Little buck, kidded last summer, had a badly bleeding hoof when we checked goats Sunday night. He appears to have caught his foot in something and literally cut off the back of his hoof, maybe on sheet metal. Hubby managed to stop the bleeding and bandage it for me.

On closer inspection in the daylight, I see that he actually has bone protruding at the bottom of one section of his hoof. I thought maybe I could stitch the bottom of his hoof up over it, but the string just pulls right through.

Any ideas on how to help this mend or whether there is any chance it will grow back over? I can't stand for him to live with bone protruding. If this will not likely be something that can mend, what would be the best way to put him down?

Thanks for any advice.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), April 03, 2002

Answers

There are times that we can not help and this is one of them. Bone infection like blood infections go systemic and kill, very slow and very painful. Have this taken care of by the vet, or put him down. I am sorry. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (Nubians) (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 03, 2002.

Oh Mary...that stinks, I'm sorry... How badly is the bone protruding? Maybe the vet can do something with it? When she was a kid, one of my does cut herself badly on the bend in a foreleg and the bone showed there, since it wasn't really weight bearing I kept it vet wrapped and sprayed it and nursed a bit and she did heal up fine. Now you can't even see the scar. Let us know if the vet can help...best to you.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), April 03, 2002.