# Baby goat with caved in or crooked leg?



## amagana (Mar 6, 2021)

I have a baby goat that was born today. She is a nubian and was born with 2 other bucklings. I noticed that her leg seems to bow inward. I suspect it might be selenium deficiency. The other two kids look normal and healthy. She is also the smallest of the trio. Is this something that will resolve on its own? I gave her  goat nutri drench because it had selenium listed in its vitamins/minerals. Will this help at all? Or should I get the durvet paste one that comes in a tube? Feed stores and tractor supply near me didnt have it in stock, so I used the nutri drench. I just ordered it on amazon but it wont be here for a couple of days. 
Should I make her some kind of sling or brace?


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Mar 6, 2021)

amagana said:


> I have a baby goat that was born today. She is a nubian and was born with 2 other bucklings. I noticed that her leg seems to bow inward. I suspect it might be selenium deficiency. The other two kids look normal and healthy. She is also the smallest of the trio. Is this something that will resolve on its own? I gave her  goat nutri drench because it had selenium listed in its vitamins/minerals. Will this help at all? Or should I get the durvet paste one that comes in a tube? Feed stores and tractor supply near me didnt have it in stock, so I used the nutri drench. I just ordered it on amazon but it wont be here for a couple of days.
> Should I make her some kind of sling or brace?
> View attachment 82444


She also looks a lot more malnourished than the other babies


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Mar 6, 2021)

amagana said:


> I have a baby goat that was born today. She is a nubian and was born with 2 other bucklings. I noticed that her leg seems to bow inward. I suspect it might be selenium deficiency. The other two kids look normal and healthy. She is also the smallest of the trio. Is this something that will resolve on its own? I gave her  goat nutri drench because it had selenium listed in its vitamins/minerals. Will this help at all? Or should I get the durvet paste one that comes in a tube? Feed stores and tractor supply near me didnt have it in stock, so I used the nutri drench. I just ordered it on amazon but it wont be here for a couple of days.
> Should I make her some kind of sling or brace?
> View attachment 82444


Selenium functions with vitamin E as an antioxidant, protecting cell membranes from oxidation. Selenium also affects reproduction; and metabolism of copper, cadmium, mercury, sulfur and vitamin E. Deficiency symptoms include poor growth rate, kids being unable to suckle, white muscle disease (cardiac and skeletal muscles have white spots), sudden death by heart attack, progressive paralysis and retained afterbirth. Selenium is deficient in many areas because of low soil levels (geological factors; Figure 8); however, there are a few regions of high selenium soils leading to high to toxic levels in plants. Toxic levels of selenium cause shedding of hair, diarrhea and lameness. Most plants that are not grown in selenium-deficient soils will have adequate selenium levels. It is more effective to provide selenium supplementation through feed than by injection.


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Mar 6, 2021)

amagana said:


> I have a baby goat that was born today. She is a nubian and was born with 2 other bucklings. I noticed that her leg seems to bow inward. I suspect it might be selenium deficiency. The other two kids look normal and healthy. She is also the smallest of the trio. Is this something that will resolve on its own? I gave her  goat nutri drench because it had selenium listed in its vitamins/minerals. Will this help at all? Or should I get the durvet paste one that comes in a tube? Feed stores and tractor supply near me didnt have it in stock, so I used the nutri drench. I just ordered it on amazon but it wont be here for a couple of days.
> Should I make her some kind of sling or brace?
> View attachment 82444



Selenium Deficiency in Goat Kids​Selenium deficiency in kids is most commonly seen as white muscle disease. The muscles in their legs are too weak to support their weight and they end up unable to walk or walking on their ankles. Other symptoms of selenium deficient kids are:

Being too weak to suckle
Coughing/aspirating milk
weak immune system and development of pneumonia due to weak lungs
The main thing to remember is, that if you have a kid born who is weak and unable to stand- especially if their ankles are bending back- then you are dealing with selenium/vitamin E deficiency and they need treatment immediately and help eating until they are strong enough to stand on their own.


