# Foot Rot season again.



## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

I've always found the best prevention is to keep the goats feet trimmed as short as possible. Any extra hoof wall that holds dirt is a breeding place for bacteria.

http://bedford.extension.psu.edu/agricu ... %20Rot.htm


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

in addition to that I started last winter with feeding zinc/biotin tablets for horses (dosage sized down) which increased the quality of the horn considerably.

I have on wether who had a really hard time getting rid of foot rot and white line disease. I treated him with a homoeopathic remedy with good results:

Vetokehl Trich and Vetokehl Ver from Mastavit. Both are commonly use for mykoses of the skin and skin appendages but I spoke with the vets at Mastavit and they said to try it because it's very likely that they would give immunity against foot rot bacteria as well.


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

When I trim I like to finish with a spray of 10-1 water/bleach solution. Kills bacteria. I also spray tools between goats.

No hoof rot yet...knock on something...also with our MUD here...having high and dry areas for them really helps.


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

I have one guy that developed a pocket of dirt between the inner and outer sidewall before christmas. I have cut it open so dirt would not get stuck in there, kept a close eye on it, cleaning and triming more often and each time spraying with bleach water. It has healed well. Feels and looks strong with no signs of a pocket anymore.

My problem...he is still tender on that foot. A very slight limp and I can tell he is still babying it. And...the side of his hoof is bulging a bit.

Can an infection get stuck up in the hoof wall and healed over to create an abcess of infection enclosed in the sidewall? Does that make sence? The outer hoof wall is bulging yet it still feels strong and no sings of a soft spot. I'm tempted to drill a small hole in the side wall and see if there is a pocket of disease in there...but I don't want to open something up to create a place for an infection...we still have lots of mud here. Any suggestions? Wait and watch? It has been a month.


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi,

I would cut open and take a look.


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## imported_Rebecca (Dec 15, 2008)

So, how much biotin and zinc are you feeding? I've got a bad case of rot going again this year on one of my boys. He seems to be a cronic case with his white hooves and I've tried everything on him short of locking him up in a dry stall for the winter. I read on a horse site that MSM actually helps the hoof growth, has anyone tried that?


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi,

I'm using a horse product. One tablet is enough for a grown horse and contains 2.400.000 mcg (microgram) Biotin and 9.000 mgr (milligram) Zink.

The average goat will get 1/8 of one tablet, problematic cases up to 1/4.

Also, I don't see any relevance to hoove color. The ones that have problems in my herd have black hooves.

MSM my help also as it contains sulfur which also facilitates keratin production. And you might also add DE (food grade) to his diet.

But with ever wet underground the chances of healing are slim, so maybe you should lock him up on dry ground for a longer period of time until the hooves are strong again. I would also try the homoeopathic remedies I mentioned earlier (they should be available in the US, too).


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

So I trimed up this guys hoofs and checked into that bulge on the side wall where the pocket of dirt used to be. It was solid. No pocket of infection inside. I rasped it down a bit. It was not completely healthy though. Normal side wall when trimed is bright white...this was thick and clear but hard like a side wall should be. Is this hoof scald? I might go get some Dr. Naylor Hoof N' Heel-11.2% Zinc Sulfate. Topical antibacterial for hoof & foot rot. I know I can get that at my local store. Or I have Dr. Naylor Blu-Kote Use for treatment of surface wounds, cuts, galls, hoof, foot and pad sores, chafes, abrasions, moist lesions, eczema and sores. Kills ringworm and fungus infections. Quickly dries up blisters and box-like scabby sores or lesions. Long acting and deep penetrating. 

Any comments on the thick clear hoof wall? Fungus?


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

Hasligrove said:


> Can an infection get stuck up in the hoof wall and healed over to create an abscess of infection enclosed in the sidewall?


The only way that could happen is with a puncture injury. Since the hoof grows from the hairline downward it can't grow around anything to create a "pocket" of infection. The clear hoof wall you are seeing is common on hooves treated for hoof rot. It probably had an orange or yellowish tint with small red streaks or spots in it and it was probably harder than the surrounding hoof tissue. Sort of like a callus of sorts. I am guessing, but have always assumed its simply normal soft pad tissue that died prematurely due to the the hoof rot or over trimming necessary to open the pocket in the hoof wall. Nothing to worry about. A bulge often happens in the area where the pocket was because the hoof wall is no longer supporting the softer center. That too, will generally grow out with the new hoof wall.


