# Kid with bent front legs



## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

I had a buckling just born this morning and his front legs are curled up and wonât straighten. Should I splint them or will they straighten on their own? 

Thanks
Jill


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Did you give him an injection of BO-SE? (1/4 - 1/2 cc) Sounds like he could use that, or a Vit E capsule. Poke a hole in the capsule and put the liquid inside into his mouth. Either of these is a source of selenium, which well help.

If the legs are quite badly bent, you may opt to splint. Most mild cases correct themselves in a few days.

That said, I did have a buckling born here with badly curved-under front pasterns, and I did splint both legs. He turned out well.

Good luck with your little guy.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

After giving the Bo-Se or Vitamin E liquid you could also see if massaging the legs would help before opting to splint them.
Sometimes they've been cramped up inside momma so long is what causes this, especially if they are born pretty big.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Ditto on the BoSe and Vitamin E.

They will straighten out in a few days.


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## severtki (Jul 6, 2008)

We've had good success with splints as well -- just takes a couple days for them to strengthen up and straighten out.

Selenium and vitamin deficiencies aside, any ideas if this is at least partly genetic?


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Normally, this is not genetic. Many of us feel it's caused by being cramped up inside the womb, and it just takes them a few days to get straightened out.


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## severtki (Jul 6, 2008)

We've tended to cull the ones with these problems (all other things being equal), since my father-in-law claimed he saw this "trait" passed on genetically. I guess we shouldn't be so hasty if it's as likely to happen to one as another.


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## Ranger (Aug 6, 2010)

I haven't had this problem with goats, but I have seen it in horses. Usually because the baby was huge. The ones that I've dealt with refused to eat if splinted, so I just gently pull and massage the legs several times a day until they straighten out. It usually doesn't take more than a couple of days before they are up and bouncing around!!


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Well, we put the splints on so we'll see how that goes and I'll let everyone know!


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Were his knees bent, too? Or just the ankles? I splinted my guy just about from the bottom of the hoof up. He was fine in a few days.


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## T.Miller (Dec 1, 2006)

This little guy was born this past Saturday. I gave him a 1/2cc of bo-se and some vitamin E and by Tuesday his legs were normal.
http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff425/TMiller2/buckling.jpg


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Be sure you take the splints off for circulation a couple of times a day. They look AWFULLY tight.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Here he is, walking! [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggXvNXim8S8[/ame]


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Both the boys knees and ankles were bent. The other boy I just put splints on his knees and his legs are already straightened out. This guy I take them off at night and do additional stretching on the hocks.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Did you give the boys a shot of Bo-Se or the liquid from the vitamin E capsules? I really think that would do them a lot of good & maybe no splints would be needed at all then.
Poor little guy, he looks like he doesn't know what to do with those splints on.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Not yet, can I get the Bo-Se OTC, or do I need a vet? I'm making a list for DH!


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Bo-Se is vet RX. It would really help your boys out in this case it looks like. Alot of folks give it to the kids right after birth.

The Liquid from Vitamin E capsules squirted in their mouths will work in a pinch if you don't have the Bo-Se.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

OK, back to the vet I go..........I forgot to get it when I was there YESTERDAY!


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Well, the vet didn't give any instructions on how to give the Bo-Se, guess I should have called, I gave it IM. Will they die? LOL JK What do I do now?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

In the itty bitties, you just about have to go IM. It's OK.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Yeah, I called vet, he said it's OK. 
Man, am I taking notes!


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

It's kinda over whelming at first trying to keep up with everything & then to remember it too!
Let us know how the little guys do in a day or so. Hopefully you can get those splints off the one little bucklings legs.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

OK, the one boy that only had bent knees is 100% better! I am leaving his splints on for tonight because they are only 3" and he gets along with them on quite well. They are coming off in the morning though! The other boy is doing much better! His knees are almost straight and is walking more on his feet than his hocks. I think he will need at least one more day with the splints. I'll keep everyone posted and do a YouTube of the finished product! =o)

Thanks everyone!


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Well, Tonka has regressed. =o(
I put his splints back on this AM.
He is not happy and acting like he would rather just lay down instead of playing with the others. I&#8217;m gonna take the splints off at noon to see if he is more likely to play with them off and hopefully they will be straightened out enough for him to walk. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. He is acting OK but I don&#8217;t know that he is going to come out of this.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Be patient. It can take a week. You dosed him with BoSe, right?


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Update
We had to make some new splints that might work better. Progress is not as good as I had hoped for.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50tcwIvVF-Q[/ame]


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Good idea with the shovel fronts on those!


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

I wish I'd taken pictures from JD's splinting. In order to keep the knee AND the hock from bending the wrong way, I had to make one continuous splint on each front leg. It went from the bottom of his hooves, past the fetlocks (ankles), and above the hocks (knees). This kept his legs in a straight line. Some days the splints were applied at the sides of the legs, and some days at the front & back of the legs. 

I was really worried at first that he'd not straighten out, but it took a week or more. Today he's 100% okay. I think the most important thing was the BO-SE and the long splint that went from hoof to above the knee. 

This was the worst case I'd seen, and the splinting was pretty much trial and error, but in the end, it worked!

I removed the splints each morning to check on his progress. I don't know how many days, but soon I was able to leave one leg unsplinted, and eventually both legs were fine.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

You did give him the Bo-Se right? How much did you give him. Poor little Tonka, I feel sorry for him when I watch those video's. Doesn't look like he's in pain though.
Hope they straighten out soon, then look out world cause he'll be running & jumping all over the place.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Yes he did get the Bo-Se. If I remember right, he got 1/2cc. He does jump around with the splints and is not in pain that I can tell. These new splints are working REALLY well!


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

One lady I know who had a baby born with legs like that gave a dose of Bo-Se daily for the first two or three days until the legs straighted out.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

I was wondering if I should give him more, think I'll do that!


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## BothFeet (Dec 3, 2007)

We have always splinted for a good week. They run around fine all Forrest Gump like and don't seem to mind.


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## JDog1222 (Aug 19, 2010)

Here he is walking outside today!
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fZ2SnjKJng[/ame]


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