# Broken leg healing time?



## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Sorry I haven't been on the forum much - been super busy!

Anyway, I have a doeling who broke her leg a few weeks ago. I have dealt with broken legs before so I set and splint it. My question is 'how long do I leave the splint on?' She was 5 weeks old when she broke her leg. It was a clean break in the middle of her lower left leg. She seems to be doing really well with the splint (gets around fine with it and puts weight on it. I have caught her on top of the hay pile a couple of times!) It has been 3 weeks from when she broke it now. I will be changing the splint again today. How much longer should she need the splint? When can I safely remove the splint?

Thanks!


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Well when using a vet for this the cast stayed on 4 wks and then it wasn't mended completely so stayed on another 3.


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

How old a goat was that? I know they heal faster when younger, but don't know how much. I had one last year who needed the splint for 7 weeks. She was a yearling and her break was really nasty - broken right above the hock at the growth plate with her hoof twisted around a couple times, and her hoof up at her hip. The doeling I have now has a much less severe break.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

2 yr old
Only way to know for sure would be xrays regardless of the age. :/


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## eliya (Mar 11, 2008)

Yeah, I figured. It's just a bit expensive! I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I think I'll leave it on for a while longer. Maybe someone else would have had a similar experience and could share the time it took their goat.


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