Newbie Question: What is Founder?

[Lil' Ramona]

Laugh at me if you must! I usually do! What is "founder"? I googled it and it appears to be some sort of hoof/foot thing but what causes it? I saw the term used in a post about feeding which made me think it was related to nutrition.

Thanks!

 

[FarmerChick]

FOUNDER IN GOATS

Laminitis and its subsequent result, Founder, are diseases found in intensively-managed herds of goats. The usual cause is simple -- improper feeding. One of the many bad effects of overfeeding processed/sacked grains or feed that is too high in grain-induced energy ("hot" feeds) is Founder. A goat that has foundered will walk on calloused front knees and will have very overgrown hooves; the animal will have difficulty walking flat on the soles of its hooves because the bones in the feet have rotated out of normal position, shifting weight bearing to its heels. The hooves may feel hot to the touch, especially near the coronary band where the hoof wall meets the leg. Acute Laminits/Founder produces hooves that are sore and hot; when the condition becomes chronic, the bones of the feet become malformed and the hooves are overgrown. Chronic Founder is the type most often seen in goats. Founder is is not curable but it can be managed -- with great effort -- for the duration of the life of the goat. The term "founder" derives from the sinking of the bones in the hoof.

When a producer overfeeds grain concentrates, one of the bad things that can happen is that the laminae of the hoof is affected. "Laminitis" is the term used to describe the initial outbreak of the disease when the laminae become inflamed and break down, releasing its hold on the bones in the hoof. "Founder" describes the resulting downward rotation of the third phalanx bone in the hoof. The laminae is a web of tissue and blood vessels that holds the bones of the hoof in place. When the laminae breaks down, the blood vessels will either collapse or flood the hooves with blood, releasing the bones from their proper positions. When the third phalanx bone rotates downward, it may actually penetrate the sole of the hoof -- making walking very difficult for the goat because weight bearing has been shifted to its heels. Usually the front feet are first affected, but a severely foundered goat will walk on its front knees with its back legs uncharacteristically forward under its body. Abnormal hoof growth also occurs. The toes turn up -- growing into a "pixie-shoe" shape. A foundered hoof has thick walls, extra material on the sole, and grows abnormally fast and irregularly in shape -- for the rest of the life of the goat.

The origins of Founder trace back to improper feeding and may also occur in conjunction with other medical conditions. Show goats and other obese/overfed goats are prime candidates for Laminitis/Founder. Overfeeding a high-energy diet or feeding a concentrated grain regimen with low-to-no-roughage sets the stage for this illness. The actual culprit is usually Ruminal Acidosis. Acidic (lactic acidosis) or bacterial (enterotoxemia) changes in the rumen brought on by improper feeding set the chain of events into motion that causes Laminitis/Founder. Roughage/long fiber (weeds, leaves, grass hay) act as a buffer to this reaction, keeping the proper pH balance in the rumen. A sudden change in nutrition levels, an imbalance in the concentrate-to-forage ratio, or an unanticipated change in forage quality are all possible culprits. How the producer feeds, how much he feeds, and how the feed is processed are important. Appropriate amounts of grains that are highly digestable should be fed. Example: Dry rolled grains are less digestible than moist or ground grains.

Laminitis can be the immediate result of a nutritional fiasco or can be delayed by several weeks. It is possible to have a goat down, bring it back to apparent health, and have it founder weeks later. Individual goats may react differently to feeding methods that sometimes result in Laminitis/Founder. Some animals will develop Overeating Disease, some will go into Ruminal Acidiosis, and others will founder immediately. Laminitis/Founder can also occur when a goat is moved from poor to lush forage, either seasonally at home or across country. A fat goat that is forced to walk or run on hard-packed ground in the name of "show conditioning" is likely to develop Laminitis/Founder. Heat stress, complications of kidding (mastitis, uterine infection, retained placenta), and pneumonia can lead to Laminitis/Founder.

For currently unknown reasons, identical feeding methods can result in different illnesses from goat to goat within the same herd. Producers raising goats in managed or confined conditions should consult a qualified goat nutritionist and have a feed ration developed appropriate to their locations, climate, herd density, and management styles. The most complicated thing about raising goats is proper nutrition.

A recently-foundered goat is more likely to be successfully treated for the problems resulting from Founder. At early onset of Founder, immersing the goat's hooves in ice water will constrict the blood vessels, forcing blood out of the hooves before too much damage is done. Ice-water immersion of hooves should be continued until the hooves are no longer hot to the touch. The goat will likely cooperate because the procedure brings relief. If the goat has been foundered for quite a while, the hoof pain will have produced calloused knees -- the goat will be walking on its knees -- -- and the muscles in the legs will have shortened. How long the goat has been foundered is a question that may never be answered if the animal is new to the herd.

