# Tangled up Goats



## Sagebrush (Oct 4, 2009)

We have been tying them out in preperation for more trips. Getting them use to the ropes and tarps in the bad weather. Well last night one of them got their leg wrapped up in the rope and this morning it is pretty swollen. Can see the rope impression on the leg (above the ankle, below the knee) and the hair was rubbed off in that area. He seems to be using it, but favoring it some. 

Not sure as to what can be done now after the fact. Any suggestions?

Left a Message with the Vet, to see what their advise would be.

Thanks

P.S. What advise do you have to prevent this from happening again?


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

If it is puffy and warm then I'd guess some soft tissue damage. I'd soak the leg in cold water for 10-15 minutes off and on to see if you can get some of the swelling down. Repeat if necessary. Lift the hair so you can see the skin and check to make sure the blood is still circulating by pushing on the skin and seeing if it turns pink again. Swollen, white skin with no pink refill and cold to the touch would be the worst care scenario meaning that the circulation was lost in the foot. Since he is walking on it I'm going to guess that he is just bruised up and will probably be Ok with a little soak and a few days to heal.

I have had the same thing happen and that is the reason I don't like tying my goats on the ground. Everything goes well for awhile but eventually someone is going to get tangled. Brush, rocks, sticks and everything else get in the mix and the problems start. I know someone is going to tell me that goats get used to being tied that way and learn to avoid tangles for the most part. I agree, but I also know that if it is possible, then one of my goats will do it. We used to tie out goats by the pond every day. Even after weeks of tie out experience one of them would tangle up at least once a day.

For that reason I high line my goats in camp. I like to put the high line about eye level for me so the goats can't hook it with their horns. I tie each goat with a *thick* lead rope so it doesn't cut into the skin if they get it wrapped around their leg. A swiveling snap is mandatory.

In bad weather I used to tie a tarp from the high line to the ground in the direction of the incoming wind. (See the picture on the right) Over the years I have changed that up and now use the high line as the center support for the tarp and tie the four corners to surrounding trees so the entire tarp and guy rope system is out of the goats reach. That keeps goats from going around the end of the tarp and getting tangled in the tie out ropes.

The only time I wouldn't high line is if I were above treeline and there were no trees. In that case I would probably opt to leave them loose and not tie them at all. Other wise, suitable trees for high lining, tarp tie out and suspending my food panniers above bear level dictate my camping spot.


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

I always try to high-line when ever possible. You take one rope and tie it high between two trees. Then you use a prussik knot http://www.animatedknots.com/prusik/index.php and attache a lead rope to the prussik knot. The prussik knot enables you to slide the lead rope along the high line and possision the goats. I like to use the heavy round lead ropes because if they do get them wrapped around a leg it doesn't pull as tight as the thin webbing ones. Anyways you want to tie the lead ropes that come down from the high-line just long enough that they can lay down but not to long. Mine would always stand on their hind legs and mess with the high-line until they got used to it. Also, just hike them hard and they will sleep hard. :lol:

I'm sure you could find some pictures and beter descriptions. If there is nothing to tie to...that is harder but I usuall alway have something to tie to here in the pacific northwest. Maybe others have ideas for areas where there isn't any trees to tie to.


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## Bob Jones (Aug 21, 2009)

Up there in the Pacific NW you have trees so large you can just teach them to pack on a string, hook em up in a circle around one of those big trees so they can't see each other and let them walk in a circle all night. ;-)

My younger brother did that with a water ski rope around his leg. It killed parts of the calf and he still has rope impressions there. 

I'd still pack him, but he was lazy to start with. ;-)


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## Sagebrush (Oct 4, 2009)

Vet said about the same thing about the injury, mostly a wait and see approach. She wanted me to give him some asprin and raisins. Did notice that the front half of the leg didnt lose any hair, Suspect that is a good sign in a bad situation. Hope that means blood was able to feed down to the hoof in that area and the resulting swelling is just trama related. 

He did like those raisins, couple trys and he got the asprin too.
I'll keep you posted on how it turns out. 

Thanks for the tips, Chad


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

Does anyone have trouble with their goat chewing through the rope? My goat doesn't do this, but a friend of mine had a goat that simply could not be tied with any sort of rope because he would chew through it. He always had to have a metal chain if he were tied up at all.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

If you slide a piece of garden hose around the rope it can't pull tight enough to constrict the blood flow. Good for training them when they are most likely to get hung up.Also, DMSO is a good thing to use for swelling, just get the roll on kind and paint it on,but not where there is an open cut. You can go around the edges of cuts but just not right through.


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## Sagebrush (Oct 4, 2009)

Couple weeks of TLC and it all worked out just fine. Swelling went away after 10-12 days and hair is coming back. 
Thanks everyone for the tips.
Really like the garden hose tip.


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