Goat has started limping

luckyinkentucky · #1 02/26/13, 09:27 PM

I noticed on Friday that my 10 month old buck was a little scoured, so I began treatment with electrolytes and probiotics. (My other buck of the same age, in the same pen, eating the same food, was fine). On Saturday, I noticed that the scoured buck was limping a little on his front legs. Our winter has been very wet, making it very difficult to trim hooves. We trimmed his hooves on Sunday, and he seemed fine yesterday (Monday), today he was limping a little again. I rechecked his hooves, and I found a little spot on the bottom of the bad one that is red. Its about the diameter of a pinky finger, maybe 1/4 inch. I've never seen this before, does this soung like a bruise or an abscess? I know he didn't bleed during the trimming, so I don't think he got injured then. I have some injectible antibiotics on hand if I need to give them. Or I can get something else if I need to (I have a TSC locally). I don't want to give meds that aren't necessary, however I definitely want to treat what is needed. I have Dura Pen and LA200 on hand.

Also, anyone have any helpful hints on how to trim hooves when you can't catch a dry day? I've got to do the rest of the herd, especially the pregnant ones, but I don't want to give anyone foot rot or something.

Once again looking for great advice....

Backfourty,MI. · #2 02/27/13, 06:00 AM

About the scours, did your bucks get coccidosis prevention when they were younger? If not then I would start them on Coccidosis treatment. Link below with dosages & medications.

http://www.dairygoatinfo.com/f28/dif...s-doses-21499/

Also have they ever been wormed & if so with what?

As for the red spot I don't have any experience with that so hoping someone else jumps in to help with that.

I do suggest wood pallets down for paths or places that your goats can get their feet out of the mud & stay dry. Standing in wet, muddy soil can & will cause hoof rot for 1 thing.

mekasmom · #3 02/27/13, 08:22 AM

I don't understand, "on the bottom of the bad one". On the bottom of the hoof or on the bottom of the foot between the hooves?
My suggestion would be to start pouring rubbing alcohol on the area to kill any fungus and also drip some PennG on it to kill any bacterial infection too. But use the rubbing alcohol liberally. You have to make sure there is no fungus growing. Use it 2x a day for a week, and it should heal up fine.

luckyinkentucky · #4 02/27/13, 08:58 PM

Sorry for the confusion, I was trying to give all the info that might be relevant, however since I only get the chance to post right before I go to bed, I neglected to mention that the scours cleared up with the electrolyte/probiotic treatment that I did. He was mildly scoured for 2 days.

As for the foot, which was my main concern, the red spot was on the bottom of the foot was sore, not between the toes. I don't see anything that looks infected, and I don't see the spot tonight, but the limp is worse. I began the alcohol/pen g treatment today, and am working on putting some wood runners down for him. Hopefully this will work as there are not really any goat vets around here to help me.

zephyrcreek · #5 02/27/13, 09:41 PM

Is there anything between his toes? Is it wet or gooey? If so you need to treat for hoof rot.

Alice In TX/MO · #6 02/27/13, 10:28 PM

I wouldn't give PenG for a sore foot. I'd treat with a copper based hoof treatment, and make sure he's up to date on his copper boluses.

luckyinkentucky · #7 02/28/13, 08:12 PM

Bolused a couple of weeks ago. His hoof looks totally normal now, nothing on the bottom or between the toes, however he is past limping now. I got home from work today and he is noticeably worse. He doesn't act like any place on his hoof or between his toes is sore or tender when it is pressed on. However, he reacts to his ankle being tinkered with, on the back of his leg between his hoof and dew claws.

I plan to stay home and take him to a doctor tomorrow, I just don't feel like I can chance taking my time on this one, poor fella.

Minelson · #8 02/28/13, 08:20 PM

It may be a back injury. Banamine?? Or just wait until you go to the doc tomorrow...If he is acting normal I wouldn't do anything until you see the doc tomorrow ~~~~

luckyinkentucky · #9 03/02/13, 10:35 AM

Well the doc was stumped too. She said his hoof looks good, nothing wrong there, no swelling around the ankle, the rest pf the leg and shoulder seem fine. She said to soak his foot in hot epsom salt water 3Xs a day, give banamine 2xs a day, and LA200 1x a day for 5 days. Heres hoping it works.

