Post by twistedwillow on Dec 23, 2012 23:36:51 GMT -5
Yesterday was such a bad day- but it also made it so clear how truly blessed I am to live where I do.
Abigail went down again, for the third time in as many month, on Wednesday. She insisted on waling through the slippery mud on her way from the barn to the pasture, instead of following the other cows up where it is dry. Our neighbor brought his big tractor and straps over and helped us load her. But it was about 3 hour from the time she went down until he came. In the mean time she got really, really cold. She was shivering, even with the horse blanket on. She kept trying to stand, but it was too slippery. After we got her up she walked to the barn- no problem. And seemed quite happy.
The next day, around the middle of the day, she laid down again, in the barn, and didn't get up. She wouldn't even try. She energetically ate hay and grain, and was drinking plenty of water- but wouldn't even think about standing.
Friday she started to cough. Friday night her cough didn't sound very good at all, but she was still acting like she felt fine- totally happy and bright eyed. Friday night Leah had mastitis in her back quarter! WHY!!! At least her mastitis is super easy and quick to clear up. I just wish I knew why she got it.
Saturday morning we decided that even if we ever managed to get Abigail up, she just didn't have the muscle tone to stand on her own. She was developing pneumonia, and with her ultra-thin condition I didn't think she could fight it. We decided that the most humane thing to do would be to have the vet out and put her down. We kept thinking, every morning since Wednesday, that we might go out to the barn and find her dead- but the poor thing was just too healthy to give up living. Poor, sweet girl- she was so loved.
To top off the "bad day"- it was cold, cold, cold- and wet, wet, wet- and I was sick, sick, sick! I don't usually get a fever when I get sick, due to the RA (or my temp goes down) But yesterday I had a high fever. Since my immune system was fighting the bug, it was fighting my joints as well. I have never been in so much pain. Every joint was screaming. Neither of our tractors would start Saturday (despite being "fixed" by two different Kubota dealers this last summer) and I still had Christmas shopping to do! I felt so bad for the guys at the feed store, and the places I was Christmas shopping. Sick, sad, and in pain is not a good look for me! LOL
Now for the blessings part- Our farm help, who lives on our property, are not farm people. It's a young couple who are more than willing to be the muscle if we tell them how to do things. They aren't animal people, but are becoming animal people. We really adore them. Anyway- I asked Justin if he could help me bury Abigail after the vet left. He said that he had already arranged to borrow a small trackhoe from his dad (who owns a rental company) for the day to move the manure pile. He would move her from the barn to the north pasture and bury her- and we didn't even have to be there, since it would be too emotional for us! I love him. He and BreAnna did it all without us present. And happily too. They are just so wonderful.
Abigail had been seen by two of the four vets at the clinic. They are all wonderful. When Doctor Fullmer came he said that he was told he was putting an animal down, and saw our address, and knew it was our Abigail and that we would be so upset about it. He asked how Sabrina was, I told him she was on her bed crying- he said that he didn't figure he would be seeing her. Our vet knew us by our address, and new which animal it was... (You should all be jealous ) He looked at Abigail and said that it really was time, and he wished we had figured it out. He said that there was nothing that we could have done- we take too good of care with our animals for it to have been something we did or didn't do. I really, really needed to hear that. I mean- I know, down in my heart, that that is true, but it was so nice to hear coming from him.
Yesterday after shopping I had a 5 hour nap, then got 8 hours of sleep, and woke up today completely well, except for a sore throat and a cough. Sabrina only cried today when we passed Abby's grave on our way to church and back. And the other cows have quit mooing. I miss my Abby girl, but I know it was her time to go. Poor girl. I really wish we could have helped her.
Abigail went down again, for the third time in as many month, on Wednesday. She insisted on waling through the slippery mud on her way from the barn to the pasture, instead of following the other cows up where it is dry. Our neighbor brought his big tractor and straps over and helped us load her. But it was about 3 hour from the time she went down until he came. In the mean time she got really, really cold. She was shivering, even with the horse blanket on. She kept trying to stand, but it was too slippery. After we got her up she walked to the barn- no problem. And seemed quite happy.
The next day, around the middle of the day, she laid down again, in the barn, and didn't get up. She wouldn't even try. She energetically ate hay and grain, and was drinking plenty of water- but wouldn't even think about standing.
Friday she started to cough. Friday night her cough didn't sound very good at all, but she was still acting like she felt fine- totally happy and bright eyed. Friday night Leah had mastitis in her back quarter! WHY!!! At least her mastitis is super easy and quick to clear up. I just wish I knew why she got it.
Saturday morning we decided that even if we ever managed to get Abigail up, she just didn't have the muscle tone to stand on her own. She was developing pneumonia, and with her ultra-thin condition I didn't think she could fight it. We decided that the most humane thing to do would be to have the vet out and put her down. We kept thinking, every morning since Wednesday, that we might go out to the barn and find her dead- but the poor thing was just too healthy to give up living. Poor, sweet girl- she was so loved.
To top off the "bad day"- it was cold, cold, cold- and wet, wet, wet- and I was sick, sick, sick! I don't usually get a fever when I get sick, due to the RA (or my temp goes down) But yesterday I had a high fever. Since my immune system was fighting the bug, it was fighting my joints as well. I have never been in so much pain. Every joint was screaming. Neither of our tractors would start Saturday (despite being "fixed" by two different Kubota dealers this last summer) and I still had Christmas shopping to do! I felt so bad for the guys at the feed store, and the places I was Christmas shopping. Sick, sad, and in pain is not a good look for me! LOL
Now for the blessings part- Our farm help, who lives on our property, are not farm people. It's a young couple who are more than willing to be the muscle if we tell them how to do things. They aren't animal people, but are becoming animal people. We really adore them. Anyway- I asked Justin if he could help me bury Abigail after the vet left. He said that he had already arranged to borrow a small trackhoe from his dad (who owns a rental company) for the day to move the manure pile. He would move her from the barn to the north pasture and bury her- and we didn't even have to be there, since it would be too emotional for us! I love him. He and BreAnna did it all without us present. And happily too. They are just so wonderful.
Abigail had been seen by two of the four vets at the clinic. They are all wonderful. When Doctor Fullmer came he said that he was told he was putting an animal down, and saw our address, and knew it was our Abigail and that we would be so upset about it. He asked how Sabrina was, I told him she was on her bed crying- he said that he didn't figure he would be seeing her. Our vet knew us by our address, and new which animal it was... (You should all be jealous ) He looked at Abigail and said that it really was time, and he wished we had figured it out. He said that there was nothing that we could have done- we take too good of care with our animals for it to have been something we did or didn't do. I really, really needed to hear that. I mean- I know, down in my heart, that that is true, but it was so nice to hear coming from him.
Yesterday after shopping I had a 5 hour nap, then got 8 hours of sleep, and woke up today completely well, except for a sore throat and a cough. Sabrina only cried today when we passed Abby's grave on our way to church and back. And the other cows have quit mooing. I miss my Abby girl, but I know it was her time to go. Poor girl. I really wish we could have helped her.