Merlin has had arthritis since his rescue. Neglect has taken a serious toll on his body.

On Sunday afternoon, we arrived back at the barn after lunch to find that Merlin had a pronounced limp and was avoiding putting much weight on his front right foot. His toe looked to be at a different angle, and I was worried he had broken it. The pad on that same foot looked to have some issues that weren’t present during his last hoof trim. Since he continued to struggle to walk after a few minutes, I called the vet. 

Merlin was walking better when the vet arrived, and after checking him over, nothing seemed broken, which was a relief. 

Still, he’s on stall rest for a bit, getting daily foot treatments, and his usual arthritis medication (though the frequency has been slightly adjusted).

Just like last winter, he’s unable to stay warm like the other goats, so he’s got his coat back on. He doesn’t like it as he’s not used to it, but he gets so cold without it that he shivers right down to his toes. 

He hasn’t been acting quite like himself this week, but we’ll stay the course and give his treatment plan time to work. 

Winter is definitely hard on him, so let’s hope for a mild one!