If you don't find the cause and she's not improved by tomorrow morning, I recommend at least a call to the vet. Abscesses are nasty, and if left untreated the infection can spread pretty quickly.
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Try a good farrier - and before everyone leaves for the weekend, contact your local 4H chapter/ag coordinator/college with an animal husbandry program (U of VA has one, don't they?) I'll bet they can help, or will know someone to call.The only vet for goats has retired. I’ve hunted around the area and no go.
A foot abscess is caused by an injury, usually a puncture, or a bruise caught in the foot. Whatever it is, it introduces bacteria into the foot and the body reacts by building a wall around it. The result is a pus filled pocket. I have seen these in goats, horses, cattle, and sheep. They are very very painful. By trimming the foot with a hoof knife you can usually find it without to much difficulty. You will know you found it because once you cut into it there will be a thin trickle of pus. You just make sure it is open enough to drain, treat it with copper sulphate of some sort, and give an tetanus antitoxin shot.I actually pick up hoof rot treatment on my way home last night. I was thinking hoof rot because of all the rain like you said. Wanted to have what I need ready. Are abcess and hoof rot different. Never felt with either
I was thinking more along the lines of an advisory phone call, not a road trip. I'm really far away from U of MD, but they've been awfully helpful through phone calls and e-mail. I'm sorry if any of this sounds rude or pushy or just plain callous. It's not meant that way, honestly. I worry about my babies, too - and we've had goats, so I know how "human" they can be, especially when they hurt! Sometimes I hate how cold plain text can sound!Not sure if university of Virginia has one. That’s pretty far away from me so I’ve never looked into it. I