Up here in my neck of the woods, there really is no such thing as "keep them out of the mud." They have a grassy area but it is wet. Every place is wet. Even though my goats have a dry clean stall, Maggie has a terrible case of foot rot. It looks like slugs got in and ate her feet and heels. None of my books have any information on this. I have been putting iodine on her feet hoping that will help.

I am going to town on Wednesday. What should I get to treat her feet, how should I use it and any other information you can give me on what to do with these ugly feet?

Thanks everyone.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002

Answers

All I can say is that I have the same problem here. My husband put drain tile in the barn lot and that has helped some. I've also noticed that some does are more prone to foot rot than others, it seems to be related to the conformation of their feet and legs, so I cull heavily for those traits. If you can give them a walkway, of pallets or whatever, so they don't have to walk in the mud, it will help some.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), January 15, 2002.

Try some Dr. Naylor's Hoof and Heel...(zinc sulfate) for the worst cases...it works well. Otherwise..maybe dump some shavings in the muddiest spots? Right now mine are tip-toeing around in our first measurable snow of the season. But I keep filling the outside feeders to encourage them out just the same...better than laying around inside :) patty Prairie Oak Miniatures http://www.minifarm.com/prairie_oak http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Littlegoats

-- Patty Putnam (littlegoats@wi.rr.com), January 15, 2002.

Some of my friends have a really mucky spot in their yard and they got the idea of laying down a walkway of rolled shingles. It is a rough surface and may help to keep them out of the mud and avoid trip hazards for them. It's also pretty inexpensive and not too hard to lay down. I'm going to get some for a problem area I have sometime soon.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), January 16, 2002.

Laura we also use solid topped pallets, we just lay them in the grass, the does lay on them and keep their feet dry in the sun. I am a stickler for a dry barn. In the woods pen it is surrounded with pinestraw, which is really wet underneath, so the barn out there has a 4 by 8 plywood bed in it, for the girls or guys to jump up on and sleep. Sleeping benches are usually seen in pygmy homes, with the big gals you just make them bigger and sturdier. Having them loose is excellent for barn cleaning time, plus when summer comes you can move them out in the grass. Doreens idea of the rolled roofing on them is great! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 16, 2002.

Thank you everyone. I will be getting zinc sulfate tomorrow.

We put a boardwalk in their pen, wood planks on cement blocks to keep them above the mud. Tomorrow, I will try to put asphalt shingles on the planks. Wet wood is incredibly slippery! I tried to unroll the roll roofing, but it is too cold and it broke in pieces.

My Dear Spouse will bring more pallets home from work for them to use as a sunning platform, for when we get sun again.

More questions, is the vulnerablilty to foot rot inherited, or a once they get it they are prone to reccurance? Yes, Maggie was someone's culland her feet showed signs of previous infection, but she is the sweetest cutest thing and so well mannnered! I was looking forward to keeping a doeling from her.

Will there be any way of killing off this bacteria in the soil? Are there any reccommendations for preventing this next year?

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), January 16, 2002.

With horses, I've used bleach painted on the feet a couple times a day to help combat foot rot. With the goats, I used the zinc sulfate to get rid of it, but never tried a preventative. Has anyone ever tried using bleach as a preventative with goats? Since the girls are handled twice a day to milk anyway, couldn't a good hoof cleaning and bleaching help prevent foot rot? In my cross-species experience, white hooves grow faster and are therefore more likely to be neglected and get foot rot. I was just looking at my saanen this evening thinking she looked a little overdue for a pedicure...

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), January 18, 2002.

Sheryl since you have horses, or anybody else, sure seems to be alot of abscess in hooves around. Right now a gal on countryside has one in her goats hooves. Do you know what they are caused by and how to treat them? Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 20, 2002.

What everyone I know does for abcesses in feet is to soak them in epsom salt solution until they break and then use iodine.

I think most of abcesses are caused by either a small puncture wound or a fissure or a sticker or hay seed working into the foot.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), January 22, 2002.