SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO GO

[rockin r]

A friend of mine has goats...One of them has a slight founder.

She is giving them sweet feed, chicken scratch, cooked oatmeal. I told her to put in him a mud hole for as long as she could. I don't know anything about goats, and she is not real sure on what to do. Can anyone help her out with any suggestions?? I don't know where else to ask this ? on the forum...Ant help is greatly appreciated...Theresa

 

[Ashley]

I have never heard of a goat with founder.

But why is she feeding them grain?????? OUrs only get grain if they are preggers. Other then that they get hay and grass only.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Hot days and an occasionally cool night may create digestive upsets due to several days of minimal food consumption followed by a cool night of eating to excess. Abnormal feeding patterns may lead to unusual problems, like polioencephalomalacia or founder. I dont understand why she is still feeding them grain, hay or grass should be enough, although she should watch his grass intake too. Can she put him where he would only have access to hay? Has she had a vet or a farrier who knows about goats look at this goat? Corinne

 

[Shari]

Yes, Goats can founder, though not in quite the same way as a horse.

She needs to stop feeding her chicken feed for a start....really all grain needs to be stopped. Chicken feed is not made for goats to eat.

Here are a couple of web sites with reems of information.

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/footrot.html

Foot rot in goat

Foot rot is a contagious disease, caused by a mix of different bacteria with the essential one being Dichelobacter nodosus. There are two main forms of foot rot - virulent and benign, they are caused by different strains of the bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus. The bacterial infection cause varying degree of damage to the horn of the foot, leading to lameness and significant loss of body weight. The foot rot disease are two types, benign and virulent. Both have been started as inflammations seen as moisture, reddening and loss of hair between the toes. This disease is checked by the gelatin gel test (protease) measure the activity of enzyme protease, which are help to destroy the soft horn and tissue of the hoof.

Type of foot rots

Benign foot rot (U strains including mild U5 strains).

Virulent foot rot (mild “S†strain also hot U5 strains).

Virulent foot rot (more virulent “S†strains).

http://www.goatworld.com/