# Scur Growing Into Head



## Survey0r (Nov 25, 2014)

How much of this scur can I cut off.
Can I just cut an inch or so with bolt cutters?


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Yes, you can. I would also want to think about doing something more long-term, like banding it. You're just going to have to keep cutting it over and over.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You may be surprised with how little blood is actually in that. I had a doe with a scur that was going into her head. I didn't want to keep trimming it and I didn't want to deal with a band so I got some tree trimmer things and just took it all off. There was such little blood, I threw some flour on it and stopped right away. You can try starting at the bottom and going up till you hit blood if that's what you would rather do, just go a little at a time.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I got what is known as a survival saw, basically a wire with two rings to hold onto. Kind of like a wire obstetrical saw. It sawed those scurs off full grown bucks in under a minute. The friction actually helped to cauterize the little blood that appeared. Then I took the heated disbudder and sealed the scur end really well. 

Walmart sells the wire saws for a couple $$. They break, so get a few.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

We went to a vet so it was done right. We had similar issue because people we bought our boy from did it wrong the first time! The vet put him out and did it the right way and now we don't have any problems.

It's not horribly expensive to have done as I recall. And it is painful. I wouldn't do it myself.

Just my two cents. Most people would prob disagree. But I care about putting my animals through unnecessary pain.

With ours it was both scurs that needed fixing.

I know most people will disagree with me.......I just hate it when they scream.

I'm a ninny. I know. 

Tami


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

The wire saws freeze up when they hit blood, don't waste your money it will just have you running around for anything to finish the job. I learned this on a cow of mine that had a horn growing in her face and I still feel so bad every time I think about that. 
Goats rock, what is the name of that saw? It starts with a G (reminds me of gigolo but for the life of me can't remember the name)


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I banded mine as low as we could get...change the bands weekly...then when it's almost off, I cut it with loppers. Have a disbudding iron hot and ready to go. It cauterizes it well. Just have help to hold him still so you don't burn him where you don't want to.
I also give banamine 20 minutes before we start.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Side note...goats do not always do well and can die with anesthesia so that would be my concern putting them out for it.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Interesting about anesthesia. Well, he did pretty good. He wasn't completely out but was out. And his horns are great now!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh yeah that's how I lost my favorite doe. You had a good vet! The one I used told me goats were not any different then any other animal about it and he killed her
This is the doe that I did, she didn't scream at all, I don't think it felt overly great for her and she was mad at me for the rest of the day but she got over it fast. But her scur was like a mix between a scur and an horn and still hardly bled







That's the only pic I have of her
This is a picture of another doe that you can see how her scur is super fat and flat and I went out to do hers (the picture is old) and it was actually gone! She knocked it off on her own


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Yeah our vet is good! He's moving tho. We have two vets. Both are good but one has more experience and he's leaving. 

Wow that's horrible you lost a doe with anesthesia!!! Yikes! I didn't know that was dangerous!
They put my wether out(the one thats had UC)every time he has a CT scan I think. He's been fine. So that's scary now to me!!
He's had like 2CT and 2xrays I think. Plus surgeries. But he's ok.

She was a pretty doe! So sad!

Yes I have one wether who always knocks off any scurs that grow. But my other wether s horns were more like part horn part scur. Those are the tough ones to know how to deal with!!


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

A good vet is careful with the anesthetics. I trust mine totally. He has done work on several of my does over the years with never a problem. I just had horns taken off one of my does by him a couple of months ago with great results but the after care is as important as the vet's work. When he did my doe he brought another vet with him and he monitored her heart beat and breathing during the whole procedure. 
We have used loppers on a thin scur but not right at the skin level - it takes a long time to grow back so is an easy cure. 
Putting them out is always a risk just as that is a danger for us in surgery but having a vet you trust is very important and I feel very fortunate to have the doctors I use. It is a clinic with several farm vets -24 hour emergency also.


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

I completely agree! A good vet makes all the difference!
I just saw yr from Oregon too! We are northern Oregon, near pdx.


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