goodbye GB (Goat Boy)...

Over the years, we've learned that there's nothing quite as heartbreaking as having an animal in distress. Realities of farm life, regardless of all the love and laughter our animals bring us, still happen.

About 5:30 Sunday evening, as we were packing the car to take my son back to college after his 4-day fall break, we found our goat GB was down. Immediately I called our vet only to get an answering machine; what? no one on call? There has always been an on-call vet for after hours emergencies. Immediately I began calling all the other local vets...only to reach answering machines, no one noting that they were on-call. All the messages told me to call the large animal vet at our state university. I did, and they could only see GB if I brought him in...he was in no shape to make the hour-plus ride. 

At this point my son needed to leave...he had a project deadline, so he sat with GB for a few minutes, stroking his head, and then we said our goodbyes. As he rode back to college, he continually texted me with names/numbers of people that might be able to help us. We called our 4-H advisor, I called our vet's private number and left a message, then I called the university again.

The university recommended a vet in another county, and so I left a message with him. At this point, about 2 hours had passed. I gathered a blanket, light, phone charger, and sat in the barn next to GB. And yes, if you knew me, you'd know I talked to him and even hummed a tune. In the field behind the barn, I could hear the "yip, yip" of a coyote. Coyote attacks on people are rare, but I wondered if it could sense a sick animal. GB and I were outside along the fence and not tucked safely in the barn...thankfully, before long, the coyote moved on not to be heard again.

It didn't take long for the out-of-town vet to call, and while he couldn't travel the distance to see GB, he was kind enough to try and diagnose the problem over the phone...he taught me how to look for the signs of stroke and bloat, guiding me on what to do based on GB's temperature...if it was high, he listed the medications I would need and he'd walk me through administering them. He listened to GB's breathing over the phone, we used FAMACHA scoring to check the color of his eye mucous membranes, and lastly he let me know how to help GB breathe easier and be comfortable.

Sadly, the end result was I didn't get to take his temperature or roll him on his chest to breathe easier...he was looking to me for help, and my knowledge was limited. The hard truth was, no matter what I did, without an experienced vet beside him, his chances of recovery were slim, and soon I'd lost him.

I covered him up, gathered my things, and came in to call my vet. My voicemail was firm, while I don't expect him to give up his private life, not having an on-call rotation of vets is unheard of. Couldn't a vet we've had a relationship with for nearly 10 years, someone who knows our animals, have the courtesy to walk me through the steps a vet I'd never met before did?  Wouldn't that have been the humane and compassionate thing to do?

I'll be changing vets...my plan is to see if the out-of-town vet will make farm visits. Because he was kind enough to help, he seems like the sort of vet we want caring for our animals. I have a bill to mail to our current vet - he was just out recently to administer vaccines, you can bet there will be a strongly worded letter included with my check. 

Once upon a time I wanted to be a vet...I'd read all 5 of the James Herriot books over and over, and even now, I can pick one up and know exactly where in his stories I am. I dreamed of living in the Yorkshire Dales, traveling the roads he did. I think there's just something about being alone with my thoughts and the sweet animals - a simplicity to it. However, high school classes in Chemistry and Biology were not my strong points, let alone Zoology, Microbiology, and Physics that I knew would be required in college...they would not be challenges I could successfully meet, and I chose another major.

If you're looking for a good series of books to read this winter, I'd suggest James Herriot's All Creatures Great & Small series...this is a link so you can read the books in order, just click here:

We love our animals, they're a part of our family...it's a sweet joy to open our hearts to them, sharing the time together, all the while knowing there will be the pain of loss.  And still, this is my happy place...