Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: joint stiffness?  (Read 2148 times)

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
joint stiffness?
« on: January 17, 2013, 09:05:30 am »
In the cold weather, our Reggie (14 stone ToggX wether) seems to stiffen up and looks uneasy as he walks. Been past 3 days.
He has access to hay, water, red rockie lick. His feet are recently trimmed with no obvious problems. He just seems 'stiff'.
Does anyone have any experience of this with their goats and before I call the vet out, is there anything I can try to help him please? 
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

happygolucky

  • Joined Jan 2012
Re: joint stiffness?
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2013, 09:09:55 am »
I wonder if its arthritis, dogs and horses get it with age?
My daughter has spent a lot of money at the vets to find that her Lab has Arthritis, there is medication, we used to give a dog we had an animal version of ,Glucosamine not sure if it makes any difference!!

Daisys Mum

  • Joined May 2009
  • Scottish Borders
Re: joint stiffness?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2013, 12:56:44 pm »
We had a collie with bad arthritis and used to give him ruhstox, and that seemed to help him. Don't think that's spelled right so off to google it now.
It is Rhus tox and comes from poison ivy. Find lays vet at the time was very in to homeopathic treatments.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2013, 12:59:48 pm by Daisys Mum »
Anne

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: joint stiffness?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2013, 05:28:22 pm »
Someone on the GG forum (I think) was talking about that re their old and stiff goat.. how old is Reggie?
 
They were using hemp oil, linseed oil and Devil's claw (I presume oil?) added to their feed. Probably just quite small amounts, but I can't find the actual email just now.
 
I add linseeds to my goats feed a couple of times per week, but was thinking of switching to the oil. I know the linseed oil is available in 1ltr containers in the horsey section. Check out what NaF equines have got - after all you can get everything and more for the horse nowadays...

plumseverywhere

  • Joined Apr 2013
  • Worcestershire
    • Its Baaath Time
    • Facebook
Re: joint stiffness?
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2013, 07:02:32 pm »
He's 3 , Anke so quite a youngster really. I think that the knobbly earth out there where its been sludgy and is now frozen is part of the problem, when I went out to trim he ran for a ryvita!
I'll look into some lynseed - not something I've given yet and I know what you mean about horse sections  ;)

Ps caught my OH reading your article about how to select a Billy the other day...he likes your GG's!!
Smallholding in Worcestershire, making goats milk soap for www.itsbaaathtime.com and mum to 4 girls,  goats, sheep, chickens, dog, cat and garden snails...

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: joint stiffness?
« Reply #5 on: January 17, 2013, 10:09:14 pm »
My sheep are all looking as if they are lame/stiff and tread very carefully - until that is.... they see the bucket.... The frozen ground always makes them lame for a day or two, usually sorts itself out.
 
Re oils - I think the linseed (oil) is for omega fatty acids (can't remember which ones), and also the hemp. Apparently the hemp takes some getting used to, I haven't got hold of it yet...
 
If my GG (I AI-ed my older girl) has a good looking male I may be allowed to keep him, even intact! (But OH will need to build another goathouse then, so hthe logistics are going to be interesting...) The ones in CS belong to a friend, but I used them too.

 

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