Often, goat horns can grow deformed as a result of improper dehorning or disbudding.
When this happens, it can cause major problems for the goat if it is left untreated.
While there are many things you can do yourself, if you’re inexperienced dehorning, you should seek expert advice.
Let’s look further into this.
Can goat horns grow into their head?
Yes, they can, though its rare to happen naturally.
Typically, what happens is that a goat which has been poorly disbudded will have ingrown horns or at least deformed horns.
If you aren’t sure what disbudding is, then it’s the process by which horn growth is curtailed very early in a goat’s development.
Typically, this is done with a hot iron applied to the horn buds.
If done at the appropriate stage and in the right way, this can stop horn growth entirely.
If done incorrectly, though, it can disrupt the horn growth and cause them to grow in less-than-healthy ways.
Disbudding is a somewhat controversial practice, so vets don’t generally perform the procedure anymore.
Other, natural deformities can cause ingrown horns, too, but you should always consult about this if you are buying a young goat from someone.
Try and establish the quality of the disbudding, and get medical records if you can.
So, what can you do about ingrown horns?
What to do if a goat horn is growing into its head?
The only thing you can do if your goat has an ingrown horn is to try and remove it.
There are a couple of ways you can do this. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to do it that is entirely without discomfort for the goat.
My best advice would always be to see a vet for something like this. If they will offer a service to remove the horn, then your goat will be in safe hands.
If you have to do it yourself, you can either remove the tip with a saw—for this, I would really advise tranquilising the goat if possible. This comes with its own risks, too, so, again, you’re best off speaking to a vet.
Another option is to remove the horn entirely with a method known as banding.
This involves tying bands around the base of the horn, and allowing them to fall off over time. this is generally the easier method to get right, but it takes longer, and is still stressful for the goat.
Cutting is the only quick method. So, is it safe?
Can you cut a goat’s horn?
You can, but there are a great many risks involved.
To yourself and to the goat.
The most important thing to remember is that your goat’s horns are sensitive just like any other part of its body.
It feels pain and has nerve endings in there.
So, if you cut into their horn, it is like cutting into a bone. It will be incredibly painful for the goat if you do it while the goat is awake.
And it will be impossible to keep the goat still.
Therefore, without anesthetizing it, it’s very hard to do the job.
It’s also very risky to tranquilize an animal without proper training.
All of this goes to show, then, that it is entirely possible to cut a goat’s horn.
It is not, however, advisable to try and do it yourself.
There are countless risks involved.
If your goat has an ingrown horn, take it to the vet.
How do you remove goat horns?
Generally, if you can avoid it, my advice would be not to remove horns.
Ingrown horns are a case where you really need to, but other than that, you should avoid it if possible.
The most reliable method is via disbudding, but this has to be done at an early age.
This is pre-empting the horn developing at all, rather than removing the horns.
Banding is the next most common method.
Again, though, this is stressful and painful for the goat.
In the case of ingrown horns, you may be able to simply cut the end of the horn off, which wouldn’t be as painful for the goat.
Either way, though, removing a goat’s horn is a very delicate job.
Ingrown horns are a serious concern, then, and you should always be on the lookout for signs.
As soon as you notice any indication that the horn may growing inwards or in any way that it is going to impact the head, you should start thinking about how to combat it.
Dehorning is the best method, usually, though your vet may have specific advice based on your circumstances.