How to Clip a Pygmy Goat's Hooves
Trimming a goat's hooves can be easier if you start doing it when they are kids. While it may be easier the first time to work with a veterinarian, you'll soon be able to do it on your own. Get a helper for the task if you have more than one pygmy goat.
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Things You'll Need
- Hoof knife
- Shallow pan
- Disinfectant
- Hoof shears
- Hoof pick
- Hoof rasp
- Iodine
Instructions
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Hoof Trimming
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Trim your pygmy goat's hooves often. They can get dry and cracked and can eventually cripple your pet goat.
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Plan to trim your goat's hooves every three months.
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Know that you can choose between several different types of hoof trimmers, such as small pruning shears or professional hoof trimmers.
Check for and Treat Hoof Problems
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Inspect your pygmy goat's hooves for any signs of disease.
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Check the hooves for the sensation of heat. This can signify infection and is usually accompanied by swelling.
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Pare away all the dead tissue around the hoof with a knife.
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Dip the pygmy goat's hoof in a small pan filled with disinfectant.
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Meet with a veterinarian to discuss follow-up care for your goat. Sometimes infection will need to be treated with further topical treatments.
Trim Your Goat's Hooves
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Plan to trim your pygmy goat's hooves after it has been outside in the wet grass. Moisture will make the hooves softer and much easier to trim.
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Restrain your goat. You can choose to tie it up to a fence or to a post, or you can have a strong person restrain it.
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Pick up one hoof and bend it towards the back of the goat, with the bottom facing up.
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Use a hoof pick to clean out the pygmy goat hoof from manure, dirt, and stones.
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Cut excess growth from the walls of the hooves using shears.
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Trim down the sole of the hoof with a hoof knife.
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Cut away from yourself and the goat as you aim to make a flat surface of the heel, sole, and wall of the hoof.
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Stop trimming when you see the sole look slightly pinkish in color.
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Finish with a hoof rasp to obtain a smooth finish.
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Leave your goat in a clean pen to help protect against infection.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also use a commercial softening product to soften the hooves.
Trim your goat's hooves bit by bit if they are quite overgrown. You can work on the shape of the hoof slowly and help prevent infection with cuts and scrapes.
If you accidentally cut to the quick on your pygmy goat's hooves, remember that you can stop the bleeding by soaking the foot and applying a layer of iodine.
