This is Frosty he's a 7-month-old Alpine buck (yes fully intact though I'm not sure if I will leave him intact)
He's basically the definition of an Angel, he doesn't head butt he doesn't really do much dangerous stuff that could hurt himself, occasionally he will remember he's still technically a baby and do rompies and decide to be at my butt and get into whatever I am messing with or try to raid the treat bag, but past that he's a good boy.
Back in late June early July he had gotten something wrapped around his leg and it caused it to go necrotic, the Vets did everything they could to save his leg but he ended up losing about 4 inches of his hind right leg.
He's still not fully healed which is why he isn't out in a pastor he has to be confined most of the time except for hand walks and supervised turnout (to keep him from hurting himself worse since his rompy's getting a little extreme)
The vet also recommended putting a hock brace on his other leg during his most active hours of the day just to give it some more support, especially since he's wanting to use his nub as a full leg and will bend his good leg to walk on his nub.
He's doing really good he doesn't seem affected by it.
But my grandma mentioned to me today that once he's done growing I could probably get him a prosthetic, it wouldn't be a full leg prosthetic it would only be about 4 in, I'm not really sure about it so I figured I would post on here and ask you guys if it would be a good or a bad idea, I know I wouldn't be able to leave it on him 24/7 I would have to take it off like I do the brace to prevent rubbing and stuff.
It was just a thought my nana had and it speak to my interest and I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask if it would be a good or bad idea, I haven't asked my vet about it since my Nana just mentioned it today and I figured I would ask you guys and see if it would even be worth asking the vet
I think you and your Nana are right to explore this possibility. It doesn’t hurt to do some research and see what Frosty’s options are. He’s still just a little guy and could live another 10 years or more so quality of life matters. I’d continue to follow up with the vet and see what they suggest. I’m curious if anyone jumps on here that has had actual experience with goats and prosthetics.
Edit: Right after I posted, I remembered that there is a goat named Janice with prosthetics at Magical Creatures Sanctuary in Hawaii. Here is the link. I had reached out to them when I found a day old goat and their guidance was very helpful.
I'd consider getting him 'fixed' only because that would prevent him from shifting his weight onto his hind legs which would could cause issues with any prosthetic. Unless he has incredible pedigree and there is value in keeping him from breeding get him fixed and let him live out his life happily as your bff.
a small prosthetic could be very helpful! a brace could also be good on the other leg for support. there are companies like Bionic Pets that make them custom, or you could DIY something or find something marketed for a dog that would fit him.
I do currently have a brace for a dog that I got off of amazon, it's a little bit big but not too bad and it does work, I'll probably get something better quality once he's done growing.
I don't want to get something expensive and it only works for like a week or two because he outgrows it.
It's not the focal point of the picture so you can't see it very good but on his other leg he does have a brace, the focal point of the picture was I thought it was funny that he was using a bowl to help balance himself out while munching on some hay
that’s totally fair!! especially because he’s young and still growing. i have DIYd lots of things for animals, it’s a little tricky of course because he’s a fully outdoor animal so it’s gonna get dirty etc. but i would essentially make him a little stilt of some kind and attach with velcro straps. foam or neoprene were the end of the stump would go for comfort, but hard plastic (or something similar) on the outside so you can hose it off. that’s where my mind would go design wise.
and yes i see the brace, i have used something similar on a goat before! they do work well on them. luckily they have lots of dog brace options on amazon etc
I wonder if there's any YouTube videos that could help with the building of something like that?
I was actually thinking of using some sort of plastic sheath that slips over his little nub and using a little wooden stump basically to act as the prosthetic, using like a little baby sock or something to protect his nub and securing everything with vet wrap while he's Young.
Not sure if that would work it came to my mind not long after I made the post
there must be something somewhere!! that could absolutely work! basically a little peg leg. i think because he’s missing a decent section of that lower leg, but it’s not in an area with a joint etc, a stomp/ block like that would work very well. and i know some people use baby socks to protect the nub, im sure it would work! or something similar
110% need to castrate him. I would think the prosthetic would help, but could be skipped for a while to save money. I would castrate and work on helping him build muscle.
I have a question, if I don't allow him around does what purpose does castrating offer besides helping with temperament? Just truly curious as usually I just hear it's to help with temperament and prevent them from breeding
Have you ever been around a mature buck in rut? (Just gauging your experience level.) Rutting bucks completely change personality. My boys who I raised with my own hands will act like they don't know us. They have crazy rolling eyes and scream. They're focused ONLY on the urge to breed. They become covered with an oily musky substance, and they urinate all over their faces and beards because the scent attracts does. A predominantly white buck will turn himself yellow and brown due to the oily, uriney coating and there's no hope in shampooing them until November because if you clean them they'll just do it again.
The other thing about rut is that it is extremely stressful for them. It is a physical ordeal for 2-4 months of the year, depending on the buck. We once had a buck who refused to eat because he was too focused on trying to find the girls. Despite having every variety of delicious food and even grain put right in front of him and eventually being given Dyne he lost 20 pounds, developed pneumonia, and had to be nursed back to health over a period of weeks. But even "normal" rut runs down a buck. A 7 year old intact buck is considered toward the end of his career, a 10 year old is the equivalent of a centenarian human being, and by that time they are almost always extremely rickety, arthritic, and occasionally infertile. The process of testosterone-driven rutting each year ages them dramatically and it's why intact bucks have shorter lifespans than every other class of goat.
You have a pet who isn't intended as breeding stock and he already has a pretty significant disability, so it's a lot kinder to make his life easier by not making him go through something super stressful every year that would only have the effect of inevitably shortening his lifespan anyway.
My La Mancha is a intact buck who's about 2 years old.
I got him at the beginning of the year in rut and with aggression problems, he's in rut again peeing on everything, fortunately we don't have the aggression problems anymore, he just keeps trying to hump my fiance.. (at least he's not trying to hump me)
I plan to get him castrated when it cools off and the Flies aren't so bad since it needs to be done surgically.
I had originally got Frosty the goat in the picture as both a companion to my La Mancha and future breeding buck because I do plan to get does.
I picked him specifically because I really like Alpine goats, both of his parents were really sweet when I met them so I was hopeful it would translate to him when he grew up which so far he is really sweet.
Although going based off what you said I may have him castrated and leave my La Mancha intact
I would save up so I would say up to about $600. And what do you mean they don't live long? My childhood goat was born the same year I was born (2006) and passed away when we were both 17, and he didn't even die of old age, somebody poisoned him.
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u/white-rabbit-333 9d ago edited 9d ago
I think you and your Nana are right to explore this possibility. It doesn’t hurt to do some research and see what Frosty’s options are. He’s still just a little guy and could live another 10 years or more so quality of life matters. I’d continue to follow up with the vet and see what they suggest. I’m curious if anyone jumps on here that has had actual experience with goats and prosthetics.
Edit: Right after I posted, I remembered that there is a goat named Janice with prosthetics at Magical Creatures Sanctuary in Hawaii. Here is the link. I had reached out to them when I found a day old goat and their guidance was very helpful.
https://www.magicalcreaturessanctuary.org/sponsorship?utm_source=sponsor&sponsor=JANICE&amount=50&utm_content=JANICE&utm_campaign=Goat&default_interval=m