Nigerian Dwarf Doe with Stiff Back Legs

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

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

 

[Pearce Pastures]

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.

 

[ksalvagno]

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.

 

[Southern by choice]

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

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

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.

 

[20kidsonhill]

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.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

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.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

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.

 

[20kidsonhill]

She is very very hock-kneed.

 

[ksalvagno]

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.