My sweet boy is limping: what am I missing here?

BethW · #1 08/18/13, 09:20 PM

Tango has been favoring a front leg for several weeks now. It's worse when he's been lying down...when he gets up, he hold his hoof up for a bit before he starts walking around. He will walk on it, but he definitely favors it and will lean in the opposite direction to take pressure off it when standing still. On occasion, it seems as though he stumbles over it.

No heat in his leg or foot, no obvious injury, feet are regularly trimmed (every 3-4 weeks), no hoof rot, he gets no grain, and he's head goat so it's not likely he got rammed.

I discussed it with the vet (she hasn't looked at him) and she thought it may be arthritis, especially as it seems to be worse when he gets up after resting. But he's only 6 years old.

Any other thoughts? His pasterns are a bit weak. Also it's been wet for months here. He has plenty of dry places to be, but he's definitely been on wet grass a lot.

He's Goat Of My Heart, and I'm so worried~

Edited to add that he and his herd mates came from a tested herd so no worries on that count.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 08/19/13, 07:08 AM

Did you see the tests? Have you tested yourself?

Could he have broken the leg jumping off of something or stepping in a hole or getting it caught in a tree fork?

If it has been going on for weeks, it's time for a vet visit.

BethW · #3 08/19/13, 09:34 AM

Thanks, Alice. I saw the tests when I bought them 6 years ago but I haven't tested since. I don't think it's broken, but it's very possible he got it hung in the fence and twisted it. There's no signs of heat, no swelling...nothing out of the ordinary.

Have a call into the vet this morning. I think I'd actually prefer a fixable injury to an achy joint that's only going to get worse. *sigh*

JBarGFarmKeeper · #4 08/19/13, 02:13 PM

Have you given Bo-Se? Bo-se will shore up soft pasterns.

BethW · #5 08/19/13, 04:14 PM

I'll ask the vet about getting some Bo-Se (how is that pronounced, anyway?).

For now, until she can get here later in the week, she suggested we try treating for hoof scald first.

Any suggestions on how I'm supposed to keep Tango from eating the Vetrap on his lower leg/hoof?

harvestmoonfarm · #6 08/19/13, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BethW

I'll ask the vet about getting some Bo-Se (how is that pronounced, anyway?).

For now, until she can get here later in the week, she suggested we try treating for hoof scald first.

Any suggestions on how I'm supposed to keep Tango from eating the Vetrap on his lower leg/hoof?

He won't bother the vet wrap. My 2-year-old buck has had vet wrap, duct tape and a pool noodle on his leg for 4 weeks and hasn't bothered any of them.

coso · #7 08/19/13, 06:35 PM

I pronounce it Bo "like Bo Diddly" and Se "like Oh say can you see" course I'm from the Ozarks so that may be completely wrong.

BethW · #8 08/19/13, 06:54 PM

LOL, thanks Coso, that's what I'm going with!

Trish, I just got back from the barn after treating Tango's leg. After we put him back in the stall for dinner, he acted like he had no idea half of his lower leg had hot pink wrap on it. Can this be the only occasion in Goat World where they actually stay out of trouble?

Alice In TX/MO · #9 08/19/13, 07:00 PM

Just for what it's worth. One of my doelings ate a bandaid off of my husband's elbow last week.

aart · #10 08/20/13, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coso

..... Se "like Oh say can you see" .....

Se like say...or Se like see?

Alice In TX/MO · #11 08/20/13, 06:59 AM

See

Bo with a long O

Se with a long E

(Do they teach phonics in schools now?)

BethW · #12 08/20/13, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

See

Bo with a long O

Se with a long E

(Do they teach phonics in schools now?)

LOL, schools finally went back to phonics when they realized that "whole language" wasn't working.

I'd have a heart attack if Tango ate a Band-Aid. Guess it's good I never had kids. I'm already a helicopter goat mama.