He was pet of the day yesterday (3/1/13). I don't know if their facebook page is updated yet, but his pic is up there. If anyone gets on Facebook they can vote for Izzy at www.facebook.com/FlanaryVetClinic . At least you could see his pic

Alice In TX/MO · #10 03/02/13, 11:53 AM

Did they X ray it?

KrisD · #11 03/02/13, 05:57 PM

Could he be foundering?

luckyinkentucky · #12 03/04/13, 12:16 PM

She didn't xray, she said it wouldn't show if it was just a small break or tendon damage. I hadn't thought of floundering, perhaps...

I just checked on him at lunch and he is doing much better, however I don't know if he's getting better or if the banamine is just making him feel better. Thanks for the ideas, I think I will cut his grain back some, just in case.

luckyinkentucky · #13 03/17/13, 05:38 PM

Well, he seemed quite a bit better after finishing his round of meds, only a slight limp that was much improved, so I figured that cutting his grain back, increasing hay, and keeping up on the hooves every couple of weeks would do the trick. This weekend he has gotten worse, so I went ahead and started him on another round of treatment (to keep him from getting as bad as he was, right now he will still put weight on his foot). Nothing happens when the vets are open!

However, I noticed this time, when I palpate his foot, he is tender where the hoof meets the leg, on the front side. When I press where his hair ends, at that joint, it bothers him. I wonder if KrisD is right, does it sound like founder? I want to get away from the banamine ASAP, to avoid any digestive damage, so again looking for ideas...

Another question, it's time to CDT the herd again, can he be CDT'd while on the other meds? I don't want to overload his system, is it better to wait and do the CDT once he's over this, or do it now?

Backfourty,MI. · #14 03/17/13, 06:37 PM

The CD & T won't interfere with his antibiotics. Instead of 5 days though maybe do 7 this time. Banamine really should only be given 3 days so not sure if you want to give him more of that.

I've never had horses & not had a problem with a goat foundering so I can't tell you if those are the symptoms.
Do they have dry places to get out of the mud now?

luckyinkentucky · #15 03/17/13, 07:32 PM

Yeah, their house is always dry, and their pen isn't muddy. We had actually had a week of rain free weather, but today is cold and wet. So it's damp, but not muddy. I'm working on getting some solid top pallets from work. When we get done with the new kid pen then I intend to make a bigger pen for the boys. Until then I will try letting him out in the afternoons to get more exercise. Thanks for the response, I appreciate the info.

Also, the CDT says to discard it immediately, so I have been, which is really wasteful considering that I would use a dose or 2, then a little while later I would have to buy another vial to do a few more doses (kidding season and all), anybody know why? Does air affect the contents? Just curious...like I have nothing else to think about...

Backfourty,MI. · #16 03/18/13, 05:49 AM

Try & do all your CD & T vaccines about the same time of year on all your goats but no I don't throw my bottle away. I use it up as long as the date is good. I do keep it stored in my fridge too of course.

luckyinkentucky · #17 03/23/13, 10:53 AM

Well, took him to a second vet for a second opinion, I specifically made an appointment to get xrays. The new vet said that I should just keep on with the LA200, just up the dose. He wouldn't do xrays yet. Why will no one do xrays unless they think it is broken?! He said he didn't think it was laminitis because it would be in both front feet, not just one. I mentioned that it could be a problem in the joint that is not a break and he could need another method of treatment, but what do I know? (Other than I was prepared to pay for xrays).
A bit of unusual advice he gave was not to worry about giving probiotics with the increased antibiotic dosage. Give them if he starts having a problem. Wow-think I'll ignore that bit of wisdom, Izzy loves Probios anyway, so what's it gonna hurt. Personally I'd rather prevent a problem rather than treat one.

So, I guess 2 vets later I'm still at square one...

Sherry in Iowa · #18 03/23/13, 11:13 AM

To me, it sounds like the problem goes back to that little red spot on the bottom of his foot/hoof. Is there any way that he could have punctured that? Or maybe the trimmers poked him? I had a horse that started limping. Guy that we used back then had previously owned Scooter. He trimmed him up..there was a "spot" on the bottom of his hoof. The guy shook his head and said that that was an old injury spot. He opened it up and it about gagged us..let it drain..packed it and the old boy was ready to go.

See, it had been punctured..the tissue covered back across it..and ya couldn't see a wound.

I'd soak him in Epson salts and see if that helped him any. Just a different thought on it.