To determine the extent of damage, x-ray the hooves to see how far the bones have rotated from their normal positions. If the rotation is severe, there is not much that can be done to help. Non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs like Banamine and Phenylbutazone (short term) and aspirin (long term) may be used to make the goat more comfortable and encourage movement. Both Banamine and Bute are rough on the digestive tract and should be used in limited amounts. Some prescription medications and nutritional supplements developed for foundered horses may be helpful in treating a foundered goat. Triquest Boer Goats sells a nutritional supplement called HoofRite that contains essential elements that should assist in proper hoof growth. Consult a qualified goat veterinarian for advice and assistance concerning use of prescription medications.

A foundered goat should be slowly but certainly taken completely off grain concentrates and fed only quality grass hay and goat minerals until the disease is under control. It might be wise to use repeated dosages of Milk of Magnesia to help reduce the grain overload. Remember to keep the goat hydrated with electrolytes when using laxatives. Orally repopulating the gut with live bacteria by using a product like Goat Guard Probiotic Paste may assist in digesting the offending grain concentrates that are already present in the goat's body.

The two claws of each hoof need to be regularly and frequently trimmed as closely as possible -- almost down to the blood -- at least twice a month. Bone rotation within the hoof is relatively slow, so identifying early-onset Laminitis and frequently trimming the hooves can have a positive effect. The goat's hooves will always grow unusually fast and abnormally in shape for the rest of its life. Through repeated hoof trimming, the producer is trying to encourage the bones in the hooves to move back to their normal positions. This is a very long-term goal -- if it works at all in the late stages of Founder.

Exercise is critical to the health of a foundered goat. The goat must be made to stand on its hooves daily so that leg muscles do not constrict. A severely-foundered goat may have to be splinted daily for it to be able to stand.

Once again: Laminitis/Founder are, for the most part, preventable diseases that are usually caused by IMPROPER FEEDING.


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Anything with a hoof can founder. Something you avoid like the plague wtih horses definitely!!

 

[lilhill]

I had one of my show Quarter Horses manage to get out of his stall and into the feed bin, gorging himself. The next morning I found him in the barn, foundered and totally miserable and in pain. It was horrible. He would stand with all four feet close together ... he could have stood on a dime! We managed to get hold of the Vet, dug a mud pit while the Vet was on the way, and ran cold water on his feet and legs while he was standing in the pit. With intensive work for a couple of weeks, he came out of it and was just fine, but it was a very scary experience. And he ended the show year as Grand Champion Western Pleasure Horse, so a very happy ending.

 

[freemotion]

Founder in horses is similar to founder in goats. They usually get it from overeating....grain, cookies and treats (usually kids show their love by giving a couple of bags of horse treats all at once), grass when they are not used to it especially in the spring, a bucketful of lawn clippings, etc. It can also occur with other disease processes and health conditions, such as retained placenta. Road founder is from the hoof pounding on a hard surface repeatedly, and can also occur in a stabled horse who kicks the walls repeatedly.

Founder is BAD, even a mild case can often be see in the way the horse moves years after it has healed. If the coffin bone rotates too much, the horse will need to be put down. Founder is the F word!

 

[Lil' Ramona]

Eeegads!!! Improper feeding can cause all that! Oh I have so much to learn! Thank you for all the great info!

lilhill, I'm so glad your fella came out of it and went on to thrive!

I am a first time horse owner (duh!) and last night my quarter horse tipped over the plastic trash can that I keep his feed in and pigged out! I was concerned so I started searching. What I read scared me! Chief is fine but I now realize the importance of keeping food out of his reach.

Thanks again ya'll!
Laura

 

[freemotion]

That is why I keep my grain barrels, galvanized to keep vermin out, in the garage, so the animals aren't even aware of where that yummy food comes from! Besides a gift from me!

 

[FarmerChick]

My stud got into my medicated goat feed.

It can kill horses. He poisoned himself. Blowing out green froth and shutting down his airway. Scary scary scary. He did fine and lived but WOW.

What he did, and I never realized was reach his head over the fence into a mounted goat feeder I had. I would fill it to the top and it was an automatic kind. Jordan was lifting the lid, eat the feed from the storage and killing himself.

One day I saw him do it and knew he wasn't acting great, called the vet when he got sick and knew it was that feed. UGH

Needless to say that feeder was locked down tighter than a drum!

 

[freemotion]

 

[FarmerChick]

yea the medicated cocci feed for goats says on the bag---toxic to horses.

and that stupid horse had to find out!

LOL

 

[ducks4you]

FarmerChick, thanks for the concise definition. **Knock on wood**--NEVER foundered any of the 33 horses I have bought/sold over the years. However, I did have two colic situations in that time. You know, feeding pretty much ONLY the same type of hay, always accessible, is just the best way to feed them.