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## amagana (Mar 6, 2021)

Her ankles seem fine. She eats well also and her mother accepts her. When she was born she was immediately trying to stand up. She's just skinny and smaller than her brothers. Im watching her closely to make sure she puts on some weight. Everything about her seems ok besides the leg. She has been putting a bit of weight on it but when she walks it kind of caves inwards, like in the pictures. Could it possibly straighten out and correct itself as she grows stronger? Her brothers dont seem to be deficient and seem healthy.


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## amagana (Mar 6, 2021)

The nutri drench also says that it contains both selenium and vitamin e. So it should work for now right? This is what the analysis says:
Calcium (Min)...0.4%
Calcium (Max)...0.7%
Selenium (Min)...0.1mg/fl oz
Vitamin A (min)...23,700 IU/fl oz..790 IU/mL
Vitamin D (min)...5,910 IU/fl oz...197 IU/mL
Vitamin E (min)...90 IU/fl oz...3 IU/mL


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Mar 6, 2021)

amagana said:


> Her ankles seem fine. She eats well also and her mother accepts her. When she was born she was immediately trying to stand up. She's just skinny and smaller than her brothers. Im watching her closely to make sure she puts on some weight. Everything about her seems ok besides the leg. She has been putting a bit of weight on it but when she walks it kind of caves inwards, like in the pictures. Could it possibly straighten out and correct itself as she grows stronger? Her brothers dont seem to be deficient and seem healthy.


I have many goats but I do not know much about this subject about this becuase it’s never happened to any of my does kids maybe take her in to a livestock vet near you or a vet that will look at her and is at least experienced in goats I will try to tag someone who might know @Baymule @Bruce


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Mar 6, 2021)

amagana said:


> The nutri drench also says that it contains both selenium and vitamin e. So it should work for now right? This is what the analysis says:
> Calcium (Min)...0.4%
> Calcium (Max)...0.7%
> Selenium (Min)...0.1mg/fl oz
> ...


And yes that should work for now


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## Longhornbreeder101 (Mar 6, 2021)

amagana said:


> Her ankles seem fine. She eats well also and her mother accepts her. When she was born she was immediately trying to stand up. She's just skinny and smaller than her brothers. Im watching her closely to make sure she puts on some weight. Everything about her seems ok besides the leg. She has been putting a bit of weight on it but when she walks it kind of caves inwards, like in the pictures. Could it possibly straighten out and correct itself as she grows stronger? Her brothers dont seem to be deficient and seem healthy.


And where are you located?


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## Mini Horses (Mar 7, 2021)

Not unusual to have one less vigorous with trips.  Personally, I'd give her a little supplementation with drench, watch her very closely to see she is getting enough nurse time -- even putting her up to the milk bar while watching a few times a day! -- so the stronger ones don't knock her off.   Feel her tummy to be sure it's full.  Watch close for a couple days.   If she improves great, not so much, separate her.   Notice I'm trying to keep them together which is best for all.   Don't wait -- this immediate help can make all the difference.

Several kids in utero can make for poor position with some and this can also cause problems.  While I do not disregard selenium issues, I also know other factors present in multies.  You should see improvement within 3 days....go from there if not better.  This appears to be hip or stifle issue, more often it's the hocks that are weak at birth.  Most often these resolve with plenty of moms milk and normal movement after birth.

At day ONE I would do as you are.    How is she doing today?


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## Baymule (Mar 7, 2021)

I had a lamb born last year whose front pasterns bent forward. I came to the forum for help and followed recommendations. Here is a link.

Ringo’s Lambs! Baymule’s 5th Lambing | Page 6 | BackYardHerds - Goats, Horses, Sheep, Pigs & more

Within a few days he was ok. But he was a single and your kid is a triplet and may need a little extra help from you as has already been said to make sure she gets enough to eat.


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