Young Goat with Horn/Head Injury.....Need Advice

JonesLaneHomestead

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I have a young doe (born April) with a bloody left horn. I can't tell if she broke it, or cut her head. She is very sensitive about it being touched, but she did let me try wiggling it. It does move slightly, but not floppy. I am assuming it is because she has baby horns and they are still growing, since her right side moves slightly and are soft.

I noticed she was acting droopy this morning and wasn't really interested in her food. At first, I wondered if it was the rain, but everyone else was good. While at work, I asked my sister to check and she found the blood on her horn (not sure how I missed it, since I had handled her head to check her eyes for worms).

She has gotten a dose of Vit B today and I just gave her some probiotic/mineral boost. I also checked her temperature and she is at 106.5F.

I am going to put some Goldenseal on her horn, but otherwise, I don't really want to mess with it unless I have to, since it seems to stress her out.

Is there anything else I should be doing? Any tips would be wonderful!
 

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Mini Horses

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Well, for certain it's sore! That horn is connected to scull. At her age it should repair as tissue is still pliable & regrows. With it being sore, she'll favor it and be more attentive to not hitting it...if other kids bouncing around, she'll probably stay out of the play for a week or two. Hopefully the bleeding is from skin & surface tissue, not a deeper impact tear under skin.

I'd watch, and wipe some fly deterrent near, not on the skin tear, to add protection until it heals over in a few days. Give us an update on her as she heals. 🥰

Pain wise, think bad ankle sprain, on her head.
 

JonesLaneHomestead

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Well, for certain it's sore! That horn is connected to scull. At her age it should repair as tissue is still pliable & regrows. With it being sore, she'll favor it and be more attentive to not hitting it...if other kids bouncing around, she'll probably stay out of the play for a week or two. Hopefully the bleeding is from skin & surface tissue, not a deeper impact tear under skin.

I'd watch, and wipe some fly deterrent near, not on the skin tear, to add protection until it heals over in a few days. Give us an update on her as she heals. 🥰

Pain wise, think bad ankle sprain, on her head.
Okay, I hope it heals up and she doesn't get it bumped. She sounds so sad when she tries to scratch her head and cries out.

Other than keeping flies off and adding Goldenseal (to keep infection away), should I be doing anything else besides watching for a potential abscess or her horn loosening?

Also, do I need to be concerned about the high temp and her maybe being sick as well or is that just her body reacting to the injury? I haven't messed with her any more tonight because she is pretty stressed with all of the handling.

Thank you for the help. I really appreciate it!
 

JonesLaneHomestead

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I didn't get her temp checked this morning, but her body temperature felt much cooler than last night. I will definitely check it when I get home from work, so long as I can catch her (these things always seem to happen on a weekday:he)

She is definitely more active this morning. Her head is a little more swollen, but I feel like that's to be expected.
 

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Ridgetop

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Horn looks to be broken at scull. She could have an infection. Can you give her antibiotics? They are still available over the counter until the end of the year.
 

JonesLaneHomestead

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Horn looks to be broken at scull. She could have an infection. Can you give her antibiotics? They are still available over the counter until the end of the year.
Is there a particular antibiotic that I should use for this kind of injury? I was going to run over to Tractor Supply to get something, but didn't know which would be more effective.

I've never bought an antibiotic (haven't had a need yet), so I want to make sure I get the right thing.

If it is broken, do I need to have a vet remove the horn or will it heal on its own? I'd really like for her to keep her horns, but want to do whats best for her and will help her.
 

Ridgetop

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If you can use a syringe and needle, a couple shots of Penicillin should do the trick but I can't advise you on dosage. If you don't want to go the injectable route, then I suggest dousing the horn base with hydrogen peroxide, coating any skin tear with a topical antibiotic like Neomycin or Bacitrin (these are human antibiotic creams), and finally spraying it with something like AlumaShield to protect it from flies. Flies will be your enemy if there is a tear or break in the skin.
 
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