Trimming scurs

[freemotion]

So my little doeling has scurs. They were wobbly and soft, so I hoped she'd knock them off. She almost did, once. Now one is broad and flat and firm and is curling quickly and will be touching her skin VERY SOON. Overnight, it seems. Kinda like her recent growth spurt. Can I give it a trim with the hoof trimmers? How much can I take off? I did a search online, and it seems pretty safe to just trim it regularly. A wire saw seems most recommended, or special nippers.

Any experience out there to ease my nervous mind?

 

[helmstead]

If they're wobbly, it's easiest to just get some hoof nippers and whack 'em off. It's nearly impossible to rasp wobbly scurs.

 

[freemotion]

How much can I safely take off? All the way? Leave an inch? I don't want her bleeding out or anything, you know all the horror stories you read when you do an online search!!

 

[currycomb]

my vet said not to use cow dehorners on horned goats. even though they seem to have hard heads, you can crack the skull with the force of the dehorners. do not know if this would apply to a wobbly scur or not. one guy just grabs the scur with pliers and jerks them off. a little bleeding, not bad, he claims. i don't have the physical strength to do that.

 

[freemotion]

I cautiously trimmed a quarter inch, then another quarter inch, then rounded the edges, until I hear from someone. The scurs are broad and flat, maybe 3/4 of an inch wide and I used my hoof trimmer shears. One is less wobbly than the other, and this is the curling one. It grew so fast! Just like the doeling....

 

[helmstead]

That sounds like a fine way to go about it. It's not likely they have a blood supply running up them...so you're probably safe to go farther.

 

[freemotion]

Thanks! I feel braver now!