Arrived back at the RANCH and quickly changed into my 'ranch clothes' and ran outside, letting the dogs out with me.
I hauled butt (on the 4-wheeler) over to the goat pen to check on the goats.
There was a 'white mucus like substance' on the pygmy's backside. HUMMMMM? Are you thinking baby goat?? I am! Penned her up and fed her.....
GREAT! Another "kid" issue.
And, I was a bit bummed because they are H's babies, not mine and I know she wants to be there when they are born. O' Natural, or otherwise!
Went back to the house, talked to H. Told her update. She said 'don't be afraid to take her to the vet if need be'. I assured her I would, but was going to keep an eye on her for a bit first.
Called the vet, just to be on the safe side and give him a heads up.
Went about normal chores.....fed dogs, horses, and the rest of the goat.
Made dinner....
Went out about every hour to check on the goat till about 10:30.
She hadn't changed. Nothing else coming out the 'back end'. No laying down, no contractions.
I settled for a quick shower and hit the hay about 11:30ish.....
Still LOVE the bed...and the shower!
Showing posts with label K8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label K8. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Day 3, AM
What is this? The doggies let me sleep in till my alarm? HOW NICE! Thanks Maxie and Bella!
Very uneventful morning.
ALL the animals are fine.
Got some neat photos of the peacock again. He's gorgeous! His tail is about as long as I am tall....almost 6 feet! He's amazing to watch!
Really, nothing to report this morning. No goat drama, no Dusty drama. All is well at the Ranch!
:)
I really don't know if I can leave this bed and shower! It's amazing!
Very uneventful morning.
ALL the animals are fine.
Got some neat photos of the peacock again. He's gorgeous! His tail is about as long as I am tall....almost 6 feet! He's amazing to watch!
Really, nothing to report this morning. No goat drama, no Dusty drama. All is well at the Ranch!
:)
I really don't know if I can leave this bed and shower! It's amazing!
2nd Day at Ka (razy) Ranch, PM
Pretty stressful day at work, was looking forward to getting back to the Ranch.
Called and checked on Starskey and the Kid mid morning and was told they were doing well :)
Maxie and Bella were HAPPY to see me to say the LEAST! They are not use to being home all day alone. They are use to people at the house! Maxie got her bone before I left, and I turned the TV to a radio station.
Bella and Maxie ran outside. I ran inside and changed out of my work clothes.
I hopped on the 4-Wheeler and took off to the barn. It's so nice at the ranch. I'll have to post some photos. It's big and open and 'fresh' if you know what I mean.
Fed the horses, birds, and goats. I checked the pygmy goat that was pregnant and ready to pop and all looked well, THANK GOODNESS! :)
Raced back to the house to feed the dogs. Bella was more than ready to eat after missing breakfast.
Went back out to the 'barn' and too my camera this time.....eager for some good photo ops. I hope to have some nice photos for H and her hubby when they get back from vacation.
I made something for dinner real quick, soup and sandwich. Munched on that while I watched some TV! They have a BIG Flat screen and satellite TV. Something we don't have at our house!
Yes, people you read that right. We don't have satellite, or cable. No local stuff either. If we watch TV, it's a movie. We are NOT HOME much, and if we are, we are outside or busy inside and turn the radio on.
By this time it was getting dark, and I had to go pen up the goat (Pygmy most prego) and close up the bird pen for the night.
Mission Accomplished! A good night! Better than the first nice! I went to bed EARLY just to sleep in the bed! It is sooooo comfy! I have to find out what type of bed it is because I do NOT need one! Otherwise, I'd be in bed all day!!
Called and checked on Starskey and the Kid mid morning and was told they were doing well :)
Maxie and Bella were HAPPY to see me to say the LEAST! They are not use to being home all day alone. They are use to people at the house! Maxie got her bone before I left, and I turned the TV to a radio station.
Bella and Maxie ran outside. I ran inside and changed out of my work clothes.
I hopped on the 4-Wheeler and took off to the barn. It's so nice at the ranch. I'll have to post some photos. It's big and open and 'fresh' if you know what I mean.
Fed the horses, birds, and goats. I checked the pygmy goat that was pregnant and ready to pop and all looked well, THANK GOODNESS! :)
Raced back to the house to feed the dogs. Bella was more than ready to eat after missing breakfast.
Went back out to the 'barn' and too my camera this time.....eager for some good photo ops. I hope to have some nice photos for H and her hubby when they get back from vacation.
I made something for dinner real quick, soup and sandwich. Munched on that while I watched some TV! They have a BIG Flat screen and satellite TV. Something we don't have at our house!
Yes, people you read that right. We don't have satellite, or cable. No local stuff either. If we watch TV, it's a movie. We are NOT HOME much, and if we are, we are outside or busy inside and turn the radio on.
By this time it was getting dark, and I had to go pen up the goat (Pygmy most prego) and close up the bird pen for the night.
Mission Accomplished! A good night! Better than the first nice! I went to bed EARLY just to sleep in the bed! It is sooooo comfy! I have to find out what type of bed it is because I do NOT need one! Otherwise, I'd be in bed all day!!
Monday, March 22, 2010
2nd day at Ka (razy) Ranch, AM
Maxie and Bella woke me up at 5:45.....they wanted OUT!
Must be potty time. I happily obliged, I know they are big full grown adult dogs and shouldn't potty in the house, but when you've gotta go, you've gatto go!
Out they went.
