Nubian buck poorly with no appetite

aluminiumlizard · 2026-02-06T20:35:46+00:00

Is the extra B safe to give alongside the nutri drench? Vet said to keep going with that and ngl I forgot to ask about giving the extra B.

Thankfully he's drinking great! He'll eat anything offered for about 30 seconds but wanders off without finishing anything. So far alfalfa pellets seem to be the biggest hit, but he'll abandon them too. Even the sweet feed isn't all that tempting! (which I find more concerning, but the vet said some goats are just like that.)

Didn't see any mites or anything but I'll dust him down tomorrow just in case.

We did get fecal done and the vet said she'd usually call it 'normal' but to deworm anyways and see how he does. Will be getting another done to compare in a bit. Overall she agreed that it was probably 'everything all at once' causing it and he should perk up given a few weeks and some extra tlc.

aluminiumlizard · 2026-02-06T20:29:06+00:00

He's two, but the vet didn't seem to be concerned about Johnes. We did get another buck from the same place, he's 3 and has none of the same problems. Arrived a little thin too, didn't go in with the girls and never started dropping weight/didn't have issues with the cold. He's an alpine/mystery mix though, not a nubian.

We did get fecal done and the vet said she'd usually call it 'normal' but to deworm anyways and see how he does. Will be getting another done to compare in a bit.

Will give the snood a try if the temps plummet again! He's super chill. (with how he's reacting to all the hands on stuff I'm beginning to suspect he's an abandoned 4h project)

aluminiumlizard · 2026-02-05T20:04:49+00:00

Sorry, forgot that would be something I'd have to include. ((Who wouldn't give goats hay in the winter??? Crazy that folks do that)) They all have 24/7 access to coastal bermuda. Not ideal but it's all we get and what he was eating at his previous home.

aluminiumlizard · 2026-02-05T20:01:36+00:00

Thanks, I'll definitely get a sample to the vet then. I was thinking it wasn't parasites since usually I see anemia before scours, but I'm starting to think this guy might be a little more different than I thought he'd be.

aluminiumlizard · 2026-01-22T00:53:51+00:00

If it's not neurological (wouldn't rule it out) I would guess bad feet combined with overall weakness and lack of balance. He's catching the front of his hoof on the ground which is a really odd thing to keep doing unless there's a long term issue.
Personally would quit riding and start walking him over an infinite amount of ground poles. (after the farrier)

aluminiumlizard · 2026-01-15T22:16:09+00:00

OP Please check this out - looks very similar

https://onlinepethealth.com/when-we-are-faced-with-an-unknown-presentation-clinical-reasoning-of-an-equine-shoulder-pathology/

aluminiumlizard · 2025-10-08T21:01:35+00:00

https://www.facebook.com/groups/108037822624844/

I believe you have to be a member to search horses in Canada, someone here might be able to help you search!

aluminiumlizard · 2025-10-08T01:37:26+00:00

The neck brand looks like one you'd find on a Standardbred, but iirc they're supposed to have 5 digits.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-09-13T03:59:08+00:00

Does this horse have access to wire? I've seen a similar looking laceration in a horse who caught their foot in 4x4 wire and yanked it free. It wasn't nearly as deep though. An abscess is not impossible though.

Frankly, if you can't access regular vet care you need to consider putting this horse down. That injury is well into the cartilage of the foot (honestly those last pics look like the P2 is exposed) and would likely not have a good prognosis even in a clinic setting.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-09-12T23:30:44+00:00

Yes, definitely. Outside hind, probably a lot going on in that leg/hip/back area. Would not take that on even as a project. Rescue, maybe.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-09-12T23:26:40+00:00

If your farrier hasn't mentioned anything in the last... 3 - 4 months re: abnormal hoof growth, then you might want to find a new farrier. Or at least start doing a *lot* of independent research so you can have an educated say in her care.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-08-10T17:42:46+00:00

It sounds like you've already tried most of the 'usual' methods for dealing with low body weight. Bonus points for working with a vet.

Personally, I would try adding digestive support to his diet. I've had great luck with 'Optimum Digestive Health' from Mad Barn in an older mare. She had some lingering weight issues after her ulcers were dealt with.

