Not sure what to do

FrogTacos · #1 01/06/12, 09:53 AM

Gonna start by saying I have worked very hard with my goats on their feeding rations - everyone gets enough, no one gets too much, and all pushing and shoving for food is very minimal, if at all. Took me quite awhile to get there too.

Went out of town for 5 days over New Years. Paid a guy to come in and feed - gave him very explicit directions (he has done this for me before with no problems) I don't know what happened (not even going to try to understand) but for some reason, over the course of those 5 days, my goats only got about 1/3rd to 1/2 of their standard ration. All of my work was undone in those 5 days. All of them now brutally push and shove and hit each other.
(I will get that fixed, just going to take time *again*)

Enter the problem. One of my very pregnant girls apparently took a good hit in her shoulder and is fairly gimpy. I can find nothing visually wrong with her hoof or leg. She was already slower getting around and slower to react from being really big pregnant. I isolated her yesterday - about a week and a half before I had planned to do so anyway. Well, now that she has no one else to worry about, she wants to stay laying down, even to eat. I put her food up on the fence so she has to stand to eat, but she will only eat a little bit then go lay right back down.

She has a very good appetite, very attentive to everything going on around her, just doesn't want to get up for anything. I have no idea where the 'balance' is in letting her heal and NOT letting her go totally lame from not getting up. Advice and suggestions please.

She is due on the 23rd.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 01/06/12, 10:17 AM

Massage. Seriously. It works on the physical level, but it works on the goat's mental level, too, especially since she is alone. Give her a nice massage, work the leg, and tell her what a pretty girl she is. Works wonders.

FrogTacos · #3 01/06/12, 10:35 AM

I just got her to get up - food is a great temptation. Let her eat a little, then stepped back a bit to make her walk a bit. When standing, she pulls the leg up and it quivers a little. There are no size differences between the two front legs, I'm just clueless as to where her actual pain is. Tapping on the hoof doesn't seem to bother her, she will let me pick the leg up like I would for a trimming, even leans against me a bit for balance. She is ready for a minor hoof trim but I'm not sure I want to handle the leg too much.

LOL I just don't know! I will do the massaging and flexing/extending exercises. How many times a day should I do this?

I will say she isn't bothered a bit by being alone. She can clearly see every bit of the goat yard and someone is usually close by. Even seemed relieved by it when I did it yesterday. Just a cattle panel separation.

Alice In TX/MO · #4 01/06/12, 10:39 AM

Shoulder maybe. The shoulder is a very complex joint and easily damaged.

FrogTacos · #5 01/06/12, 10:48 AM

That I do know. Have cut up enough deer and seen how the joint works. If she took a shoulder hit she can have bruising on both sides of the shoulder plate.

FrogTacos · #6 01/06/12, 01:49 PM

Well, I am a moron and feel terrible. Decided to go ahead and trim the hoof just to be sure. Wouldn't ya know it - I scraped out the dirt that always packs in a bit and she had a small sharp rock wedged between the soft part and the hoof wall. Got it cleaned up, trimmed, and sprayed. Should be good as gold in a day or two.

bee · #7 01/06/12, 01:58 PM

All's well that ends well.... and a reminder to the rest of us to always check the easiest thing to fix first!

FrogTacos · #8 01/06/12, 02:01 PM

I was too quick to rule it out, I confess. I looked at it, poked at it, didn't seem like where her pain was coming from. I have had one with a hoof issue before and the limps were so very different.

Gotta love it when they teach us a lesson.

mammabooh · #9 01/06/12, 02:03 PM

WooHoo...glad to hear that she's all fixed up!

Pony · #10 01/06/12, 05:26 PM

I'm glad she's okay!

(went to look for the "like" button on Mammabooh's post...)

Goat Servant · #11 01/06/12, 06:04 PM

Oh FrogTacos, goats ALWAYS make liars out of us.

Glad that's all it was.

FrogTacos · #12 01/06/12, 06:39 PM

They do indeed GS, they do indeed.

julieq · #13 01/06/12, 07:59 PM

So glad it turned out to be nothing serious!

Some friends hauled one of our mature bucks home for us about a year ago. We offered them a kennel as he was to be hauled with the Alpine doe they were buying. But they didn't want it and we didn't push. Unfortunately the Alpine doe beat the crap out of our little ND buck and he has a permanent shoulder injury. Our fault completely. Wish it had been just a rock in his foot.

Backfourty,MI. · #14 01/07/12, 11:23 AM

So glad your doe is going to be OK & just a minor hoof problem & nothing worse. Looking forward to baby pictures about the 23rd too!

motdaugrnds · #15 01/08/12, 09:26 AM

They always teach us. So glad it was just a stone.

ShyAnne · #16 01/08/12, 06:50 PM

Glad it was just a rock... How is she today?

FrogTacos · #17 01/08/12, 07:17 PM

I think she is now trying to pull the wool over my eyes. I sneak out and peek and catch her up and walking a bit, but as soon as she sees me she lays down looking pathetic with those big eyes that beg for treats.

She isn't 100% but is doing better.

Helena · #18 01/08/12, 07:30 PM

If I have a goat that isn't doing well for any reason.I usually try to put a smaller goat with them.. It keeps them company and gives a reason to get up and to get around and get their share of the grain. Good Luck..

FrogTacos · #19 01/08/12, 07:37 PM

Ya that didn't work. She laid there and watched the other goat eat ALL of it. She really is content being on her own, tomorrow I will start opening the gate soon as she has finished her breakfast.

ShyAnne · #20 01/08/12, 11:24 PM

Glad shes better...