Help: Possible Anemic/Worm Problem with 5.5 year old Alpine

[Nanno]

So glad Sparrow continues to recover!

[Rocky723]

Update on 1/10/23:
Sparrow has regained a lot of weight and is acting completely normal doing his everyday things and acting like a normal goat however he still does not fully use his leg as he should. he keeps it bent and still walks with a limp. It does not seem to be causing him any pain or discomfort at all but more like he just doesn't have the ability to move it. He will run and even climb on the fence with his legs however he never straightens the front leg it always stays in a semi bent position. We are starting to worry that he will not regain his range of motion back and will have a limp leg. Does anyone have any recommendations on this? Stretching it everyday and moving it around every day to try and get it to regain its mobility? Splint it in a straight position? Any suggestions are very welcome.

[Nanno]

If it's some kind of nerve damage or leftover neurological symptom (which it sounds like), it will take a much longer time to heal than if it were tissue or bone damage. I don't know if there are any specific exercises that will help, but I think it's a good idea to stretch and move the leg every day like you're doing. You want the tissues to be in good shape when the nerves are ready. Does he put any weight on the leg at all? If not, you could certainly try splinting and see if it encourages him to use his leg. But if this is neurological it probably won't help and he'll just keep dragging it with the splint. Nevertheless, give it a try. I'm not an expert and it's possible there is a disconnect somewhere between the shoulder and foot that makes his leg collapse when he uses it, which would scare him into not using it. A splint could bridge that disconnect and encourage him to put weight on it. What you don't want, though, is for a splint to encourage muscle atrophy in the leg. If he's using the leg somewhat without a splint, my instinct would be to leave the splint off or only splint it for a day or two at a time. I think the more he moves that leg, the better chance for the neuron pathways to heal and rebuild.

[Rocky723]

Thanks for the suggestion. I think we will just let it be for now. He doesn't complain or make any noises. He does put plenty of pressure on the leg. He tries to "run" a bit and uses it to some degree. Just not totally normal yet. We will watch him for the next couple of weeks and see what happens.

Happy New Year.

[IdahoNancy]

My goat had a bad knee, he was older with what was likely arthritis. There are elbow splints made for people that fit a goat knee. The brand Run Fly worked well for this goat. We put it on before a hike and coved it with vet wrap. It was easy to put on and gave him some support for his last year of hiking. It allowed movement with support and some compression.

[Rocky723]

Thanks for the suggestion on the splints. We will continue to watch him a bit longer.

This week he started straightening the leg on his own and seems to be walking on it almost normal. Not perfect yet. He even trots/runs across the pasture when we come out to feed them. He truly seems to continually getting better on all fronts.

We plan on getting all of them out for a short hike soon on level type terrain to see how he does. Everything is extremely muddy right now and we need it to dry out a bit before trying to get him walking in muddy conditions where he could slip or put too much strain on the leg.

Thanks again for all the concern and help. It is great to see him recovering and just being a "goat" again.

[Rocky723]

Another week has gone by. Sparrow is doing amazing. He doesn't walk with a limp anymore and seems to be enjoying life fully. We have seen him jump over a log with no issues. He seems ready for some small hikes in the near future.

Thanks for all the support and help. We will keep you posted if anything changes.

[Nanno]

I'm so glad this story had a happy ending! I hope Sparrow lives a long, healthy life and never looks back!

[Charlie Horse]

You can thank my psychic waves. I been sending them every day. Bwowowowow. Bwowowowow. Bwowowowow. Bwowowowow.

[Rocky723]

Thank you all for the kindness and support. Since the last post Sparrow has continued to become more and more of the Alpha once again. Yesterday afternoon he was up on top of our wooden play structures and establishing dominance by essentially playing "King of the Hill." He was literally running around the yard playing and "fighting" with all he other goats. It was awesome to see that he jumped up on top of our play structures. Happy as a GOAT. Thanks again.