One of my 8 yr old wethers has a strange problem. Last week his left front foot got really sore. He wouldn't put any weight on it, and limped around. I gave him a few doses of ibuprofen and he got over it. Now this week his other front foot is doing the same thing. So far nothing has helped. I see no swelling in the joints, nothing wrong with the toes. We've had a lot of wet weather lately and the goats have had to deal with mud in their pen a lot. Other than that I can't think of anything that may have caused this. His hooves are well pedicured, no sign of rot. I haven't found anything in the pen that may have injured him. This guy is a big, strong, 200 lb packgoat and is normally tough as a truck. But this has me worried. ????
Goat with sore feet
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What are you feeding him? Overfeeding can lead to founder.
They eat all kinds of stuff. Grass hay, alfalfa, and wild browse. I've been reading about "founder", or laminitis. That sure sounds like a possibility. Have you had experience with this?
One thing I've read is that alfalfa may contribute to founder due to its high protein content. Any opinions on that?
One thing I've read is that alfalfa may contribute to founder due to its high protein content. Any opinions on that?
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Yes, high protein will cause founder. I had a Saanen cross who did NOT benefit from large amounts of alfalfa in her diet.
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Wethers absolutely don't need the high protein diet. Good catch!
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