Buckling Broke His Leg

[Pony]

We had some excitement here this morning.

Nick woke up to turn off the computers when he heard lightning around 3 a.m. While wandering the house in a sleepy stupor, he thought he heard me crying or calling out.

Turns out the buckling was kind enough to show us the flaw in my milking stanchion design by getting his front leg caught and breaking it clean through.

Ouch. Argh. Oooogy.

Nick came to get me, and I thought we'd have to shoot and butcher at 3 in the morning.

Thank God for Cloverbud and Ozark Mountain Jewels.

I phoned these two wonderful women and got the advice that the buckling's leg could be splinted. Emily walked me through it step-by-step, Cloverbud prayed for and encouraged us, and we now have a buckling sleeping in the goat shed with a pretty impressive dish rag/PVC/duct tape splint on his leg.

When the vet opens in a few hours, I'll call him and get some Banamine for our little guy.

While we were outside, my darling Nick (who held that buckling through the entire splinting process, God bless him!) assessed the milking stanchion, went to the garage, sawed up a couple pieces of wood, and made the necessary modifications to prevent BowTie (or any other goat) from getting stuck there again.

Emily pointed out that goats will be happy to show you the design flaws in anything you do in their area. Bow proved her right.

Most important lesson learned this morning: No such thing as doing it all on your own. I am so grateful for the support received this morning!

[pookshollow]

Aw, poor little guy. But he will heal up just fine. One of mine broke her leg a couple of years ago, and you'd never know which one.

Glad you had someone to talk you through it - I had to wing it. :baby04:

[Pony]

I'm only hoping I placed the bone ends properly. Man, that is one sickening feeling, those bones moving around in my hands...

Anyway, I just came back from milking Trub. Bow Tie is alert and eating, favoring the leg but I want him to do that, of course.

Sent my nearest goat neighbor an email asking if she has any Banamine. The ride to the goat vet is 40 minutes, and the Cherokee is in the shop. <sigh>

One thing after another.

I'm going out with alfalfa pellets and raisins now.

Hm. I wonder if a shot of brandy would help the buckling? <shaking head> No, he'd probably be a mean drunk.

[fishhead]

I think the bone would heal fine even if it's not perfectly aligned. Bodies are amazing in how they heal.

[Pony]

Originally Posted by fishhead

I think the bone would heal fine even if it's not perfectly aligned. Bodies are amazing in how they heal.

Good to know.

I'm astounded at how well he's doing. The break is so nasty, I fully expected him to be at least a little shocky, but he never once showed a single symptom of it.

Little guy only bleated a bit when I was trying to line the bone ends up, and even then, he wasn't screaming or anything.

It was pretty hard on my milker, though. When Nick first went out there, ol' Trub was at the far end of Goat Glen, standing in the rain, refusing to come to the shed until I came out and we started working on his leg.

Have no idea how long the little duder was out there, dangling from the stanchion. Man... We are so blessed that Nick woke when he did, that Emily and Cloverbud were available, and that he's doing so well.

I was set to shoot him, but now I still have my beautiful buckling.

[ShyAnne]

Great Job Ladies! And how wonderful to know that the members here are so kind!
Best wishes for Bow!

[pookshollow]

If you can't get Banamine, you can always give him some aspirin or ibuprofen. Check FiascoFarms website for dosages.

You probably already know this, but be sure and check that the leg doesn't swell and make the bandages too tight. Also, feel his hoof - if it's cold, the circulation has been cut off.

[Annie's Mom]

Oh my goodness, how awful! I'm so glad you were able to call for help and get his leg in a splint so quickly. I hope it heals up real quick.

[Idahoe]

Watch his "toes" for swelling, make sure they are warm.

My doeling broke her leg on the fourth of July a couple of years ago, a clean complete break where it was swinging around. It was already swelling when I got to her

Her hoof swelled up badly beneath the cast, but it stayed warm and eventually the swelling went down.

