[amesy]

Hi everyone,

Today my elderly goat (12 years old..) lost one of his front teeth. When we had a look at them all of his front ones seem a bit wobbly - his back ones are okay. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this? He eats okay, he has goat mix, grain etc and he is eating all of that fine - it was just a bit of a shock!

Amy

[Anke]

He'll be fine as long as you can watch out that he eats properly and maybe make sure he has a bit more time to finish his meal. I would also watch out that none of his remaining teeth get infected, if they are a bit loose and "stuff" gets trapped he may easily get an infection. For sheep farmers sometimes take the remaining front teeth out as it will make it easier for the ewes to graze, but as long as your boy has good hay and a bit of concentrate he should be fine.

12 is quite a god age - I take it he's a pet and not a working "he" anymore?

[amesy]

 
Oh good! I did panic just a bit but as they eat with their back teeth then it isn’t that big of an issue really is it.
 
He has never been a ‘he’ really, we bought 2 brothers as kids as they weren’t entire and their previous owner was going to..dispatch them Since then he has very much been a (very spoilt!) goat of leisure. Unfortunately we had to have his brother put down last march due to his arthritis giving him no quality of life. Since then he has lost a lot of weight and currently a mix of supplements, oils, veg and grain is all he will go for – he has turned his nose up at hay so unfortunately he is on a mostly grain/beet diet which isn’t great but we don’t have much choice, even when we cut it down to make him have hay he’d rather go hungry – stubborn animal!

I didn’t think about infection actually, that’s a very good point! I may contact the vet and see what she thinks.

Thank you for putting my fears at ease, it was just a shock, it showed me how old he really is because other than that, his weight and a minor problem with a small sebaceous cyst he is very healthy.

Thank you!

Amy
 

[Anke]

At his age I would really just enjoy him, and if he is ok on his current diet I would leave him on that. Yes maybe hay would be better, but after all he is an elderly gentleman....

[tizaala]

Gabi always soaks a mixture of Hi fibre cubes, sugarbeet pellets , and grass nuts, for 24 hrs, for Goats and horses, plus all the hay they need.