# Frost bitten ears



## Cliff (Jan 29, 2013)

I am in Nova Scotia. This year there was a very bad cold snap right at the start of the birthing season with temps plummeting to -10F, and one of our new baby goat's had both ears frostbitten at the tips. My daughters brought her in the house and we've been hand nursing her till it is warm enough to return her outdoors this spring. But I wanted to confirm if the ears are truly frostbitten and what the best treatment is.

I was at work when the girls brought her in. They said the tips of her ears felt hard and cold. That was three weeks ago. The tips of her ears are hard and look crumpled now. The tip of one ear is very hard, almost like its cartilage. I suspect it is dead and drying out. The other ear tip has a ridge of hardness near the tip but the rest of the tip has warmth. I suspect it was partially frostbitten. Do you agree? Is this frostbite?

If they are frostbitten, should I have the tips snipped or let nature take it's course and let the tips fall off on their own? I want to minimize the goat's pain if there is some frostbite.

Thanks!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

It does sound like there was some frostbite. I would leave it alone since it sounds like everything is fine.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Yes, it does sound like there is some damage. The hard parts will eventually just seperate and fall off. If you allow it to take it's own time, there will be no bleeding or pain to the process. Just keep an eye out for infection.
If you have other babes outside, keeping their ears covered with a thin layer of vaseline will help prevent frostbite.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I agree with the others

sorry it happened


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

WOW, that is cold. I am sorry. Just a question, were they in a barn? If so, poor things that is cold.

I agree with the others, just leave them alone for now.


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## Cliff (Jan 29, 2013)

Hi Lori, 

Yes, they were in a barn, in snug stalls with much bedding and lining around them to help protect them. Usually it's about 10F to 20F in these parts when the goats are born, but there was a freak storm and it dropped temperatures down to -25F the night before (we live on a mountaintop, so it gets colder here than elsewhere in the province) and dumped almost a meter of snow. Next day it "warmed" to -10F. This goat was born early, and, unfortunately, right at the tail end of that storm while I was away working. But my daughters were home and found her and did the right thing.


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