# Nigerian Dwarf Doe with Stiff Back Legs



## Enchanted Sunrise Farms (Oct 5, 2012)

We have a doe with  an ongoing issue with her back legs.  She goes through episodes, most commonly in the morning, where her back legs are very stiff.  When she goes to stand i see her moving them very stiffly, crossing them over each other and close into her body, not bending at the knees at all.  Seems that after she's up and walking for a while it's better.  And she does get to points during the day where she's running and tussling with her friends.  Since she's had it for so long, i'm sure it's not a disease.  i'm suspecting arthritis, and that makes me wonder if i should be giving her glucosamine or some such thing.  She's young, about 3 years old.  Any ideas or suggestions?


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## 20kidsonhill (Oct 5, 2012)

She is too young to have arthritits.   That would lead me to beleive she has some sort of injury that has caused some nerved or joint damage, or she has a disease that maybe be progressing very slowly.   How long have you had this doe?   When you say she has had this for a long time, what does that mean?


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## ThornyRidgeII (Oct 5, 2012)

How about a BoSe shot?  I would rule out deficiency or injury as stated above..


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## Chris (Oct 6, 2012)

Do you have deer in your area?

To me it sounds a little like Meningeal Worm.


Chris


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## Southern by choice (Oct 6, 2012)

Have you tested for CAE? merck vet manual gives a great description. Search CAE in goats and look for Merck, they generally have easy to understand info.


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## Enchanted Sunrise Farms (Oct 6, 2012)

Thank you for all your thoughtful replies and sorry for not responding sooner.  Had to take one of my chickens to the vet yesterday and she has cancer.  It was a tough day.

We got Hillary when she was 6 months old, about 3 years ago.  This stiff leg thing has been going on for about a year, and is not always apparent.  It's mainly in the morning, when she first gets up.  It's like it takes her a while to get them fluid.  And if i touch her flanks they feel tight.  Over the course of the day she seems normal again.  Would have taken her to the vet, and we used to have a great large animal clinic we used.  But they were taken over by VCA who then closed down the large animal section as it was not profitable enough.  Grrrrrrrrrrr.

She has no apparent injury.  We don't have deer or wild animals in our area.  We are fairly residential, with a half acre back yard.  We try to keep things safe out there for our geese and goats, who are penned right off the back of our house.  i have not heard of the BoSe shot before, but we can do that if it would help.  She has not been tested for CAE.  i will look that up and see how to do that.  i think we really need to find a vet here at some point.  Makes me nervous not having someone to turn to in case of emergency.

As for diet, we feed our goats Orchard Grass, they have that available all day.  Loose minerals free choice, along with baking soda.  For treats they get a scoop of Goat Chow a couple times a week, sometimes a scoop of crimped oats, sliced apples, kale, sweet potato.  We trim off tree branches and ivy for them, too.  Does all that sound okay?

Thanks for your help.


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## 20kidsonhill (Oct 6, 2012)

yes, your feeding sounds okay, As far as overall condtion, would you say she is on the thin side, okay or quite plump. 

Are the minerals you feeding, Goat Minerals or does it say sheep and goat on the bag? 

BoSe is a RX from the Vet, and it is selenium and vitamin E. In my expereince a the BoSe shot especially helps if the goat has weak pasturns, Not sure in your case it would help, but probably wouldn't hurt anything. 

menengial Worms cause a stiffening of the back legs and slowly works its way to the front end, eventually causing death. Since your goat hasn't progressed in symptoms, it doesn't seem like it would be that.


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## Enchanted Sunrise Farms (Oct 6, 2012)

My husband thinks she is too plump.  She is the largest of our three goats.  

We get the Goat Minerals, specifically.

Just read about menengial worms.  Hope it's not that!  We don't have deer around, and it sounds like white tailed deer are the carriers.  So we are probably safe there.

My husband thinks she is just stretching in the morning.  But it looks a little troublesome to me how stiff her back legs are.


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## 20kidsonhill (Oct 7, 2012)

Enchanted Sunrise Farms said:
			
		

> My husband thinks she is too plump.  She is the largest of our three goats.
> 
> We get the Goat Minerals, specifically.
> 
> ...


Goats do not do well over weight.  Is it possible she is having problems with being too heavy?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 7, 2012)

Posting some pictures might help.


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## Enchanted Sunrise Farms (Oct 7, 2012)

Great idea.  Here she is.  What do you all think?


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## Pearce Pastures (Oct 7, 2012)

It may just be the angle-does her back left leg look a little oddly shaped to anyone else?  Like it is turned out more or like the joint is not quite right?  If she is pygmy, I personally don't think she looks that heavy but maybe a bit it she is an ND.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 7, 2012)

She is a little over conditioned but not enough that should affect anything. I would guess some type of injury. Her one back leg does look like it really turns out. Not sure if it is just bad conformation or the way she is standing.


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## Southern by choice (Oct 7, 2012)

Was wondering about her feet, do her hooves need trimmed? any sigh of hoof rot?


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## Enchanted Sunrise Farms (Oct 7, 2012)

We trimmed her hooves a couple weeks ago.  We try to trim all the hooves about every 6 weeks or so, or whenever they look like they need it.  i went out and looked at her leg.  It does look turned out in the pictures.  i honestly can't tell in person.  i'm just not that experienced with goats.  These three are our first.  

We never noticed any injury that may have occurred.  But i suppose something could have happened at some point.  There has just never been any significant obvious thing.  When i move my hand down her back, pressing to feel for any injury, she is fine.  But she doesn't like me fussing with her legs.  i was trying to feel both to see if i could feel any differences today and she wasn't happy about it.  i have felt those legs before, though, when i've noticed the leg stiffening thing, and the muscles feel very tight.

Just thinking out loud, i used to have a terrible time with leg cramps.  My doctor put me on extra potassium and it helped a lot.  i wonder if this stiff leg thing is like a leg cramp.  That is kind of what it looks like, legs all stiff and trouble moving them in the morning.


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## 20kidsonhill (Oct 8, 2012)

I think whatever it is, It isn't normal.  She is clearly standing awkwardly in those photos,  back legs kind of close together, feet kind of turned out, especially the one. and her back legs look too far under her. But I have no advice or suggestions.


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## Enchanted Sunrise Farms (Oct 8, 2012)

Sorry for the butt shot, but does this picture help at all?  i really appreciate the input.  If her legs or stance are abnormal, i wonder what the solution may be.


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## Enchanted Sunrise Farms (Oct 8, 2012)

Also, i was just thinking, we got her when she was six-months-old from a woman on craigslist.  When we went to get her, she was in a small stable and it didn't look like she was let out to run.  i wonder if that confinement effected her leg development, then as she got older and put on weight, now the problem becomes apparent.  Just a thought.  At this point, it just looks like it's uncomfortable for her in the morning.  i guess my big concern would be if it progressed and got worse as she got older.


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## 20kidsonhill (Oct 8, 2012)

She is very very hock-kneed.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 8, 2012)

If she was kept in small quarters, that could be a lot of it. Her conformation is not good. I would try the BoSe. It won't fix her conformation but might help her in some way.


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