Post by macmex on Jun 3, 2024 6:54:10 GMT -6
I mentioned somewhere, in the last week or two, that this little goat broke a hind leg and that we were working to help him heal. Of all goats, this is the one and only we have on hand for fathering more. We lost our other buck this spring. This is the one we traveled to get and paid for, purchasing him the day he was born and bottle feeding for two months, in order to keep the price down. Wouldn't you know, this is the one which would get stepped on by a horse less than a week after we weaned him and let him loose with the herd!
The break is high and in a very difficult place to splint. By the way, this photo is from after we removed the splint, replacing it with just a bandage. The earlier ones... I can't find.
We started out splinting the leg. If you can believe it, we actually had a splint already made the that exact same goat because some years ago we had another kid (also a buck goat) get stepped on by a horse and break a leg in the same place. Back then, we took the kid to our country vet, who fashioned a splint for him. The cost was quite a lot higher than we really should have afforded. But, when that kid healed we did what so many other country folk do... we stashed the splint ... just in case.
Last week we finally got the materials we needed to change the bandages. We found that that he had developed a pressure sore under the splint and that it was infected. Again, it was really nice to have a selection of antibiotics, which we had purchased through our vet, in the past, for other sick animals. We called our son, who is a veterinarian, and he checked which one would be best and what the dosage should be. He recommended that we not use the splint any more. A lot of vets are beginning to recommend that one simply hold an injured animal, like this, in a small pen, where it will remain quiet for the two months required for healing. Their results have been encouraging. Apparently, "Mother Nature" knows how to heal broken limbs in animals.
Yesterday we changed the bandages and saw improvement though the bandage stuck to the wound. So now we've removed the bandage and will simply keep it clean, checking every day. Swelling is coming down rapidly.
When we have had to work on his leg, I've had to carry him over to our small pickup truck, hold him on my lap and sit on the tailgate, so that Jerreth can do the doctoring. While she does I try to feed him treats and keep him happy by rubbing his head and neck. He's been so relaxed that at times he simply falls asleep while "his humans" work on his leg.
Dealing with livestock injuries can be very challenging. The cost of medical care is skyrocketing along with that of medical supplies. New regulations are making it impractical to treat many animals, forcing farmers to either improvise or put the animals down. It's our hope that Chippy here will heal up and go on to father many kids!
Do you have any tips or anecdotes regarding helping your own sick or injured animals?
