How to Trim the Dewclaws on a Goat

In their natural habitat, goats spend most of their day walking and climbing over rocks and compacted earth. The constant wear keeps their ever-growing hooves at a reasonable length. In captivity, goats are much less active. It's up to their owners to keep their hooves and dewclaws down to a manageable length to prevent injury and disease. Trim your goat's dewclaws often, whenever they develop pointy growths or at least every two months.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter or collar
  • Lead
  • Hoof trimmer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a halter or collar on the goat, attach a lead and secure it to a spot on or near a wall. The goat should not have too much room to maneuver away from you.

    • 2

      Stand to one side of the goat (the side you intend to trim) with the goat between you and the wall. As you trim, if the goat becomes fidgety, lean gently against the goat to pin him against the wall and stop him struggling. Do not attempt to make a trim until the goat relaxes and is still.

    • 3

      Pick up the hoof you intend to trim.

    • 4

      Trim each dewclaw with your hoof trimmer to remove the overgrown rounded tip. Just remove the tip. If you cut the dewclaws too short, they will bleed. If you are unsure of how much to cut, observe the length of a young goat's dewclaws. They are unlikely to be overgrown.