# broken horn help!!!



## shirley (Apr 11, 2014)

my pygmy goats got in a fight last night and when I went to feed them this morning one of them had a broken horn. broke right at the base of the head and is laying across her head towards the back. I applied iodine , blu cote and flyspray. do I leave the horn like it is or what? she doesn't want you touching her at all poor little think.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Yikes... since it's broken at the base I would recommend having a vet look at it. One of my goats broke a horn right at the base and we ended up having the horn surgically removed. A break at the horn base involves the skull, the sinus cavity, and some major blood vessels. If it breaks off the rest of the way she could bleed to death. There's also a risk of ongoing sinus infection. Flies may get inside the horn and start laying eggs. It could grow out on its own ok and not get infected, but I personally would treat that kind of injury seriously and get a vet involved.


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## Redbarngoatfarm (Jul 8, 2015)

I agree with Damfino. I would also isolate them as the rest of the horn is sure to get caught a ripped away in daily activities. Maybe some pain meds so she can rest if she is really agitated. I had a bad break with a skiddish goat and just sat with her in a pen for 30 minutes to gain her trust and then gently attended it.


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## capracreek (Apr 5, 2016)

If it broke to the point it is laying back then it should not take much to cut the rest off. If it bleeds which is sounds like it is not bleeding then I would have the disbudding horn heated up and cauterize it if it bleeds. I would think someone who have invented a compound that is safe yet harden so you could use it to close up the base if it is open to the sinus cavity.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Well, it depends. Our goat's horn was broken all the way across the base and was laying back on his neck, but it wasn't dangling. It was just pushed back and still firmly attached at the root, which was not severed all the way through. The main blood vessels were still mostly intact and there was no way to remove the horn safely or without causing terrible pain. 

If you have the horn removed, I would not use anything to close up the sinus cavity. It should stay open and be allowed to heal naturally from the inside out to avoid trapping infection down there. We used a figure 8 bandage around our goat's head and other horn and changed it every day until the sinus closed. We used an antibiotic ointment but I don't remember any more which one. Then we sprayed the outside of the bandage with a lot of fly repellent and no-chew stuff to keep our horses from tearing at it. It healed amazingly fast, and since the vet had done a very good job removing the stump we never had to deal with a scur.


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## capracreek (Apr 5, 2016)

Good info Damfino - I can't imagine what kind of force or torque it took to break a horn - they are tough as nails.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Really good advice.


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