What Can Cause a Goat Dragging Its Hind End?

Goats are a common, hoofed farm animal that are kept as pets, kept for their fur or kept for meat. They are fun-loving and playful, but also can be aggressive with each other and others. Both play and aggression can lead to a minor injury, which could make a goat drag its hind legs. Microorganism and parasitic infection can cause a goat to drag its hind legs, too. If diagnoses isn't cut and dry, consult a veterinarian.

  1. Meningeal Deerworm

    • Referred to as a deer or brainworm, this parasite can cause a goat to drag its hind legs. Meningeal deerworms are prevalent in areas with whitetail deer and swampy areas with leaf litter, where the parasites thrive. While the parasite generally goes through a whitetail deer without complications to the host, it often goes to the spinal cord and stays in goats. This can cause hind leg dragging, unsteadiness and intense itching in the goat, so much so that it bites holes in its hide.

    Fights

    • Both female and male goats can become aggressive toward one another. In the females, or does, the ingestion of alfalfa is known to cause increased estrogen and more aggression, according to goatwisdom.com. Pregnant and dried-up females get the most excitable effects from the plant. A possible cause of a dragged hind leg could be from a physical altercation between goats in the same pen.

    Foot Rot

    • Goats can suffer from a microorganism known as foot rot or interdigital dermatitis. This is caused by excessive moisture between the toes of goats, especially in hot and humid climates. Foot rot can be carried through contaminated soil, so if a goat is experiencing it, it's important to isolate it and not allow people to walk in the goat pen, as foot travel can spread the microorganism.

    Twisted Joint

    • Especially in young goats, playing can become excessive and rough as these young animals are excitable. Dragging a hind leg may be the result of simple play between young goats who moved the wrong way and twisted a joint. An injury may be a result of a fall or moving the wrong way while two goats are mating.