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How To Treat Hoof Rot In Goats

Learn how to treat hoof rot in goats and how to prevent it from spreading to the rest of your herd.

Raising goats is rewarding and entertaining. What's not entertaining about goats is their ability to get hoof rot, or hoof scald rather quickly. This condition, sometimes called thrush, can leave a goat very tender-footed and lame. A goat that doesn't feel good won't move around and won't eat well. If you notice a goat that isn't putting weight on a foot, check them ASAP for hoof rot. The sooner you treat it, the sooner they will feel better.

What is Hoof Rot?

Goats have two toes, or a cloven hoof. In between the two toes, there is an interdigital space that is fleshy. The interdigital space is warm and usually dry. Goats that are in damp, muddy pastures get moisture in this interdigital space. There are a few types of bacteria that live in the soil that thrive in moist, damp areas like the space between a goat's toes when wet.

The bacteria multiple and start to produce an enzyme that breaks down the cells of the flesh in between the goat's toes. So it's no wonder that a goat with hoof rot has tender feet! If the infection isn't caught soon enough, the bacteria can eat away parts of the hoof wall, leading to serious damage that often needs veterinary intervention.

As soon as you notice a goat not putting weight on a foot, check them for hoof rot. When you look at the toes, you may notice tissue that looks wet, sticky or even gummy. Hoof rot also has a very strong odor associated with it that you'll be able to smell when you inspect the foot.

Treating Hoof Rot

Treating hoof rot is pretty simple. You'll need a pair of hoof shears, a damp cloth and Hoof n' Heel. Hoof n' Heel is one of many treatments out there for thrush. It is the best one out there for goat thrush. I've bought other thrush treatments that we used 2x daily for days and didn't notice a difference. One application of Hoof n' Heel is usually enough to get goats back on their feet (unless it's a more advanced infection).

Start by trimming any excess hoof. You want a nice clean surface to work with. Use a hoof pick to clean out the hoof and make sure there aren't rocks or any other debris causing the lameness. Use the damp rag to gently clean between the toes to remove any dirt, hair or other debris. Once the wounded area is cleaned, pour the Hoof n' Heel over the foot. Drench the infected tissue and surrounding tissues. Hold the foot upside down for a minute or two to make sure that the infected tissue soaks up some of the medication. Don't dry it or dab it. You can treat 2x daily until the tissue is dry and no longer infected.

Preventing Hoof Rot

Hoof rot is hard to prevent to a certain extent because it's caused by organisms that live in the soil. You can reduce the chances that your goats will develop foot rot though. Make sure that your goats have access to a dry pasture or barn, especially during rainy weather. Muddy pastures will give goats hoof rot quickly and providing them with dry ground will help prevent that. Goats that are frequently housed in a barn can benefit from foot baths. A copper sulfate foot bath can help prevent hoof rot before it even begins.

Don't purchase goats from a herd that is having hoof rot issues. Hoof rot is contagious and you could be purchasing a goat that is carrying hoof rot. You definitely don't want to infect your herd with it.

If you're treating a goat for hoof rot, keep it separate from the rest of the herd for the same reason. Clean any bedding that may have been infected and make sure the goat's foot is completely healed before putting him/her back with the herd or on potentially damp pasture. Read more about hoof rot treatment over on my site, Farminence.

Shelby DeVore is an agricultural enthusiast that enjoys writing about gardening, raising livestock and simple living.

All MOTHER EARTH NEWS community bloggers have agreed to follow our Blogging Guidelines, and they are responsible for the accuracy of their posts. To learn more about the author of this post, click on their byline link at the top of the page.

In Muddy Pastures Goats, Sheep May Experience Hoof Scald, Hoof Rot

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Cleanliness Is Next To Goatliness - Modern Farmer

Hoof Care

Frequency: Monthly

Goat nails grow fast and need to be trimmed regularly to prevent nasty infections and avoid long-term joint problems. In the rocky mountain crags where their wild ancestors dwelled, the constant scraping of hoof against rock kept goat hooves in good shape. In the barnyard, however, goats need our help to care for their hooves. If left untrimmed, goat hooves become long, curved and pointy, impacting their gait, leading to arthritis and possibly lameness and even death. Soil and feces become packed into the center of the hooves, causing festering sores and hoof rot, a potentially fatal disease.

