Broken leg

[melody]

One of my 2 Nigerian Dwarves broke her leg sometime on Wednesday. It is well splinted and she is isolated on my back porch. Her sister is on the other side of the child gate and keeps her company but she is sad.
I am not sure how long she needs to stay isolated. Can I get her out to some grass close by if I stay close too? Should I build a ramp to manage the 2 small steps? She is about 7 and the break was just below her knee joint. Anyone know her likelihood of good healing?

 

[promiseacres]

I think I would carry her vs building a ramp. Make sure the splint isn't to tight.

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry to hear your goat broke her leg. Splint looks good. Since the break was below the joint, it should heal up I would think. If she's willing to get up and move around with the splint on, I'd say let her move. I don't see any reason why you couldn't take her down for some fresh grass. You prob don't need to hover over her for long either... Just long enough to make sure she's getting around OK.

 

[babsbag]

My vet likes to use a cast with a walking bar so it takes the weight off of the leg and they can get around. Mine wore the cast for 8 weeks and I kept him in a 5x5 pen and it healed beautifully.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I had a young goat break her leg about half way between "knee" and "ankle". Vet casted it and told me to keep her in a small pen and we'd x-ray again in 6 weeks. Even in a small 4 x 6 pen she would not relax...she literally would run and bounce off the walls. Went for the re-check in 6 weeks feeling pretty confident that she'd be fine - nope. Come back in two weeks and we'll re check. Nope..... It was starting to heal though so at 10 weeks we took the cast. Lesson I learned from that was to keep them quiet as possible. OR - to get a cast like Bab's vet does!

Good luck with her!

 

[melody]

Thank you all. I appreciate the voice of experience. She's been pretty chill. She gets up and moves around to get hay, or change her view...paws to make her nest. I guess she is settling in to the routine. Thanks for any further info that comes to you..like supplements? (She has free mineral)