Avalon is Sick

Two days ago the Commander noticed that Avalon wasn't keeping up with the flock, she has been sick ever since. I took her temperature on the first day and it was 106F, she was burning up. Since there are no local Vets who will take new clients I sent an e-mail to Pipestone Veterinary Clinic and they responded with the advice to use some LA200 if I had it. I was lucky that I actually had the LA200 (an antibiotic) so I gave her a shot along with a Vitamin B shot, a shot of Banimine (to bring down her fever), and some oral pro-biotics. She wasn't moving much and I was afraid for what the morning would bring.

The next day found her alive but moving very slowly. She was still eating and drinking, but just barely. When the Commander got home I took her temperature and she was still at 106F, things were not looking good. After looking through my 'taking care of sheep' books I thought she may have been suffering from Grass Tetany, this is caused by a magnesium deficiency. That night I gave her a LA200 shot, oral pro-biotics, and a liquid mixture that contained crushed magnesium, calcium, and a Vitamin B complex.

She was still with us this morning, but she was moving like her joints had stiffened up. I called all the Vets in the phone book this morning and not a single one called me back. Once again I fired off an e-mail to Pipestone with Avalon's symptoms and they helped me as best they could. What they really needed was to have some blood work done but with no local Vets to help there wasn't much they could do.

When the Commander got home it took quite a long time for us to get to the doctoring as Kia and Ava wouldn't go into the barn while we were around. That Kia is so smart and she knew what we were up to, I finally lured them into a stall using some grain. When I got to take Ava's temperature I was so relieved to note that it had dropped to 102.9F, much better! Pipestone recommended I keep up the same treatment so she got a LA200 shot, a Vitamin B shot, and some oral pro-biotics.

Maybe she was moving stiffly from the shots? The LA200 stings a lot at the point of the injection as well. I can tell Ava still isn't feeling too good as she is holding her head lower than normal and has a dull look about her.

When I got inside one of the local Vets actually called! They told me that if Ava made it through the night I could bring her first thing! This is an answer to my prayers as there are so few Vets that will see sheep and goats around here, I would love to get on her client list and would be happy to provide a retainer. C'mon Ava, you just have to hang on one more night!