# One goat high stepping in the front



## DebianDog (Aug 9, 2009)

We have a mixture of goats (7) but one of boers is "high stepping" for lack of a better description. She looks like one of those prancing horses. 

When we first saw it we thought maybe she stepped on a stick or something and hurt her foot, but we could not find anything. After a few more days of this we trimmed her hooves but they did not look bad. It has been a few more days now and nothing has seemed to change. Ideas?

Note: My wife is a Vet but large animal medicine is not her specialty.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Is she doing it with both feet? And she never did it before?


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## DebianDog (Aug 9, 2009)

Yes both front feet and she never did it before. The ONLY thing I have changed in their pen was about 2 weeks ago I threw in one of those Goat mineral blocks and she seems to love it while the other goats mostly ignored it. My initial thought was she maybe "overdosed" herself on it but the block is long gone and I would figure that anything ingested would have passed by now. :shrug:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Is their any dampness on any new growth getting high... that she is walking through....or puddles on the ground? goats hate getting their feet wet....they think they are going to melt...LOL... :laugh: 

Any way...try to take her to a different area...preferably flat and dry.....and see if you still get that walking motion....

It wouldn't be their minerals creating that.....


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## bleatinghearts (Feb 26, 2010)

So I've been googling it and (totally don't think its this) but scrapie was the only thing I could find. It said something about high stepping being neurological. So now im wondering if its due to something neurological, what would cause that. Injury maybe?some sort of disease or condition? A mineral deficiency or toxin? I'm probably way off but very interested.


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## DebianDog (Aug 9, 2009)

I am not sure it helps but her is a video of the issue:






We have a goat breeder coming over today to see if she can give some insight.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

looks like her knees hurt maybe? has she been tested for CAE


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## DebianDog (Aug 9, 2009)

thanks :thumb:


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

Just my opinion (and nothing that should be taken without a grain of salt), I doubt it's her knees hurting. I know when mine hurt, I sure as heck don't bend them more!

Sadly, I'm bending more towards something neurological. It just doesn't seem like anything is actually hurting her.


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## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

I was just thinking.. it looks like the right leg is being 'highstepped' more...... just a thought... I'm sure you've checked it all over but it seems like there might be a splinter or I guess it's neurological.. it seems like it may be that she feels like there is something around her ankle....


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## DebianDog (Aug 9, 2009)

The goat breeder did notice par of her hoof was growing a bit funny on that one side she trimmed it down as much as she felt comfortable doing.


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## bleatinghearts (Feb 26, 2010)

So this might sound kind of stalker'ish but I watched your utube video from Feb and Jersy is walking and jumping around just fine. It was nice to see how she walked normal. I agree with TheMixedBag...to me it looks her feet are coming down harder than usual and knees are being bent with more force as well. How long has she been doing this? Was it gradual or more acute? If it was something ingested, you would think others would be showing signs too. Would a blood/urine test show anything? Just thinking since your wife works there it might be worth looking at everything.
:chin: I'm wondering if this is due to some other part of her body that is making it difficult for her to get her legs going...like in her chest or something. I heard of a cow that had pneumonia that had no signs other than standing wrong. I guess they thought her chest must have hurt to cause her to stand like that.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> I was just thinking.. it looks like the right leg is being 'highstepped' more...... just a thought... I'm sure you've checked it all over but it seems like there might be a splinter or I guess it's neurological.. it seems like it may be that she feels like there is something around her ankle....





> .to me it looks her feet are coming down harder than usual and knees are being bent with more force as well.


I agree...it seems odd ..how she is really using those knee's... 
if it where CAE... she couldn't and wouldn't do that.. I wouldn't think...
her knee's don't look swollen either... It seems to me as well ..to be mainly her right leg....I am going to ask but... did you check between her hoof..and underneath between the hoof...sometimes... they get things stuck in the meat between and when they walk ... the hoof comes together and may push on what ever it is ....she may be feeling that....... look really close..and if you have to shave her hair there to see better.. do that....Also... if you take and rub between the hooves(toes sort of speak) they may respond.. where it is....Sometimes... it will be a small pin hole... that you will find or a spot of blood ...or you may even feel a small bumped raise area...where it has started to festure(sp)... :wink: Pretty Doe by the way... :thumb:


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## TheMixedBag (Oct 16, 2010)

It very well may have been a freak allergic reaction to something in the block, something transmitted by a bug...something she breathed in....

I would check every single inch of her feet, and test for CAE. If it's something hurting her, it's her feet (think Tennessee Walking Horses and soring), if it's not, it's most likely CAE or another neurological problem.


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## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

just thinking.. I remember when I got a tetanus booster a few years a go, it made my leg feel stiff and funny and made me want to move it hard and fast.... it might be something like that....... allergic reaction or just natural to some meds... not sure if you've given her anything recently...


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## bleatinghearts (Feb 26, 2010)

Any difference in how your doe is walking after the trim yesterday?


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## DebianDog (Aug 9, 2009)

Just an update. After the "aggressive" hoof trimming she limped around for a few more days but after a few weeks she was back to acting like a crazy goat again.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

If she's favoring one it may appear she's high stepping or lame. Like when a person injures a foot or leg it throws the whole gait off. I'm trying to think positive vs neurological. Could she have stone bruised her foot?


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## chjajesa (Jan 11, 2014)

Did you ever find out what was going on with the high stepping goat?


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