how do you know when to put a hurt goat down?

Question

my goat got caught up on a small tree and hung himself from it by his hind leg he doesn't look well and is in alot of pain he is also digging which he's never done before should i put him out of his misery or will he recover

Answer 1

Goats are tough animals, I don't give up on them easily. Is his leg broken? If so it can easily be splinted.

If he was hanging for any amount of time it's normal for him to look bad, because he will have some swelling on any body parts that were hanging (head, legs, etc.). Time will help with that.

Some pain medication from the vet would be beneficial for him. Also, if he has any open sores/wounds, keep them clean and keep flies out of them. Watch for any sign of infection in the wounds, and also check his temp. regularly. Be ready to get antibiotics for him if he starts showing any signs.

If he's not moving around too much and it's very hot where you are, make sure he is in the shade so he doesn't overheat. If the heat is really oppressive, turn a fan on him if possible.

Make sure he has plenty of hay/grass and fresh water available. That will help insure that his rumen doesn't shut down. If he's not eating well, give him some Probios to keep the bacteria in his rumen stable.

Goats usually recover from injuries....I've dealt with a few broken legs and other types of injuries without the help of a vet, and the goats have completely recovered every time. I do, however, recommend getting some pain medication from the vet if he is in a lot of pain. He will be more active if he isn't in a lot of pain, and that will help him heal faster.

Answer 2

I've been raising goats since 1999. I raise meat goats, and have over 100 of them.

It's bad that your goat hung himself by his hind leg. That means that he was really having to work at breathing. All of his intestines and vital organs would have been putting pressure on his diaphram, lungs, and heart ever time he tried to breath.

It's possible that he's twisted a gut in his struggles to get free. In that case he will need surgery or to be put down.

It's also possible that he's going to develop pnuemonia due to the breathing restrictions. Goats are very suceptable to pnuemonia.

My normal healthy goats dig in the dirt all the time to make a nice dusty bed, before they lay down. Digging is not always a sign of distress. However since your goat does not normally do so it could deffinatly be a sign that he's not comfortable.

How attached is your goat to you? Some of mine are VERY attached to me, and a big hams, using any excuse to get attention from me. Could your goat be showing signs of distress, because you are there? What does he do if you are watching him from a window, where he cannot see you?

Truelly it would be best if you could have a Vet examine your goat. Prey animals tend not to show pain, as this makes them a target. However if your goat is very attached to you, he may feel comfortable showing pain around your, or be trying to gain sympath/attention from you.

If you are going to put him down yourself, there is only one way to shoot a goat. Place the gun at the back of the goats head, between where the horns are or would be if he's dehorned. The barrel of the gun should run at the same angle as the goats lower jaw.

Do not shoot the goat in the forehead. I've seen too many goats stagger in pain from this shot, as their skulls are too hard for the bullet to penetrate.

If you are slitting his throat, do so quickly and cleanly with a very sharp knife. The cut should be very deep, all the way to the bone. That way you have cut the goats airway, blood supply and nerves, so death is as quick and painless as possible.

~Garnet
Homesteading/Farming for over 20 years

Answer 3

Is he walking and on his feet? if so i would allow him some time to recover. Generally most prey animals do well if they're on their feet but if they are down or spending large amounts of time on the ground they are generally going to die. If he's in pain you can get some pain killer from the vet to help him recover. if he's in serious pain and you don't want to invest in vet care it's best to go ahead and euthanise the animal.

Answer 4

my 14yr goat has lost her partner, she never was breed but her teats are full and hanging down, what could that mean