# Fractures



## Graffogefarms (Oct 11, 2007)

Im still a bit queezy thinking abouut it and wondering though the vet said the best option was to put him down, was there a possibility of saving Guy. The front leg was swinging and the bone was protruding somewhat, I didnt look fully as I just half carried him to the trailer and loaded him straight away. The vision of the swinging leg has not gone away yet, nor the look of trust on his face. 

Anyway, going through a bunch of my books on goats and finding very little info on fractures etc available, just wondering, thinking if we could cover it here? Who has had success, what types, and such. Its been a week, but I can't stop thinking about it, and what would I do if (hopefully never) if I had to deal with it again. Would be good to have something for everyone as a reference? Broken bones and how to treat

Bridget


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## enjoytheride (Oct 5, 2007)

The only thing I have every read has been on first aide for horses with broken legs- how to splint til the vet gets there. You know -how to immobilize it. How to make a splint out of pillows and broom handles and bandages. 
The prognosis on a a break where the bone is protruding I think is not so good as it is so likely to become infected. You might check Merck online vet manuals. Have you googled it?

Also you might ask the vet to show you how to take care of this if it should happen again.

It sounds like you have some Post traumatic stress syndrome going on- I know that it can be very hard to get such images off your mind and it has been so recent that it's not surprising that you keep seeing it. You certainly did the best thing you could for him by getting him to the vet asap.

Maybe someone else here could tell you about their experience with an adult broken leg but remember that each case is different too.

I hope you feel better soon- you certainly merited his trust by taking the best care you knew how.


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## moonspinner (Oct 5, 2007)

I had just sold a buck to someone and within a couple weeks the new owner reported he'd fractured his foreleg up high - in a couple places. I have a suspicion a larger, horned buck she initially had him in with slammed him against the stall. 
The vet placed the leg in a cast and predicts he will thoroughly recover in 4-6 weeks. Luckily, he's a very quiet mellow, easy to handle buck. 
Sounds like this case was much worse.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

We had a buckling break his lower frong leg this year, it did not break through the skin though like you describe. With ours, we took him to the vet, she put him in a cast and he healed up in about 7 weeks.

I'm thinking that for something like that to happen he would have had to have gotten it stuck pretty good and freaked out in the process of getting it out. Since the break penetrated the skin, like ETJ said, there would be a greater risk of infection. I'm sure it is possible you could have splinted it, but I'm not a vet and I can't say for certain.

I know how that is with getting images like that out of your head, I know how you feel but it will go away soon :hug:


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## sixshooterfarm (Oct 18, 2007)

We had a buckling break his front leg and it went through the skin. Called the vet and he told us to just splint it, goats actually do very well with broken legs. ANd he is a great goat vet so there was no worries. We splinted it and wrapped it good, gave him some pain meds and we was walking on it ( with it well splinted) in 3 days. Goats do very well with broken legs, it is us humans who freak out lol, I hate seeing my babies sick or injured. Honeslty I would just slpint it up realll good, make sure the wound is nice and clean with plenty of anti biotics. He should be good to go!


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## mystic's_mom (Oct 5, 2007)

With severe open fracture, it is more difficult to actually splint; you are a better off with pins being placed in the bones to fuse the broken peices together. It is more expensive, yes, and you have to find a vet who does this kind of surgery, but it is the best option. The advantage is in that the wound that WILL drain ALOT during the course of the healing, as well as need to slough off, and it can because it can be left open. The animal has a much better chance of fending off infection; you still need to have them on a course of antibiotics though. 

Now, an open fracture CAN be splinted, however, the bandages must be changed every ten days, the animal must be kept immaculately clean, as well as be kept in super clean dry conditions, and be on high dosages of antibiotics throughout most of the healing process. There is still a high chance of infection, however, and you may wind up having to amputate the leg in order to save the animal's life.


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## Graffogefarms (Oct 11, 2007)

I just emailed the Irish Veterinary College, and offered the use of our spare room, so that if any were interested in learning and spending time with Goats - as there is very little covered in the Vet curriculukm, they could spend some time here with our bunch and learn. I'd get some free help and advice and it would help them in their education. - Im going to learn how to do the splints. Being that the farm we rent is not beside the house but about a mile or so away, not a lot was available. Anyway - on a happier note - Im going to buy Sam off katie. Bridget


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## moonspinner (Oct 5, 2007)

Six Shooter, curious, what did you use for splints?


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## sixshooterfarm (Oct 18, 2007)

Well we had had babies break legs and we just used like popsicle sticks or tounge depressors and wrapped it real good in vet wrap. For the bigger one we had larger like tounge depressors, they where pretty much just bigger flat sticks, it took us a while to get them on him correctly and get the bone and everything lines up but with a couple extras set of hands it worked out great, and the wound from the compound fracture healed just fine with no infection. But I have seen people use one small tounge deppresor on a big buck and just vet wrap the heck out of it and it work just fine.


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## enjoytheride (Oct 5, 2007)

Bridget- I hope you can arrange this - it's a very useful and creative way of dealing with this incident. Good luck.


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## cjpup (Dec 1, 2007)

We had a doeling break her front leg a little while ago. It wasnt protruding but the bottom half or hjer leg was pointing almost sideways. My father (who is a paramedic for people and knows how to do this kind of stuff) set the leg and then we splinted it with PVC pipe (cute in half long ways) and some bandage wrap. We also gave her some childrens tylonol for the pain. She healed in about 8 weeks and now doesnt even show any sort of limp or anything. She walks perfectly.

CJ


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

a friend of mine had a buckling that jumped a wood fence and he caughter is rear leg between the two top rails. They found him hanging there witha severaly broken leg. He was suposed to be their future herd sire. So she spent all this money to fif him. He walked normally after that. but then they flipped him over to do his feet or something and discovered that he had developed multiple teats. That weren't there at birth. Kind of a bust. 
But he did heal nicely and walked with no limp after that.
beth


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Bridget, Please do not beat yourself up over this. You did what was right at the time. I do believe that breaks can be fixed if it is a clean break, but if it was that bad, I think he would of been in pain the rest of his time. The weather and col would of really set him into pain.
Please take these hugs :hug: and know you did the right thing.


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

Oh no! definatly don't beat yourself up over this. I know its hard to lose one. And you always ask if there is something you could of done different when a young animal dies. But sometimes there just isn't. The horrible thing about an open fracture is once that bone is exposed to the outside you havea terrible very large risk of infection. Even if he had been been a good candidate for splinting you may have had to fight infection with him. Sometimes just putting them down quietly is the best thing for them. 

beth


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## Graffogefarms (Oct 11, 2007)

*Guy*

Im over it now - I do still think about it, and a friend of mine has his son, and I know he bred a few. Anyway - What kind of snapped me out of it with a laugh - was I found his collar on the bookshelf above the computer, and took it down to look at it - peeew - what a strong whiff - it snapped me right back to myself. Its been over a week and it still stinks! Hubby said to put it in a plastic sealed bag and use it to bring any does into heat! - I just touched the collar and my fingers stink! Feeling down about something - sniff a buck's collar !


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## mystic's_mom (Oct 5, 2007)

Haha...I don't have to sniff his collar, all I have to do is walk into the barn!!! :shock: :greengrin:


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Graffogefarms said:


> Anyway - on a happier note - Im going to buy Sam off katie. Bridget


yah I heard this from Katie, she was so pleased!


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