What a week at the vet.

[farthing]

I have had so many of my pets at the vet this week, I'm starting to think I'm doing something wrong!

Misty (cat) was in for a blood pressure check- it was fine- and I spent a whole day waiting for a urine sample from her!
Mustard (toxo cat) was in, for no reason other than my paranoia.:oops:
Tabatha (FIV cat) was in with an upper respiratory infection.

Bruno (dog) was in due to lameness, looks like he has arthritis.

Jemima (chicken) has chest infection, she always gets one in this kind of weather.

Jess (rabbit) was in for an op on an abscess again, thankfully we got her x-rayed and there is no damage to the bone and we have sent off samples to see what the infection is suseptable to. The antibiotic we had been using appears to not be working anymore. I have to clean out the wound daily, and try to get the pus out- not easy as rabbit pus is like cream cheese.

Elsie (13 year old sheep) has flystrike. I have been watching her for a couple of days, but trying to catch a sheep in a 4 acre field is nearly impossible. However, she was easily caught on Wednesday, and when I looked closely she had maggots on her side, I was horrified. She is now inside and has been treated, but I am so worried any of the others have anything, but we can't get close enough to have a good look. Elsie is much happier now and the maggots are dead.

Folly (another sheep) has sore feet, she always suffers from bad feet, but we have taken her inside to recover. The ground is so wet she needs a chance to let them dry.

I think that is everybody, for this week, but I do hope next week is quiet.

[janey83]

Wow you have had a busy week. Glad all the animals are all sorted out now.

[angieh]

What a week indeed farthing - bet you're glad it's over!

(I really didn't want to read about rabbit pus whilst I was eating - no, at least not cream cheese, but a bit of cheddar with my lunchtime apple!!!!)

[Mags]

I hope next week will be less stressful for you Farthing......

[dandysmom]

What a week! Hope the coming ones will e more peaceful........

[calismum]

Poor you - we are always worried about maggots at this time of year. Thankfully we are all clipped and will be dipping next week.

You have had a time of it at the vet recently. It can only get better surely.

[farthing]

Would you believe it, but I've been back to the vets again today- Charlie quail has broken the end of his beak off and it was bleeding heavily. He has been given an AB and AI and we just have to wait and see if he can eat.:(

I also got some more painkiller for Jess as she is pretty sore again.

Could be a busy day on Monday again as Samson and Mustard are sneezing, I do hope I don't have something that is going to spread through the lot.

Typical, Mike has gone away for 4 days and I can't contact him easily.:evil:

[farthing]

Poor you - we are always worried about maggots at this time of year. Thankfully we are all clipped and will be dipping next week.

You have had a time of it at the vet recently. It can only get better surely.

The sheep were clipped at the end of May, because I was worried about flystrike, but with only 15 sheep dipping is not really an option. In the 8 years we have had them, last year was the first case we had, Doris had a bit because the shearer came to us late and I blame that. This year I was really pushy to get him early because of Doris.
It may be a bad year this year, because one of our vets was called out to a case- one sheep was dead and another was quite bad- it hadn't been sheared and he had to clip it with scissors to see what was going on.
I do wonder if something else is going on with Elsie, being 13 years old and a bit arthritic, now we have her in for a few days we have started her on danilon ( usually for horses) but we already use it for a goat.

[calismum]

The sheep were clipped at the end of May, because I was worried about flystrike, but with only 15 sheep dipping is not really an option. In the 8 years we have had them, Doris had a bit last year because the clipper came to us late last year and I blame that. This year I was really pushy to get him early because of Doris.
It may be a bad year this year, because on of our vets was called out to a case- one sheep was dead and another was quite bad- it hadn't been sheared and he had to clip it with scissors to see what was going on.
I do wonder if something else is going on with Elsie, being 13 years old and a bit arthritic, now we have her in for a few days we have started her on danilon ( usually for horses) but we already use it for a goat.

OH has been hearing of quite a few cases. Heat, wet, heat, wet - never a good combination.

Hope all is ok.

