i went thru the archives and found similar questions but i still don't have an answer so here goes - i have a doe ready to kid in about two weeks. yest we noticed that when she stands she is holding up her front leg. when she walks she walks on it, puts all of her weight on it..etc. I didn't think she was limping but hubby says she is, is this something i should be concerned about? i picked up her foot and couldn't see anything wrong with it, nothing in her hoof and no swelling and nothing felt hot. she behaves the way she alwayshas, eager for her grain and such. Since i can't see anything wrong other than she is holding it up, what do you do about that?? will it work itself out? Is this something i should call a vet for? I have also seen her running using the leg, and it doesn't seem to cause her pain. what to do? should i be extra concerned since she is ready to kid? thanks for any advice, i need it. :)

susan

-- Susan (dsowen@tds.net), February 25, 2002

Answers

Susan, of course the pat answer is that the hormones of pregnancy and delievery will bring on the symptoms of CAE. Instead of looking at the foot look at the knee, is it swelling? Is it larger than the other? Surefire way to find out is to simply get a testtube or 20cc syringe, and when she kids pull some of the first colostrum into it and send it to Pan Amercian Labs in Austin Texas. Or pull blood and send it into any lab that does Elissa testing for CAE. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 25, 2002.

A cross-species kind of answer would be that she is suddenly carrying alot more weight around than she is used to and her center of gravity has shifted as well, so she might have just tripped or twisted something the wrong way and it's sore. And it may just go away with time and the sudden-weight-loss program she's about to go into (you know,...kidding!). It would certainly do no harm to have her tested for CAE (and would be a good idea anyway if you haven't already), but it's possible it could also just be a pull or strain and she'll get over it shortly.

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), February 25, 2002.

If you're in wet country, a doe can get hoof rot that you can't see or smell, but it hurts anyway.

-- Laura Jensen (lauraj@seedlaw.com), February 25, 2002.

The answer regarding CAE is highly possible, especially if she was not raised on pasturized milk. Twisting or tripping is also a good one especially if she is lower in the pecking order. Another more simple answer is that her feet may need to be trimmed, we trim more often when pregnant. With the extra weight before kidding this is very important. Good luck.

-- Michele P. (gcsaanens@aol.com), February 26, 2002.