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## jross (Dec 20, 2008)

Hoof rot? What's that? Snicker, smirk. 

Us desert dwellers, and our goats, do have a few advantages, I guess.

Typical January hike:


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

If you are up to major surgery, it's good to cut a v-shaped section out of the hoof wall and let it grow out from there. You'll have to keep it clean and dry though. Good luck with that.

That will get rid of the soreness faster though.


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## Huckleberry (Mar 12, 2010)

Trimmed today and am very discouraging. Found a dirty pocket on the wall of my boys hoof, the hoof is separating from the frog 1/2 way up his hoof. I didn't see anything black, just soft dirt inside, although it's a very large pocket. I cleaned it out and sprayed it with blue kote for now, but after reading here it sounds like I need to cut this out? Two of my other boys have very mushy soft and spliting side walls just on the bottom? 
We trim every 4 weeks and I'm not sure how they went south so quickly, is this normal? I read here zinc can help, which is in their minerals that they love and eat plenty of. They're around 7-10 months old, ok to give them the horse pills or is there a easier way to get this in them?


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

this wet weather is ideal for developing hoof rot. Unless your goats have an area where they can stand on dry/hard ground it will pop up every now and then.

If they already have pockets in the side walls you need to trim this pockets down as far as possible. Simply cleaning them doesn't help because the dirt will get stuck under it again. Also, the cleaning adds stress to the still attached part of the wall. It's better to trim that part away and keep the affected area clean.

Same with the frog. Trim it down until it's firm again.

If you have copper solution - 10% copper - use this for desinfection. It's more effective than a simple desinfectant. Zinc solution will also work but not as well.

How much zinc is in your mineral mix? Does it contain copper, too?


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## Huckleberry (Mar 12, 2010)

Ok, so after I trim away this pocket in the sidewall it will leave a large amount of exposed area, will he need to wear a boot or will this just harden up after being exposed to the open air. Will it require daily treatment? He seems to be going through a big growth spurt so I'm sure the hoof wall will re grow pretty quick.
We're using Manna Pro goat minerals, copper 1350 PPM and zinc 5500 PPM. 

I really appreciate all the great advice!

Thanks,
Alyson


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## sanhestar (Dec 10, 2008)

Hello,

normally you don't need to cover this exposed area. It will harden rather quickly. You should keep an eye on the direction of the hoof growth however because without the wall that constricts the softer part of the hoove, there can occur some deformation that you need to trim back into shape.


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## Huckleberry (Mar 12, 2010)

I trimmed the open pocket in the sidewall away, I was pretty nervous since I have no experience with this stuff. It doesn't seem to be tender or bothering him at all. When I cut away the pocket I found there was a hardened inner wall (?) or maybe the soft part had already hardened? I wonder though how this will all grow out, will the hoof wall reattach to that hardened inner wall as it grows out? 
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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

It will grow out just like a damaged fingernail on your hand. I have seen this dozens of times so don't worry. Keep it cleaned out and coat it with coppertox or something similar a couple of times a week and it will be all grown out in no time.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

If I were you I would trim more till there is no place for dirt to stick in that hole. You aren't going to hurt anythingsince it's already dried out. And it helps it to grow back together if there's no dirt pushing it away from the inner structure.


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

Besides giving them a dry place to stand, I've found that the very best thing I can do to keep my goat's (and horses') hooves in good shape is to exercise them on gravel roads. Exercise increases circulation to the hooves and the abrasion wears them down quickly. The combination results in a fast hoof growth response, and the hoof that grows down will be much stronger and healthier than what you see on hooves that have only been used for standing around. So if you aren't doing it already, I would encourage you to take your goats out walking on hard ground for a good hour every day and see what happens. Once he builds up a little callous on those feet, you could even take him running. In the spring when the hooves are growing faster than usual and the ground is wet and too soft to trim the feet properly, I'll get on my bike with Cuzco running along beside and really work him on the quiet paved roads near our house. The exercise is good for both of us, and there's nothing like running on that hard ground to keep his feet tough and properly trimmed even during the wet season.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Be somewhat cautious about running animals on pavement. The concussion on their joints is much more than on hard packed and can lead to arthritis in later years.


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## Huckleberry (Mar 12, 2010)

Thanks for all of your help and advice!


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