in spots but was not sure if that comes with old age and after having kids. She has obviously had kids before but seems to not ovulate but 2 or 3 times during the season. Like I said, she was a rescue goat so her history past 2 yrs ago is very blurry.
The dandruff is smaller flakes and I do see her itch, but I have not dosed her for lice yet. I have the new alpine baby so was waiting to do both at the same time.
Thank you for the compliments on her being pretty. I had so wished she would have been successfully bred last fall, but was unaware of her ovulating problems and just assumed it was successful.
She will not be bred again. She will be cut from grain starting today.
I really appreciate all the input. Its hard searching for information when you do not really know what to look for. So I come to you guys.
Sincerely,
~T