Dehorning adult doe....

[lovinglife]

Anyone do it? I wouldn't but she is getting too agressive with the other goats. If she didn't have horns I would just let them work it out, but I don't want to come home and have someone's side ripped open. I know it happens, the dairy I got my Guernsey's from still has goats with scars from a horned goat. I found a vet office that works on goats, her horns are skinny, so I don't think it should be too bad, I hope anyway..any experience with this?

 

[ksalvagno]

I would band them. Here is step by step instructions on how to do it: http://goat-info.com/removing horns adult.htm

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Here is a thread about my Andy and his horn removal surgery done at the vets.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22208

 

[Catahoula]

Here is a thread about my Andy and his horn removal surgery done at the vets.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22208

Hi Ragdollcatlady, Is Andy totally hornless now? Both Walter and Jac grew more horns after their second surgery. One of their horns on each goat also fell off. Walter has a small nub still and it has continue to grow at a very slow rate and I am hoping that would get knocked off eventually. Jac has a much bigger scur that curls back into his head and will probably need another surgery for.


Lovinglife, good luck either way you decide what to do. Have you though of putting tennis balls on the tip of her horns and secure them with duct tape? Some people also tried foam tubing (like for swimming)...or even just clip the tips so they are not as sharp.

 

[lovinglife]

I have clipped them, to the point couldn't go deeper or would want to start bleeding, still a pretty good weapon, I have tried taping a stick to her horns, that really helped when she tried to use her horns on the others, it must have felt weird because she quit, only problem is she worked her horns on anything she could find until she got them cleaned off. If I could find something she couldn't get off I would do that for sure, I am not crazy about having to do this to her, she is a pill for sure, but so stinking cute and the only one with cool color, I don't want to rehome her. They say they have better luck with does than with bucks, their horns are not as big, so I am hoping it wouldn't be as bad as a buck... I don't know, anymore ideas?

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Hi Catahoula and everyone else,

Andy had one set of scurs grow fairly quickly after the surgery. Those came loose and fell off pretty quick. I think they were part of the healing over of the actual holes. The holes were easily almost 3 inches across. He had another, thinner/flat set grow out very slowly and those just broke off at around 2 1/2 or 3 inches. They aren't curled and are thin and smooth so they aren't a problem. They break off easily with very little blood. Right now he has just the nubs.

While the surgery looked pretty gory, he was under anesthesia and had pain control on board, so he was OK. The holes and bandages were icky, but not unbearable for me. I am glad he won't get stuck. We have 112 to 115 degree weather regularly during the summer....poor dude is losing weight right now from being to hot to eat, but I don't have to worry about him being stuck in the fence in the direct sun, in the heat of the day. I love him and would just fall apart if anything happened to him.

The absolute worst part of the dehorning process for me, is that he would cry and throw himself down when we gave him antibiotic shots. I felt terrible that he was afraid we were going to poke him every time we went in to pet him. He is still a little bit leery, but he is good. And I can bribe him with leaves and treats. He does like people, just a bit on the shy side.

I would definitely pass up a horned goat for dehorned/disbudded. I am trying to get better at disbudding myself, so that babies from here hopefully won't have any/many scurs.

I had tried to tape bars across Andys horns...Most of the time he had them off within the hour.

 

[Catahoula]

I have clipped them, to the point couldn't go deeper or would want to start bleeding, still a pretty good weapon, I have tried taping a stick to her horns, that really helped when she tried to use her horns on the others, it must have felt weird because she quit, only problem is she worked her horns on anything she could find until she got them cleaned off. If I could find something she couldn't get off I would do that for sure, I am not crazy about having to do this to her, she is a pill for sure, but so stinking cute and the only one with cool color, I don't want to rehome her. They say they have better luck with does than with bucks, their horns are not as big, so I am hoping it wouldn't be as bad as a buck... I don't know, anymore ideas?

The dehorning procedures were done at the Teaching Vet Hospital. They used gas as anesthesia which they say is a little safer for goats. As soon as they stopped the gas, the goats were waking up. The first time, they received pain meds and antibiotic that last a few days. All I had to do is to give them one more shot and even the pain meds were for a few days. Both my goats did well after the surgery. Their second procedure was also fine. They didn't even get pain meds and just got one shot of antibiotic at the hosp. I did have to change dressing a couple times per surgery but overall, they did well.