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Goat Talk with the Goat Doc

Goat Hooves Part 1: Anatomy and Basics

Ep. 51

This episode was a little slow in the making- sorry! I needed a couple of tries to gather my thoughts and figure out the best way to approach the topic. Your goats' hooves are their foundation and very important to their longevity and mobility! Lots of comparative anatomy discussion in this episode to try to help explain what all is going on in goats' hooves and distal limbs. I think it's helpful to understand this stuff at least a little bit because it helps with preventative care and dealing with problems when they occur. I'm going to do my best to get some photos up on instagram @goat_doc and get back on the show notes bandwagon at www.goatdoc.com to get some visual aid support going on.


This episode focuses on comparative anatomy of goats' distal limbs and hooves, and discusses normal hoof maintenance and strategies you can utilize to increase the "inter-trimming interval" in your goats.


Part 2 on Hooves will talk about pathology - hoof rot, laminitis, maybe some more about how trimming/anatomy can cause problems in the more proximal limbs, and touch on the less common hoof problems, growths, etc.

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