# How to check ligaments?



## damummis (Jun 13, 2011)

How the heck do you check ligaments?  What am I trying to figure out?  Please tell me what and where to feel.


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## elevan (Jun 13, 2011)

Place your hand on the goat's rump at the tail with your finger facing the tail.  You'll be able to feel the ligaments or lack of them between your fingers when you press down and slightly toward the tail.  Try it on your pregnant doe and another goat to get a feel for the difference if need be.

I hope that made sense...sometimes it's hard to explain things like that.


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## damummis (Jun 14, 2011)

Same with sheep???


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## carolinagirl (Jun 14, 2011)

yeah I was wondering if this works for sheep too....hopefully it does!


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## aggieterpkatie (Jun 14, 2011)

I have never heard of checking ligs in sheep.  I would think it would be fairly difficult because of their structural differences (sheep being more meaty than goats).


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## carolinagirl (Jun 14, 2011)

http://www.infovets.com/books/smrm/B/B488.htm

According to this web site, sheep and goats are the same.  But like aggieterpkatie  said...it may be hard to find them on a sheep since they are meater.


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## damummis (Jun 14, 2011)

carolinagirl said:
			
		

> http://www.infovets.com/books/smrm/B/B488.htm
> 
> According to this web site, sheep and goats are the same.  But like aggieterpkatie  said...it may be hard to find them on a sheep since they are meater.


Thanks, I am going to go an try to check.  Ma isn't prego so I can compare her with Ol'Thelma.


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## Chirpy (Jun 14, 2011)

I'm a very visual person so I had to have someone show me how to check ligaments.   It was really easy once I could see it.   The picture on the link is great.

Here's another description - - just in case it helps:

Take your thumb and pointer finger and grab ahold of the very top of the tail... just above where it actually attaches to the body; so, you are touching the body.. not air around the tail itself.   On a very pregnant doe, getting real close to delivery, your thumb and finger will actually encircle the 'tail' and basically meet each other under the tail; pretty much just the skin is keeping them from actually touching each other. 

On a non-pregnant doe or one that isn't close to delivery... your finger and thumb won't go towards each other but just be pushing down on 'hard' skin/body.

Good luck.


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## damummis (Jun 14, 2011)

So I went and checked, on Ma I felt two "strings" not as thick as a pencil between her tail and hip bone.  On Ol'Thelma there is nothing.  I feel the bones in her tail and everything around her tail is right squishy.  Does that sound right?


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## elevan (Jun 14, 2011)

damummis said:
			
		

> So I went and checked, on Ma I felt two "strings" not as thick as a pencil between her tail and hip bone.  On Ol'Thelma there is nothing.  I feel the bones in her tail and everything around her tail is right squishy.  Does that sound right?


Yep, that sounds right.  Try feeling it every 12 hours and you'll get an idea of changes in Ol'Thelma.


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## damummis (Jun 14, 2011)

Did  my last check for the night, she feels the same, but she won't stand still for me this time.  Down right ornery.  She keeps holding her tail out too.  She wouldn't let me check her bag either.


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## elevan (Jun 14, 2011)

Full moon is tomorrow at 8:12 pm...


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