# ear tip bitten off



## Island Creek Farm (Jun 16, 2010)

I fed a scoop of alfalfa pellets this morning, like I normally do... when I went back to feed hay one of my does was missing part of her ear Could this have been done by another doe? A piece about the size of a quarter is gone. We are thinking it could possibly have been my crotchety GSD, but before we place the blame in that direction, I wanted to see if this could be goat inflicted.

We have seen the GSD snap at the goats when they stick their head through when I'm feeding the dogs, so was thinking he got in to try to eat some pellets and the unlucky doe got caught near him. With no top teeth, I'm having a hard time seeing another goat doing this...though I guess anything is possible. She has no other injuries, so we are ruling out an "outside" dog getting in the pen.

We have been weighing having the crotchety GSD euthanized before kidding season...he's just getting unpredictable. This would just further the resolve to get it done before something bad happens.

anyone?


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## Sharpgoat (Feb 7, 2008)

I have a meat goat with the end of her ear taken of from the LSG dog when she tried to take some dog food.
I saw it happen so I know who did it.
Fran


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Crotchety, unpredictable dog = gone, in my book.


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## Cotton Eyed Does (Oct 26, 2007)

I had a lamancha one time that bit everybody that got near her. I had a Nubian doe and she just layed in wait to bite that Nubian's ears. She never took a piece off though.


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## [email protected] (Sep 18, 2008)

Astus (sr buck) took a chunk out of Moon's (jr buck) ear when I put them in pens next to each other this fall. Right on the top of his ear near his head. Perfect round hunk gone about the size of a quarter--took the hide right off, but didn't go all the way through, but I think it would be possible. 
I would keep an eye on the dog though and keep it away from the goats or put it down if it's getting aggressive. My male LGD would let the goats eat out of his bowl (heck--he'd let them eat first :/ the big dummy), but my female will *guard* her's from the goats. Just a growl and bark and they back off. She's never snapped at one though.


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## Island Creek Farm (Jun 16, 2010)

I've got her by herself, but every time she shakes her head or rubs her ear, it starts dripping blood again. I keep putting blood stop on it, but then she shakes her head again...go figure. I just gave her 1cc banamine, waiting for it to kick in. Going to try to contruct some type of mask to pin that ear against her head, maybe out of a sweatshirt sleeve and vet wrap? I know when I had a horse do a similar injury, they had a uber-expensive custom horse mask that pinned the ear...and I mean UBER expensive.

Her stall looks like I am slaughtering goats...she keeps rubbing it along the walls...ick.


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## Cotton Eyed Does (Oct 26, 2007)

Do you have some epinephrine? If you do you can pull some up in a syringe, remove the needle and try squirting it around the wound. Epi is a vasoconstrictor.

I was cleaning a deer one time and Olga (my Rotty) got in the way and I actually stuck her in the nose with my skinning knife. She was bleeding really bad and I remembered about the epi. It really helped get the bleeding under control.


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## Island Creek Farm (Jun 16, 2010)

Cool...will clean the ear off and give that a shot! Did not know that...safe to use on pregnant does?


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Our Dobermaniacs would argue some and since we did not crop ears they always nipped each other right on the vein in the ear tip. It is a fairly large vessel! 
We just get the disbudding iron out and cauterize.
L


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## prairie nights (Jan 16, 2009)

The two here that have a piece of ear missing had it done by a fellow herdmate, yes, another doe and I saw it happen both times. A dog bite on goat ear looks different , usually a scratch across the ear or slit.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

I have had does who have bitten the Nubian ears, leaving empty spots where ear used to be. I had a doe who would pick up kids other than her own by the ears and fling them. Those poor kids would end up missing tips too.


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Does your German Shepherd live with the goats or do you feed the dogs near the goat fence?


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Poor goat! Whether a dog or goat though, for the bleeding I would use the disbudding iron to cauterize, but I didn't know about epi until now. that is good info! Also I would watch for infection, not likely, but you never know.


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## punchiepal (Aug 4, 2010)

Do you have any EMT gel? It is a clotting gel. We found ours in the pet care section at Farm Fleet and I know TSC has it.


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## Blackberry Farm (Jul 7, 2011)

Can you use epinephrine on an ear? 

I know it cannot be used on human ears because it is a vasoconstrictor. The blood supply can fail and all of the tissue die. Doctors won't use epi on ears, nose, penis, fingers or toes because of this. Human patients, of course.  

I was just wondering how the use of epi translates into goats.


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## Cotton Eyed Does (Oct 26, 2007)

It really helped on my dog's nose. She was bleeding profusely and it was running down her throat and in her mouth. Also used it on DH's thumb one time. He was splitting kindling and missed and hit his thumb with the hatchet.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I tattooed a doe the other day (in the dark) and managed to hit a vein in the ear which would not stop bleeding. A friend suggested putting cobwebs on it, so I grabbed up as many as I could find on the front porch and stuffed them onto the bleeding site. I had to do both sides of the ear and re-rub ink into the holes but the cobwebs stopped the bleeding immediately. Don't know about how clean they were, but I was amazed at how they stopped the bleeding.


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

Old-time Vermont remedy; the cobwebs and it works! The liquid band-aid works too. I cut my OES's ear once during mat removal and the liquid bandage was what stopped the bleeding after direct pressure didn't do the trick because she would shake her head and the bleeding would begin again.


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Anything on the head bleeds A LOT!


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