Out of ideas - cone of shame for goats?

**mygoat** · #1 10/07/12, 07:45 AM

Ok, I have a boer doe with a wound on her side. Started out as a rub, but because she and her mother will NOT LEAVE IT ALONE, it gets HUGE because they're constantly chewing on it.

I have tried supergluing t-shirt material in a big patch around the wound (not directly to the wound, but to the hair around the wound), which worked for a while. Then she tore that off, so we put a t-shirt on her, which worked great until it fell off. When it fell off, I thought she was 'better' - wound was gone, just a bare spot with a bit of dry skin and no hair. The bare spot was tiny compared to the wound size before. Put her back in the main pen... sure enough a couple days later my dad called and said the wound was back..

I borrowed a goat-coat from a friend, and its too big for her and she gets tangled constantly.

We've tried modifying t-shirts, sweatshirts - they all fail in one way or another. Either she tangles, or it rips off, or something.

I'm at my wits end with her. I'm worried that if I order a goat coat for her from hoegger, that she'll still have fit issues and get tangled constantly.

Is there something that can be put on her to let her wound heal? It is NOT infected, never has been - but they pick and pick, and it won't go away! Extremely frustrating.

Darren · #2 10/07/12, 07:52 AM

Can you separate them and use one of those conical neck collars that they use for dogs on the doe with the wound?

Minelson · #3 10/07/12, 07:54 AM

Cone of shame would work for her but not for the mother goat chewing on it too...I wonder if some of that bitter apple spray would work?

**mygoat** · #4 10/07/12, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darren

Can you separate them and use one of those conical neck collars that they use for dogs on the doe with the wound?

I can separate them, and we do have a dog cone. I was worried being a prey animal, she'd hate it. Also, it's going to make feeding/watering/giving hay difficult. I'm also worried she'd damage the cone.

Minelson · #5 10/07/12, 07:56 AM

Maybe the coffee can on the neck trick will work. Like for when they self suck??? cut the plastic folgers coffee can and slide it on her neck and then duck tape it together. There is a picture of it somewhere...

Minelson · #6 10/07/12, 07:59 AM

here it is....
Self sucking prevention collar

LoneStrChic23 · #7 10/07/12, 08:10 AM

Here is what I did for my Alpine who decided to self nurse...

Go to Dollar General & look in the automotive or cleaning section.... They have these thin black buckets with a lip & handle that say "Made in the USA" on bottom. Remove handle, and though I didn't at first, cut lip of bucket off all around top. Cut down middle (very easy to cut, these buckets are thin & slightly flexible), then thickly duct tape all edges to pad:

Tape it on with duct tape, placing the spout above withers..... My girl is a big gal so I didn't need to trim the bucket shorter, but you can if needed.

Out of ideas - cone of shame for goats? - Goats

Out of ideas - cone of shame for goats? - Goats

Bleu wore this for many weeks until she forgot about her bad habit. Best part, she still fit in the milkstand with it on, so I didn't have to take it off...... It held up to fence rubbing & other goats trying to pull it off too...

Out of ideas - cone of shame for goats? - Goats

I ended up padding the entire edge that was around the base of her neck & withers because without the duct tape padding, it rubbed her a bit.

Worked great, and when I was ready to take off, I just cut the duct tape & put it away for future use... Also went back & bought more buckets in case I need to make different sizes in the future.... Buckets were $1.50 each.

Backfourty,MI. · #8 10/07/12, 08:31 AM

Wonder if that M-T-G would help it heal up & also taste bad so no one would want to chew on that spot anyways? It's kinda greasy so it doesn't rub off easily either.

If you don't do the coffee can or cone could you take a big T-Shirt & make a band that goes all the way around her body to cover that spot. Wrap it kinda snuggly so it doesn't move. Even big enough that you could strap it in the front & the back might work.

Dreamgoat Annie · #9 10/07/12, 08:38 AM

On the rare occasion I have a sick adult goat and it's cold outside, I blanket using a foal turnout with a closed front and leg straps. I had to alter the neck design a bit (by hand, using imitation sinew and a glover's needle) but the leg straps on equine turnout blankets keep them nicely in place.

One thing, don't cross the leg straps the way you would on a horse. Well, you can with a wether or young doeling but not a buck or a doe with an established udder.

Sue

Dreamgoat Annie · #10 10/07/12, 08:40 AM

Oh, I meant to say you can often find foal turnout blankets used at ebay. Try for a waterproof, breathable version and avoid the ones with a foam liner.

Sue

FrogTacos · #11 10/07/12, 09:00 AM

Chewing holes in themselves is a classic symptom of Meningeal worm.
Meningeal Worm Infection in Goats

**mygoat** · #12 10/07/12, 11:50 AM

I don't think it's meningeal worm. She's had a wound for months - since early summer - and is fine otherwise. She doesn't want to 'itch' anywhere else. NO other symptoms of meningeal worm. Her mother doesn't chew herself - she chews her daugther.

They also didn't start the wound, it was a rub or a scratch from something. Most of my goats get a mild bald spot in the area. But, it tastes good (salty) so they keep at it.

The bucket cone heads are probably my way to go, along with isolation until the hair has grown back.

Will she be able to drink out of 5 gal buckets with that on?

Backfourty,MI. · #13 10/07/12, 11:57 AM

With a cone she will probably have trouble drinking out of a bucket but if you do something like crystal did in the pictures above she should have no problem drinking like normal.

Helena · #14 10/07/12, 12:24 PM

How about that "sticky" bandage tape that you I have used on horses legs due to injuries. I think you could probably put several strips of it on her side...but I would separate the goat from the others for a while...

LoneStrChic23 · #15 10/07/12, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mygoat

I don't think it's meningeal worm. She's had a wound for months - since early summer - and is fine otherwise. She doesn't want to 'itch' anywhere else. NO other symptoms of meningeal worm. Her mother doesn't chew herself - she chews her daugther.

They also didn't start the wound, it was a rub or a scratch from something. Most of my goats get a mild bald spot in the area. But, it tastes good (salty) so they keep at it.

The bucket cone heads are probably my way to go, along with isolation until the hair has grown back.

Will she be able to drink out of 5 gal buckets with that on?

Bleu was able to do all her normal activities, expect self nurse. I don't use 5 gallon buckets for water, but by trough is knee high & she had no troubles drinking.

Sherry in Iowa · #16 10/07/12, 03:35 PM

Maybe a thin coat of something like vasoline and a hardy dose of cayenne pepper on top would do the trick. As long as the wound is covered by a film of something so the pepper doesn't hit it..I'm pretty sure the goats are gonna hate it.

Good luick!

farmmom · #17 10/07/12, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helena

How about that "sticky" bandage tape that you I have used on horses legs due to injuries. I think you could probably put several strips of it on her side...but I would separate the goat from the others for a while...

You can also make regular bandage tape super sticky by spraying the adhesive with ether (engine starter). It will stick like crazy! It melts the adhesive a bit and it will stick to hair even though it is made not to.