Oh dear... I found her at the bottom of a steep hill, wouldn't get up, so I took her buckets of water etc — she drank a fair bit.
She's a lovely little galloway girl about 9 months old. Anyway, I was able to get her standing, but she's injured herself, and won't put weight on her foreleg unless she has to. The leg doesn't appear broken, knee not swollen, fetlock very slightly swollen but not much — I was able to get her to limp up the hill (a few steps at a time — very steep) and into a holding yard, where I've been making sure she's sheltered and has water and food right nearby.
She's reluctant to eat — took a few mouthfuls but didn't want to put her head down too far — and is clearly in pain, mostly keeping her weight off the foreleg, not wanting to move at all, even to lower her head beyond knee height. I'm guessing she's hurt the shoulder joint. It seems likely she slipped and fell down the hill (grass was wet)... Could she have made it up a steep incline with a broken shoulder, or is it (as I hope) more likely to be a sprain or similar? Right now she's standing, and isn't in obvious distress beyond not wanting to move at all, even to put her head down to eat (maybe that puts more weight on the area?). Or is it possible she's badly damaged her brisket? Her breathing is fine, not laboured, and her eyes look bright; nostrils clear, etc, and she doesn't appear too weak, just reluctant to move.
I know this isn't a vet forum, so apologies for this — but any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
She's a lovely little galloway girl about 9 months old. Anyway, I was able to get her standing, but she's injured herself, and won't put weight on her foreleg unless she has to. The leg doesn't appear broken, knee not swollen, fetlock very slightly swollen but not much — I was able to get her to limp up the hill (a few steps at a time — very steep) and into a holding yard, where I've been making sure she's sheltered and has water and food right nearby.
She's reluctant to eat — took a few mouthfuls but didn't want to put her head down too far — and is clearly in pain, mostly keeping her weight off the foreleg, not wanting to move at all, even to lower her head beyond knee height. I'm guessing she's hurt the shoulder joint. It seems likely she slipped and fell down the hill (grass was wet)... Could she have made it up a steep incline with a broken shoulder, or is it (as I hope) more likely to be a sprain or similar? Right now she's standing, and isn't in obvious distress beyond not wanting to move at all, even to put her head down to eat (maybe that puts more weight on the area?). Or is it possible she's badly damaged her brisket? Her breathing is fine, not laboured, and her eyes look bright; nostrils clear, etc, and she doesn't appear too weak, just reluctant to move.
I know this isn't a vet forum, so apologies for this — but any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