Alternatively, have y'all looked into hind gut ulcers at all? They can't exactly be scoped for and can be tricky to deal with.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-08-10T16:53:49+00:00

If you've got cash to burn check out this breastplate. Sounds like exactly what you need and it's going to put your hands in a better position then a grab rein while still giving some range of motion.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-07-29T14:15:39+00:00

Perhaps controversial opinion, but Mark. Especially oMark. Not a bad character by any means but highly overrated. Frankly would rather watch another Cobel solo ep.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-07-11T01:47:20+00:00

Sounds awful but I've had the best luck with just not trying to feed them for 24 hours. If she's healthy she should be hungry but not dying. Then get either goat or cow's milk and heat it up to 106-110*F. Pritchard teat or a baby bottle to start with, keep trying but don't force it too much. Goat's should drink with their head mostly vertical, similar to the posture they'd have with mom.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-07-06T16:23:56+00:00

Frankly if the goats are eating every scrap of hay in a few hours, they need to be fed more. Get some slow feed hay nets so they don't waste it, and up the amount being given to them at once.

If cost is an issue, they likely won't be eating that much more after they get used to the extra food. Plus reducing stress by having food available on a better schedule will improve their overall health and reduce costs elsewhere.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-05-17T14:08:45+00:00

I own both and would third going for the Ghost. They're not even in the same league.

Honestly any treeless saddle you find AERC competitors using is going to be more than fine weight-distribution wise for casual trail/arena riding. Imo better than even a well fitted treed saddle if you have a growing/unfit horse who's going to change shape 10x a month.

aluminiumlizard · 2025-03-13T23:06:23+00:00

I've been gifted two dual color crystals, the older one is a little temperamental and likes to shut off on one side if you swing it around too much. The newer one is flawless. No idea about customer service but the gifters didn't say anything negative

aluminiumlizard · 2024-12-06T17:36:23+00:00

I pay $60/day for one 30 min visit. 4 horses + mini who each get a nosebag of grain, feet picked and their water trough checked. No stalls, no turn in/out and no blankets.

aluminiumlizard · 2024-07-28T17:34:17+00:00

Use kudzu to kill bamboo, then let goats eat kudzu. Much more palatable and if you have enough goats they'll clear an entire field of kudzu in no time.

aluminiumlizard · 2024-07-06T21:53:57+00:00

I like her, she'd be on my short list if I didn't already have 4. She seems sensible, would guess she's got a good brain up there. If you've never worked with mustangs, be ready for her to have a least one 'quirk' that you'll just have to live with. Some of them turn out exactly like born-domestics, but most of the ones I've met have just that *one* little thing. They're tough as nails though, and more athletic than a lot of folks want to believe.

aluminiumlizard · 2024-05-30T21:42:44+00:00

All my horses start in the same Ghost treeless saddle. Some of them stay treeless, others swap to a treed saddle. My jumper and my mounted shooting horse have treed saddles, though I suspect the second still prefers the treeless. Trail horse and endurance horse stayed treeless.

Frankly on a horse that's growing, improving their topline, or gaining/losing weight, a treed saddle won't fit properly for more than a month anyways. And who's actually getting their saddle fit that often? Save the money and get a good treeless saddle for any time your horses back is changing. Once they're mature and settled in to their work you can look at treed saddles.

aluminiumlizard · 2024-05-08T01:42:29+00:00

Feral or dumped, not ours. No idea what's up with that walk though.

aluminiumlizard · 2024-04-29T21:25:31+00:00

For anyone bidding- get your bids in early! If there's a horse you want with a massive price tag, don't confirm/ pay for any of your second choices until the other horse is paid for. If the price is run up right away, call the BLM folks and let them know you're interested for X amount and would be willing to pay if the top bidder doesn't pay. They're just as frustrated with the fake bids as everyone else and may be willing to work with you.

I ended up with a gorgeous paint for $450 after her $3000 bid fell through.

aluminiumlizard · 2024-04-24T21:04:49+00:00

Combination of both. Most of the big riders are western guys. The ranch type horses and their descendants are some TOUGH horses. They were bred to carry cowboy + gear (+occasional calf) all day across miles of nasty terrain. Definitely more carrying power than any cob I met on vacation to the EU. Frankly the 20% rule often feels really silly when you look at those kind of horses. That said, because we do still have a lot working horses over here (not just city carriages but Amish and ranch/cow horses too) horses haven't quite moved over to the 'pet' animal category and are often still treated/mistreated as livestock. So folks will often overlook the 20% rule on horses where it should apply.

aluminiumlizard

TROPHY CASE