"Warm" hoof means the circulation is intact and not cut off from the swelling. If the hoof feels cold, the cast is too tight and will need to be taken off and replaced, or splinted with vet wrap, until the swelling is better.

Good luck, those little guys heal up fast and well.

Also, I'd just weaned that doeling, and after the break, put her back on a bottle for the calcium.

[AnnaS]

Is this leg breaking year??

One of my *four* 2009 doelings broke her hind leg the first week of May. I splinted it up but also went to the vet's for a professional set and cast. Total:$35- my favorite vet bill ever.

I guess flickr won't let me post inline- link to a pic- http://www.flickr.com/photos/5263988...n/photostream/

Fuji did get some baby aspirin when she was in tooth-griding pain, but that didn't last too long. Some pain is needed to keep a kid from bouncing off walls and preventing healing. ditto on the warm/cold foot. The injured leg can swell a lot in the first couple of days.

Cast came off on Sat. Her broken leg is a little shorter and totally lacks muscle tone, but vet things she she grow it out just fine.

[Pony]

BowTie is doing well this evening.

His toes are warm (thank you for reminding me to check!) and he's eating/drinking normally.

He was obviously in pain -- although still limping around because he is a goat!-- and he is eating/drinking. Nick picked up banamine at the vet today, and we gave Bow a CC IV. (Dang, it felt good to know I can still hit a vein on the first go-round!)

So BowTie is outside lazing around in Goat Glen, while Many Troubles hangs over his shoulder, making sure he's okay. Ha! That's a switch! He's been bugging her and trying to breed her the past few days, and now she's bugging him!

[Pony]

BTW -- you folks who give aspirin/ibuprofen/et al to your goats, do you pill with or without a piller?

[pookshollow]

Originally Posted by Pony

BTW -- you folks who give aspirin/ibuprofen/et al to your goats, do you pill with or without a piller?

Pffft! We don't need no steenkin' piller! I just put my hand under their jaw, tip the muzzle up, put my finger into the corner of the mouth, and toss the pills as far back as I can. I keep the muzzle up until they swallow. Years of pilling cats.

[HilltopDaisy]

Glad your baby is doing well. May I ask what size pvc you used?

[Wonderland]

Poor little boy! I'm glad you were able to contact some support! I hope he continues doing well!

[Wannabee Acres]

Thats great that the buckling is doing well. I actually have a Registered Alpine buck that is now 2 who broke his leg as a kid and he did great and was even used for breding and I also had a doe kid break her leg last year and she had twin bucks the end of March. So good luck and hope all works out well.

[Pony]

Daisy, we had some pvc lying around from our ongoing plumbing projects. I don't know if it was 1/2" or 3/4", but whatever it is, is working.

He's been doing well today, despite this miserable heat. Ugh. It's 97 now, was even hotter earlier.

And the little guy let me scritch him today -- I wonder if he'll be as nice after I give him another injection of banamine....

And Rose, you are absolutely right: The folks here on HT are fantastic!

[Pony]

Just a quick update on Bow Tie.

He is moving around so well, I didn't bother injecting him with Banamine today. He was even jumping up on the milking stand! Good thing Nick fixed it immediately after we splinted that leg.

I am astounded at how quickly he is up and moving about. Now I'm wondering how long I should leave the splint on his leg...

ANyone have an idea of how long it should stay? Emily said to try for 2 weeks, but I'm worried that it may not be long enough.

OTOH, at the rate he's going, it may be too long!

[Wonderland]

Good to hear! Glad he's recovering well.

[ozark_jewels]

Hey Pony,
I'm glad to hear he is doing so well. Broken legs rarely slow goats down for too long, especially young goats.
I check the cast and leg every day, make sure the animal is getting plenty of calcium, smell the cast to be sure there is no rotting smell. I leave the cast on for two weeks *if the goat will let me*. I can truthfully say that only one goat I ever splinted left the cast on that long, even after I put it back on. I've never had a leg not heal in those two weeks.