# Fixing Deformed Hooves



## GeorgiaBrownRIP (Oct 14, 2012)

We have a friend who owns three goats. Two are pygmy's and one is a fainter. I trim their hooves every 2 weeks since their owner both doesn't know how and doesn't have the time to learn. Her female Pygmy's hooves are HORRIBLE. It is to the point that instead of the toes being parallel, they look like a Spock hand symbol. On her hind hooves the pad has turned and is on the side of the hooves, facing in between the toes. One of the toes pads had spiraled on the inner wall, and was a knot of pad and wall.

Think of it this way, from birth to about age 2 and a half, this goat had NEVER had her hooves trimmed, and she is on flat, soft terrain, so NOTHING has worn her hooves down, and this was my second time trimming them.

And it was NOT a pretty site. On both her back hooves I accidentally bled them. I didn't mean to, I was trying to trim them in a way that they would hopefully realign. It worked for the fainter, his are way better and I have only trimmed his once before. Hers I trimmed what I though was pure hoof and it turned out to be very hard pad, and bled. It clotted and is fine. The other one was the spiral. I HAD to cut it off, so I slowly cut from top to bottom, and in the end what I thought was only hoof wall turned out to be also very hard pad, so that also bled. It ended up looking like a normal hoof, but like someone had cut the side of her hoof off. I hated it, but she was actually walking better than before, and it didn't seem to be too uncomfortable, because she didn't limp at all.

Did I do the right thing? What should I do next? Now the pads are still on the side, but all the extra has been trimmed. She is walking on hoof wall and not pad. What should I do next?

The front hooves are a little worse than this
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/6187713809/goata.jpg

The hind hooves are a LOT like this, but the hooves are turned in, not out
http://redgatefarm.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/dscf8039.jpg?w=356&h=336

onder:


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm probably more aggressive than most would be. I would just trim it up to be as normal as possible.


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## GeorgiaBrownRIP (Oct 14, 2012)

ksalvagno said:


> I'm probably more aggressive than most would be. I would just trim it up to be as normal as possible.


I believe I can't be too aggressive. I would be but it isn't my goat. Plus it is way far gone. Are you suggesting make them look as close as possible one trimming, then get closer the next? I CAN do that, but I need others opinions as to if I should.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Yes. She is going to need to have her feet get as close to normal as possible. I believe it is the front feet that are in the picture? It does look like those front feet can be trimmed more and they don't look like pad. At least in the picture.


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## GeorgiaBrownRIP (Oct 14, 2012)

ksalvagno said:


> Yes. She is going to need to have her feet get as close to normal as possible. I believe it is the front feet that are in the picture? It does look like those front feet can be trimmed more and they don't look like pad. At least in the picture.


Thank you. I can get that done. Those aren't pics of the actual goat, and like I said it is still a bit worse than what is shown. I have learned from experience that the pad can be cut to a point and not hurt them. What about the back hooves though?


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

Both of those pictures can be worked with to return to normal, but it will take time. You will have to trim best every 7- 10 days a little at a time all around. Allow time to heel that's why you wait the 7-10 days and trim again. The first pic won't take long at all to get to where it should be probably three to four trims so about a month and a half. The second pic would take a little longer closer to three months of good trimming. Then they would need regular monthly trimming. I've fixed much worse. Almost any hoof can be repaired with time and patience.

ADDED: If I have a correct picture in my head for the back hooves - you will want to slowly trim up the side wall of the inner side to level it back right until it is a flatter surface area instead of curved in. I'm sorry if you had pics of her foot I could really help you better. I learned hoof repair from a very good horse farrier. He could fix a lame horse within months. I was lucky to have been able to learn from him.


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