Hoof Problems

[canine14]

I rescued a Boer-mix wether that was being starved to death. Gordon
is my first goat and is an extraordinary animal. I managed to get
his weight up and I had the vet deworm him with Ivomec. The problem
is Gordon's hooves. They were horribly long and misshapen thanks to
his previous ill-treatment but the vet who came out did not trim
hooves. I had a local farmer with goat experience come out to trim
them but he was hesitant to take off too much at once. Not terribly
long after, Gordon developed sore feet and would crawl on his
knees. He could get up but didn't like it. I called another
livestock vet out and he trimmed some more off of Gordon's hooves
with tin snips(!) because he didn't have proper clippers. He
suggested some Derapen which I gave as instructed. Gordon was fine
for a little while then was down again. I had the same farmer come
out and trim. Gordon was okay again for a little while but now is
down again. His knees seem a bit swollen, probably from crawling on
them. What can I do? I am no professional but his hooves still
look awful. One side is curved under so that it touches the other
(so that you cannot see any foot bed at all). Should I just get a
good set of clippers and try to trim them myself? Is there a foot
soak I can use in the meantime? I love my goat dearly. He is
older, the vet thinks, but I would like to keep him around for a
while.

Lisa.

PS In case it is nutrition, I give him grass hay every day plus a
2: 1 alfalfa: oats ration (as per the vet since he had been starved).
He gets fresh browse when he goes out but often lately he prefers to
stay in his pen. I try to bring some fresh cuttings to him. I am
looking at adding loose minerals to his ration.

[Liese]

Do you mean that his hooves are still are over grown to cover the bottom of his foot after 2 trimmings? Still on my first cuppa but if that's the case you really need to either find another goat person to help you, where are you? or do some internet searches for the several sites that have pictured tutorials - Fiasco Farms is one. She has trimmer recommendations and they are easy to get either at farm store or catalog. If he's down on his knees this needs immediate work and it isn't hard you can do it yourself - just do a bit everyday or so, put a collar on him and clip him to a fence or wall where you can hold him. Bad hooves can be a sign of copper deficiency but since you say he was in a starved condition it maybe just a matter of time to see improvements. But I would recommend adding a tablespoon of kelp to his feed daily for a time and then just add some kelp to his loose mineral. WOuld strongly suggest you get another wether so that he has a buddy -
but maybe not a rescue!

P>S. I usually trim hooves in the morning when everyone has been on dewy grass, since he's not out, you might try keeping him a small area with dampened ground or make him stand in a hoof treatment - don't know how do-able that is.

[fishhead]

Here's a website with hoove trimming pics.

http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/ar...inghooves.html

I would get some hoove trimmers and take a little off every other day or so until they are correct. Bad hooves can make bad painful joints. If they are overgrown and really hard you may have to use a wood rasp (file).

Definitely get some loose GOAT minerals with lots of copper and leave it out for him and his new buddy.

[canine14]

Originally Posted by Liese

Do you mean that his hooves are still are over grown to cover the bottom of his foot after 2 trimmings?

Yup.

Originally Posted by Liese

Bad hooves can be a sign of copper deficiency but since you say he was in a starved condition it maybe just a matter of time to see improvements. But I would recommend adding a tablespoon of kelp to his feed daily for a time and then just add some kelp to his loose mineral.

Does the kelp add copper?

Originally Posted by Liese

WOuld strongly suggest you get another wether so that he has a buddy - but maybe not a rescue!

I had read that this is the case, that goats like company, but he is strange. He does not like anything else sharing his space. It is probably because he was kept isolated in a pen while being starved to death, never going out, at his former place. If anything it would stress him out to have another goat around. He thinks he is a "people" and prefers human company to caprine.

Lisa.

[bumpus]

.
Cut some of the food back ( feed and Hay ) and he will start going out more to eat.

He needs to walk.

Two much grain is making his hoofs to hard and they will not wear of naturally.

Also it will make them to grow to fast.

Standing around a barn in his own poop will stick to his feet and cause thrush rot.

Walking in grass is the best, helps to keep them clean.

bumpus

[Liese]

Lisa, perhaps there is someone on this list or another (that many of us frequent) that is close enough to come and be a goat mentor for you. But you'll have to share your location . The kelp adds lots of micronutrients including copper but is not a substitute for a good goat mineral - it's a supplement. Even tho he thinks himself human, companionship is important - I don't know how I could spend enough time out with mine to be sufficient unless I lived in the goat shed! Just consider the idea, setting another area for a wether or doe that he can see but not have contact with...slowly introductions will help and pretty soon they'll be inseperable...and your life will be easier and quieter too. But that's for future considerations - probably you have enough on your plate right now. Do get those hooves trimmed, get him outside, maybe take him for walks - then he can browse, etc. Have you read thru Molly's Fiasco Farms site - a wealth of info and her products are good too.

[canine14]

Thanks Liese. I am in Ontario, Canada and I would LOVE to have a mentor! I think that this Spring I will look into getting a companion for Gordon. I had tried a rescue sheep but that didn't go well so I'll stick with goats. I do have a lot on my plate (my husband was in a bad car accident over a year ago and is still in the hospital with severe brain damage) but I am committed to Gordon. I am going to get some good shears tomorrow and start the trimming myself. I read through the Fiasco Farms site so I have an idea. Also, I will get Gordon on more browse and less grain and when I do use grain it will be a special, organic mix for goats with copper and minerals.

[fishhead]

If he is going to get grain it might also be a good idea to give him ammonium chloride each day to prevent UC (urinary tract stones that can be fatal).