Laminitis is a condition of the goat’s hoof when the tissue inside the hoof swells, leading to inflammation. As it walks around, the swelled part is pushed against the inner hoof wall causing pain and often making the goat grind it’s teeth. If not checked, it can aggravate the founder, leading to deformities in the hoof.
Treatment for Laminitis
If your goat has laminitis, you must ease their discomfort and pain with an anti-inflammatory such as Meloxicam. Your vet will need to prescribe antibiotics to eradicate the infection. Clean the goat’s hoof with a wet rag and remove any mud or debris. Be gentle, as the area may be very tender and painful.
Calm your goat down and soak their hooves in an ice bath or spray them down with cold water to ease the pain. Add a copper sulfate solution to the water and ensure it gets between their toes. This will help clean the area as well as toughen the skin. Rubbing cinnamon or sage oil on the area also relieves the pain.
Prevention is always better than cure, so ensure your goats are vaccinated regularly and have regular checkups. Keep their living area clean and dry, and avoid leaving them to stand in damp hay.
My Essential Goat Supplies
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This little giant bucket fits on a fence and this one’s easy to carry.
A sturdy dog collar is essential. Don’t do rope (they’ll break and tangle) or chain (injury!).
A Black Water Tub is way nicer than buckets that tip over. I like to get a 20 or 30-gallon in each pen so my goats have plenty of water, but you can get 100-gallons if you have a lot of sheep in one pen.
Loose minerals in a small bag or a Purina 50 lb bag, and a mineral feeder for free-choice is the best option. One side holds minerals, and the other holds baking soda. Don’t feed sheep goat minerals because it usually contains copper- something that is fatal to sheep.
Hoof trimmers are a necessity because you’ll need to trim your sheep’s hooves every few months. These are nice for the price.
Don’t make the mistake I made by waiting to order a drench gun before you need it. I was surprised by how often I use it. It helps with bloating, dehydration, and other ailments. Here’s a good drench, but you can also drench a bloat solution or water if dehydrated.
Digital Thermometor for when your lambs act sick. You’ll need to know if their temps are too low or too high so you can accurately diagnose the issues.
Vetericyn for wound care. It makes a big difference in a speedy recovery.
Check out this list of goat milk supplies you need if you have milk goats.