Restrain the goat on a milking stand and distract it with a bucket of its favorite food. Kid goats can be restrained in the lap of a helper until they are big enough to use a milk stand.

Gently place one hand near the top of a leg and slide it slowly down to the bottom, so the goat is not startled by the contact.

Pick up the leg so the bottom hoof is facing up and use the tip of the trimming shears to dislodge compacted soil and feces from the center of the hoof.

Cut off the portion of the hoof that extends beyond the flat, fleshy sole at the center of each toe, removing a thin strip with each cut until the nail and sole are flush with each other. If the cut surface of the hoof becomes pink (instead of white) as you cut, it's a sign that you are getting close to active blood vessels and the hoof should not be trimmed further.

Repeat the process with the other hooves.

Some goats are calm and cooperative during the trimming process, but most will resist it, especially those that are not accustomed to a high degree of contact. It's important to work quickly while they are distracted by the food, but it may be necessary for a second person to restrain the goat's movement during the trimming process. If your goat barn is not lit up like a laboratory, wear a head lamp while trimming so you can see exactly what you're doing.

The tissue beneath the hoof, called the 'quick,' contains blood vessels that don't easily clot if they are cut, so a clotting agent should be kept on hand when trimming.

Udder Love

Frequency: Daily

A little disinfectant and bag balm go a long way to prevent teat problems. Following a simple hygiene protocol before and after milking promotes healthy, productive udders and keeps mastitis and other serious infections at bay.

Clean the teats before milking with a solution of warm, soapy water, such as Dr. Bronner's all-purpose soap. Dry with a paper towel.

Disinfect the teats after milking with an iodine or chlorohexadine-based teat dip or teat spray.

Check the teats and udders for signs of chapped, cracked or irritated skin and, if necessary, massage with udder balm after milking.

There are as many theories on how to care for goat udders as there are goat farmers. But there is no question that disinfection is an important component, whether you favor chemical or all-natural udder care products.

Parasite Prevention

Frequency: Daily, Weekly and Monthly

Intestinal parasites are the most common source of poor health in goats. They are highly contagious and once they invade a herd, they're hard to exterminate. Goat feces should be in the form of firm pellets – if runny poop is observed, the sick goats must be treated quickly as severe, ongoing cases of diarrhea can cause death in just a few weeks.

The more widely your goats can roam, the more space they have in the barn and the more varied their diet is with wild plants, the fewer parasites they will have. Low levels of parasites are unavoidable; your job is to manage the herd to prevent an unnatural buildup of parasites to the degree where illness occurs.

Position water and food troughs at the correct height – there's only a few inches difference between low enough to eat or drink from versus high enough to prevent fecal contamination. In other words, mount troughs at the greatest possible height that still allows the goats to eat and drink comfortably.

Clean soiled troughs immediately with soapy water.

Clean troughs weekly even if they are not visibly soiled.

Provide clean straw and a dry, draft-free environment for bedding at all times.

Rotate goats to fresh pasture as often as possible.

Some parasites don't cause scouring (the technical term for diarrhea in goats), making it hard to know when a serious health problem is lurking. For this reason, it's important to check your goats monthly for signs of anemia, which is the other primary indicator of parasites. There are two ways to do this:

Put your thumb on the skin below the eye and draw the skin downward to check the color of the mucous membranes at the bottom of the eye – they should look bloodshot if the goat is healthy. Light pink or white eyes are a sign of anemia.

Pull back the lip on the side of the jaw and press firmly into the gums with your thumb. Blood should come rushing in when you release the gums, causing them to look deep pink or red in color; if they remain pale, it's a sign of anemia.

Seemingly minor ailments tend to progress quickly in goats without intervention. If unusual symptoms present themselves (diarrhea, gauntness, difficulty walking, discolored milk, tender udders, etc), consult with a vet for a diagnosis. By adopting a good hygiene regimen, you'll avert the vast majority of serious goat ailments and keep the vet – and hefty vet bills – away.

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