[farthing]

I can't believe this, I went out at about 10 to take the goats in and Pepper was nowhere to be seen. She was lying down at the other side of the field, all the others were at the gate. That set the warning bells ringing to start with. When I got up to her she was breathing really harshly, and it was a real effort to walk down the field ( she has arthritis and had obviously got cold). Got everybody in, put a rug on her and called the vet. She has a chest infection and URT, so she has been given a long acting antibiotic and metacam. I suspect the weather is partly to blame for this as well, she is an old girl.
The vet was very nice, I was a bit embarrassed at seeing him twice on a Saturday, but he was saying he had been out to a mare today with mastitis ( usually due to flys infection the udder).
I can now say I a totally fed up of this weather, its causing problems for large animals outside.:evil:

[farthing]

Pepper has taken a turn for the worse and I had to call the vet out again. It seems she actually has mastitis, and has now gone into shock. The vet is a bit confused because she has no temp and hasn't reacted to the antibiotics given last night. She has been quickly dripped into the vein, had more antibiotics and painkiller and her udder has been emptied. The vet said I should try and do this every couple of hours, so it looks like I am in for a long day. He is away to a call but going to stop in by on the way home to see how she is.
I now have to go an clean as many hutches and runs as I can manage for the rest of the day, whereas I really just want to hide under the duvet and pretend non of this is happening.

[Mags]

So sorry to hear this, Farthing, it must be so worrying for you...:( You really could do with an extra pair of hands to help out.

Healing vibes being sent for Pepper...

[dandysmom]

Oh dear, another problem; so sorry to hear about Pepper. Healing vibes coming ........

[farthing]

After a stressful weekend, I feel a bit more positive today.
Pepper, the goat who has mastitis, is looking much stronger and running away from me today, much more like herself. I am having to milk her as oftern as possible, give her fliuds with a probiotic and inject her with antibiotics. Her milk is still bloody and she is still very sore, but she seemed a bit more interested in eating, don't know if she took anything, I had to leave her because if I'm there she thinks something horrible will happen to her.:(
Charlie quail seems to be able to eat, after breaking off a third of his beak on saturday. I have moistened his food so it is a bit more sticky, although he prefers to be hand fed.:roll:
Fliss, the rat, is doing really well on her inhaler, I just need to get some weight on her.
Jessthe rabbit with an abscess, is still a worry but I'm hoping the test results come through soon.
Misty, our 20 year old cat who is in renal failure, is shown to be in the early stages of it, so hopefully we can slpw down the process and she can have a bit more time to enjoy life in front of her radiator.
And Elsie, the sheep with flystrike, is all healed and nearly batters her door down while waiting for breakfast. We have kept her in for a bit longer, because we are trying her on danilon for her arthritis.:D

[farthing]

Well Mike is finally home, for a while (I hope), we only had one more drama while he was away and it was a rather embarrassing problem for Quaffle the drake. He had a willie prolapse, so on Tuesday he had to have it amputated.
Honestly, I don't know how I do it, why on earth do my animals get all the odd problems.

We have one of our old foster cats back for a visit while his owner is on holiday, and it is nice to see him looking so well.

We are also in the process of sectioning off part of the living room, for the african grey parrot, who is now coming again. His owner did try to keep him, but her breathing was just too bad. He sounds like he is going to be quite a character.
We will also he starting to knock down the cupboard in the front hall, so it can become a utility room and the rats can live in it, it will be a bit more interesting for them as there is more going on. This will also free up the spare room for any new comers who need time to adapt- first one possibly being a 15 year old cat who is starting with renal failure and suffers from constipation.

So that's my week, and next month planned.

What have you all been up to.:D

[Leesy]

Wow Farthing I have just been reading your thread and you do sound like you have well and truly got your handsful there, do you ever just get time to sit down and relax:D .
I do hope that all your animals are trouble free at the moment so you can at least relax a little bit.
You must love what you do:D

[dinahsmum]

Poor Quaffle :(
I do hope things will be calmer now

[farthing]

yes, I hope things settle down a bit, but the nature of our lifestyle means these things happen.

I just thought I'd show some piccies of our handy work last weekend ahd our soon to be addition.

From this,
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk67/halfpenny_bucket/DSC00474.jpg

to this,
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk67/halfpenny_bucket/DSC00485.jpg

for George,
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk67/halfpenny_bucket/parrots/ebay713.jpg

Lucky Mike is good at DIY.