La Mancha ears, the cold, and other such questions

[hilarie]

I did join a long time ago, and yes, I'm baaaaack.....
Did your buckling have full horns?
Mine was essentially a young adult so it was really an adult dehorning Like you, there was no choice. I'm no stranger to gross procedures, so I actually assisted. (I don't recommend it for the faint of heart. Sit in the waiting room and read a magazine.) Basically they put him under with a barbiturate shot and when he's zoned, they just literally saw off the horns with an OB wire, the same thing they use to trim horns, only they do it right close to the skull. (Remember, he's asleep. They said sometimes the goat cries out a little, but he never did - ZZ'd right thru it). They cauterize the bejabbers out of it, then bandage up. Now you have two huge "defects" under there, which will take 2-3 months to heal. I had no idea it would take so long, and I wish I'd known; I'd still have done it, but I'd have been better prepared. The goat's face will be swollen for a day or two, and you may have to unwrap the dressing the next day and rewrap to take the pressure off. This is the day after surgery.

 

[hilarie]

Then commenced the summer of changing the bandage every 3 days or so. You could probably get away with doing it less often, but I'm an APRN and it bugged me to wait even 3 days between; I wanted to be sure no infection was setting in, and sometimes he managed (or the babies he was penned with helped) to unravel the dressing. The first few weeks of dressings changes were AWFUL for everyone. It was painful, he hollered, I died a thousand deaths, I thought he'd never forgive me. It was a 2 person job, done on the milking stand. In the third week I tried a dressing material we use in the clinic where I work on human injuries, called Adaptic. GODSEND. It's like vaseline impregnated heavy gauze. Sticks to nothing, and the old dressing slides right off. It was a game changer. His healing went into overdrive, and you could just see the defects closing up every time the dressing came off. No pain, no trauma. Fast forward to 3 months later:

 

[hilarie]

Today his head looks completely normal. He has two tiny little scurs that don't grow and don't wiggle, and enable him to headbutt joyfully all his little girlfriends. He runs to the gate with a happy snort, inviting chin scratches and seems to have absolutely no memory of the pain of last summer. He loves me completely and has apparently forgiven all the awful things I had to do. I just love goats; they are so *zen*. Except when they're being total embodiments of entropy.

 

[Southern by choice]

Thanks. That is how my one vet ( I use 3) described it. I was hoping to do this in Feb - winter obviously better so as to not deal with fly strike. The vet I was going to have do it broke her arm so not sure if that is going to happen. The doe is 2 years old and she wasn't disbudded due to the breeder having rotator cuff surgery at the time. I really didn't care because I have lots of horned animals... but this doe is sweet to people but a jerk to the LGD's and other goats with her horns... it has gotten really bad. The only goats I have disbudded ( excluding animals purchased that were disbudded by their breeders) have been a mini mancha doeling and now our newest addition a lamancha buckling. NO LAMANCHA SHOULD HAVE HORNS!

I have the kids sedated and given a nerve block.
I am well versed in the surgical world... so no biggy. Both human and animals. Although I cannot stomach declawing a cat. Really makes me ill, have no idea why.

Is the Adaptic something I can order or will I need to ask my vet to get it?

Did you give any anti-inflammatory those first few days? what about anti-biotics?

 

[babsbag]

I had scurs removed from my buck when he was about 10 months old. HORRID surgery. He did get an infection I did it in Feb and it was at least July before I stopped worrying about flies. The top of his head was open to his sinuses and when he would snort or sneeze it would come out the top of his head.

I used sanitary pads with the sticky strip on the back for bandages. I stuck the strip to a long piece of gauze and used the ends of the gauze to tie the bandage on under his chin. Trying to keep a bandage tied on was a trick. And I was doing all this alone. I tried to hold it all in place with vet wrap and it would always slip off.

Personally it is not something I will ever repeat, but I understand the need, the horns can be dangerous when they want them to be.

 

[Southern by choice]

Thanks @babsbag I do worry about this a great deal. She is just wretched with those horns. I also know this is a painful procedure and she is one strong bullheaded doe. She wasn't bred this year so that gives me from now til the fall. It is a big decision.

 

[rebelINny]

I would have Mocha de-horned exept she has another health issue as well as her being 6 years old now. I planned to retire her soon anyway.

 

[hilarie]

Southern - They gave William (yes, that's his name, Sweet William, and he is ) a long acting antibiotic injection, and sent me home with 2 injections of banamine (NSAID). I have to say that I don't think he really suffered a lot of pain except with the dressing changes. His appetite was good and after the first day, he hung out and played a bit with the babies, who he loves. Babsbag is right; infection is the biggest fear and it's why I wanted to change the dressing so much. Because I did it in April, I worried constantly about fly strike, and even when I could have left the bandage off theoretically, I didn't dare until those defects were covered with pink skin. Babs, I can't IMAGINE how you dealt with that dressing by yourself (and all that yuck out of the sinuses, poor thing). Luckily I have a dear friend/housemate, a city mouse turned country mouse , who bravely helped me with it nearly every time. I'd apply adaptic, 4x4 gauze, wrap some Conform dressing (stretch gauze), THEN vet wrap (or the human equivalent) and THEN tape it for security. Be careful not to wrap too tight - it's easy to do. You can probably get adaptic thru a medical supply house (human), or it's possible your vet can get it, although mine had never heard of it (she loved it, tho.) If all else fails, and you decide to do this, message me and I'll SEND you some. I wouldn't ever want me or a goat to go thru adult dehorning without it.

 

[hilarie]

I am well versed in the surgical world... so no biggy. Both human and animals. Although I cannot stomach declawing a cat. Really makes me ill, have no idea why.


I'm with you on cat claws. That is just wrong - taking the first knuckle off?? Really??

 

[Southern by choice]

Thank You @hilarie