[MamaDee]

Hey, all!

We got a doe about 3 weeks ago that has a bad ankle. Her leg is bowed out from about the last six inches down. At first when I went to trim her hooves I thought her leg was like that because of neglect of the hoof. But the other hooves are not like that. The lady I got her from said she thought her ankle was that way from when she was a kid--something nutrition related. Can anyone explain that? Anyway.......

I am not sure how to deal with this hoof as far as trimming. We tried to trim them all at first a bit and then more a little at a time....but the one is weird. She walks on it funny and the hoof is crooked. It's all curved over the outside edge to the inside. It's like the bottom of her hoof is just one big hoof--coming from the side.

How can I possibly trim the right? How can I trim it at all? Is there a way to do it differently since she walks with a limp?

Dee

 

[Filas are Prima]

From how you discribe it, I believe when you dig into that curled over hoof growth, you'll be able to find it's edge, and whack it off to the normal hoof wall.
With the curled over condition, and I imagine "genie toes", the best effort will be to trimm repeatedly as the weeks go by to get that hoof squared up and balanced.
Just take it a bit at a time. Realise that a deformed leg/hoof will never be a cutietoe like the other three. But, after working on it for several months, you will understand it's balance for what her body needs.

 

[Feral Nature]

Here is a link with some pics that may help:

http://fiascofarm.com/goats/hoof-trim-rf.htm

 

[MamaDee]

I believe when you dig into that curled over hoof growth, you'll be able to find it's edge, and whack it off to the normal hoof wall>>>

Thanks, yeah, I was thinking that should be the plan. It's just so hard to tell. Since she walks on the side of her hoof, it's hard to get under the part that's grown over like a normal hoof. Normally, I would be able just just gently get the tip of the clippers under the overgrowth....not on this one. I guess I'll just go slow. I wonder if washing it with warm water might help--to see more and also to soften it up?

Dee