Many animals, such as cattle and horses, have hooves and they are an essential component of the makeup of these types of animals.
I was out in the countryside recently and got to see the hooves of a horse up close.
This got me thinking about the other types of animals that had hooves and I started to become interested in whether or not goats had hooves.
But what exactly are hooves, how do you properly take care of a goat’s hooves, and what are some potential hoof diseases that could potentially impact your goats?
In this article, we will explore all of these questions and more as we dive deeper into the topic of do goats have hooves.
Let’s get into it!
What are hooves?
Hooves are an extremely important feature of a goat’s body.
Goats have cloven hooves which means that their hooves consist of two toes instead of one solitary toe such as a horse.
Goats are similar to cattle and sheep in this regard.
Proper hoof care
Proper hoof care is essential for the comfort and regular functioning of your goat.
A goat that is unable to move around freely will stop eating and can become depressed.
It is, therefore, essential that your goat’s hooves are properly taken care of and are in good condition.
Trimming
Goat’s hooves are similar to human fingernails in that they never stop growing as it is connected to the body and experiences a constant supply of blood, vitamins, and minerals.
In their traditional, natural environment a goat’s hooves are naturally worn down by the rough and mountainous terrain which keeps them at an appropriate and functional length.
The same can’t be said for goats that have been domesticated and are being raised on farms and soft pastureland.
They don’t have the benefit of their physical environment wearing down their hooves naturally and, as a result, must have them cut manually by their farmer/owner.
It is important to trim your goat’s hooves regularly as excessively long hooves can lead to pain, discomfort, and disease.
When trimming their hooves, it is important to use the correct apparatus and technique to ensure that you do not harm your goat or put them in danger.
This means using specialized goat trimmers, giving your goat a treat to chomp on while trimming to keep them still, finding your trimming rhythm, etc.
There are also alternative methods of keeping the length of your goat’s hooves under control if you are inexperienced or uncomfortable with trimming your goat’s hooves yourself.
This could be in the form of setting up cinder blocks or other coarse/rough items in your goat’s vicinity to allow them to jump and climb over which will mimic their natural mountainous surroundings.
If your goat’s hooves are too long and you are unable to trim them, you should take them to the vet or call in a professional as this can potentially be damaging to their health.
Goats typically need to get their hooves trimmed every six to ten weeks.
Dry bedding and pastures
It is important to ensure that your goat’s bedding and pastures are dry.
This is because if goat’s hooves are in wet/damp surroundings and conditions for an extended period of time, moisture can begin to enter and penetrate their hooves which causes them to soften and become brittle.
This makes them susceptible to bacteria and prone to infection and diseases.
Keeping their living area clean
The biggest danger to the health of your goat’s hooves is the presence, development, and growth of bacteria and fungus.
To help avoid this, you should ensure that your goat’s living area is clean and dry and there are no/very little opportunities for bacteria or fungus to develop.
What do goats use their hooves for?
Goat’s hooves serve many purposes.
In mountain goats, their hooves are made up of soft and spongy inner pads which are surrounded by a tough outer rim.
This helps mountain goats to climb steep mountains and rough terrain as well as helping them to balance on slippery surfaces.
When jumping and climbing from surface to surface it is important to have good balance and traction and hooves provide this for goats.
Hooves, in general, help provide traction for goats in dangerous or hazardous terrain and habitats and is an essential part of a goat’s anatomy that allows them to survive effectively in the wild.
Typical hoof disease: Contagious foot rot
The nature of a goat’s hooves leaves it susceptible to bacteria, infection, and disease.
The cloven style hoof leaves a space between the two digits which allows moisture, dirt, and manure to be trapped easily.
These are the perfect conditions for bacteria and fungus to grow and form and can be exacerbated if a goat’s hooves are not sufficiently trimmed.
One of the main infections that can develop as a result of these conditions is contagious foot/hoof rot.
It is a common infection that is transmitted to goats through bacteria that live in the soil and is easily carried onto the feet of infected goats.
These types of bacteria are very difficult to eliminate or control once the soil has become contaminated resulting in this infection being contagious.
This infection starts out as a condition known as foot scald and progresses into the more aggressive version known as foot rot.
Foot scald, while still painful and uncomfortable for goats is a milder version of foot rot.
It is inflammation between a goat’s toes and usually affects only one foot.
Foot rot on the other hand affects both feet and can cause severe lameness in goats.
How to spot footrot in goats: common symptoms
When it comes to treating foot rot, the earlier you are able to spot the signs of its development, the quicker you will be able to do something about it.
Spotting the infection early will also help to reduce the amount of time that your goat spends in pain and discomfort.
Some typical/common symptoms of foot rot include:
- Goats grazing on their knees due to sore feet
- Very pink to red hoof
- Skin between the toes becomes slimy and develops a foul odour
- A detaching of the hoof wall from the foot due to bacterial toxins breaking down the hoof wall and sole of the foot.
Some typical precursors to the development of foot rot include the development of overgrown, damaged, or cracked hooves as well as diet deficiencies.
It is, therefore, important to remain vigilant on the health of your goat’s hooves and to be mindful of the things that your goats are eating and where they are getting their vitamins and minerals from.
How to treat foot rot
If you suspect that one or more of your goats has foot rot, or you notice any of the precursor symptoms begin to develop you should take action immediately and examine the hooves of your goats in order to properly assess the situation.
Probably the simplest and one of the most effective methods of treating foot rot is the by trimming the overgrown hoof down to a manageable length.
Trimming the hooves to remove all of the infected parts of the sole quickly gets rid of the infected parts of your goat’s hooves and allows your goat to move around freely.
Your goat should stand for at least 5-10 minutes with all feet in a medicated foot bath after having their infected hooves trimmed in order to help reduce the likelihood of the disease spreading. Infected animals should also be culled in order to protect the overall health of the herd.
Another method that is a common form of treatment for foot rot in goats, with or without the use of hoof trimming, is the use of antibiotics.
The administering of antibiotics should be done by your vet and you should follow all of their instructions to help your goats get better as quickly as possible.
How to prevent foot rot in goats
The best way to prevent foot rot in goats is to practice proper hoof hygiene, ensure that your goat’s living environment and bedding is clean and dry, and remain vigilant for the precursor signs of typical goat diseases such as foot scald and foot rot.
Prevention is better than the cure!
In conclusion, yes, goats have hooves.
They have cloven hooves and use their hooves to do a number of things, such as climbing and jumping.
Hooves are extremely important for goats to move around and function properly and, if you are not vigilant or don’t take proper care of them, they can develop diseases such as contagious foot rot which can have negative impacts on both their health and the health of the herd as a whole.
There are signs to look out for to spot the development of bacterial infections and, if spotted early enough, they can be dealt with in a quick and effective manner.