About 10 mins later, after I'd used the facilities myself and stumbled around the house they were back at the door, ready to come in.
Took them to the back to feed them......Maxie woofed down her food....Bella on the other hand, not so much. She pushed her food around in the bowl, then pushed the bowl around. Not interested.......hummmmm what do I do about that? I figured I'd leave the food down for a while...even though that meant that Maxie might get double breakfast!
I made some coffee, the sky was JUST starting the get lighter on the horizon. Sunrise wasn't for another hour almost......goodness!
Sat in the living room, enjoying the big flat screen TV. The dogs were happy for some AWAKE company!
I'd walked to the kitchen to wash my coffee cup and the dogs started going crazy! They were standing at the front door barking their heads off!
OH lordy, I was thinking, what in the hell could be out there?
I cautiously walked to the door......
and what did I find?
DUSTY, the MINI had walked the cattle guard and was standing on the front porch.
CRUD! She wasn't supposed to be in there!!! The 'house' area is fenced off so the only critters that are supposed to be in there are the cats and dogs.
They is a huge circle drive, and 3 houses.
The main house, where H's mom lives......the 2nd house where H and her hubby live, and a 3rd guest type house. The driveway leading to the 'circle' is about a mile long, if not a bit longer.
That'll give you some idea.
They put metal grating over the cattle guard for the dogs to work over, and, DUSTY the mini figured out how to walk them. GREAT.
I throw my boots on, and out the door I go to try and figure out HOW to get her back in her 'area'.
I don't know the ranch well, yet. It's still pretty dark....about 7am now. I search the immediate fence line for a gate. No luck.
I run to the barn and grab a bucket with some grain. I can COAX her back across, yes?
Picture if you will ME trying to coax a BI*CH of a mini across a place she doesn't want to go. I make piles of food her for to follow.....nothing doing!
I get close enough to entice her and put the bucket in her face and try to coax her, keeping the bucket just in front of her. NO GO.
I squat down and hand feed her a bit, then scooch back a bit....feed her....scooch back. She's about 1/2 way across when she decides to BACK UP and haul butt!
By now, it's about 7:30 and it's light. I go on the hunt for a gate......found one to the right of the barn. Opened it, she followed me right in.
BI*CH! I don't like her, and she doesn't like me. See, Dusty is my husband's mini. She's at the ranch because H wanted a mini donkey baby. So, she turned Dusty out with her Jack, who's a bit on the small side anyway. So...she's big and prego now......yay! But, she's still a BI*CH!
OK....mini problem taken care of! Now, to feed the rest of the critters! I'm in HURRY mode because I SHOULD be leaving for work at 7:45!!!
Feed the MINI and Boo the Arab mare...no problem!
The 'birds' are another story! I'm NOT a fan of BIRDS.......especially Hissing Geese and BIG Tom the Turkey. Tom is sitting on the bucket I need to get to in order to get grain out for the birds! Shoo Tom, Shooo! Tom fluffs his feathers and glares at me. SHoooo tom, SHOOOOO! I nudge him with the end of my mag light! He hops of the barrel and struts outside. Whew!
I feed the birds, and quickly scrape the bird house.....shoveling the poop outside. Leave the big door open, but put the wire back so the horses don't get inside the pen.
Onto the goats!
AMBUSH! They all run to the gate as I go in their pen.
I let the very prego pygmy out, and dump feed in the bowls/buckets. They are happy!
I head to the 4-wheeler, and haul butt back to the house. it's 7:45 when I get back inside. I should be leaving!
I hurry to get cleaned up and dressed and rush out the door at 8am and get into my car that smells like goat!
What a morning!
Must be potty time. I happily obliged, I know they are big full grown adult dogs and shouldn't potty in the house, but when you've gotta go, you've gatto go!
Out they went.
About 10 mins later, after I'd used the facilities myself and stumbled around the house they were back at the door, ready to come in.
Took them to the back to feed them......Maxie woofed down her food....Bella on the other hand, not so much. She pushed her food around in the bowl, then pushed the bowl around. Not interested.......hummmmm what do I do about that? I figured I'd leave the food down for a while...even though that meant that Maxie might get double breakfast!
I made some coffee, the sky was JUST starting the get lighter on the horizon. Sunrise wasn't for another hour almost......goodness!
Sat in the living room, enjoying the big flat screen TV. The dogs were happy for some AWAKE company!
I'd walked to the kitchen to wash my coffee cup and the dogs started going crazy! They were standing at the front door barking their heads off!
OH lordy, I was thinking, what in the hell could be out there?
I cautiously walked to the door......
and what did I find?
DUSTY, the MINI had walked the cattle guard and was standing on the front porch.
CRUD! She wasn't supposed to be in there!!! The 'house' area is fenced off so the only critters that are supposed to be in there are the cats and dogs.
They is a huge circle drive, and 3 houses.
The main house, where H's mom lives......the 2nd house where H and her hubby live, and a 3rd guest type house. The driveway leading to the 'circle' is about a mile long, if not a bit longer.
That'll give you some idea.
They put metal grating over the cattle guard for the dogs to work over, and, DUSTY the mini figured out how to walk them. GREAT.
I throw my boots on, and out the door I go to try and figure out HOW to get her back in her 'area'.
I don't know the ranch well, yet. It's still pretty dark....about 7am now. I search the immediate fence line for a gate. No luck.
I run to the barn and grab a bucket with some grain. I can COAX her back across, yes?
Picture if you will ME trying to coax a BI*CH of a mini across a place she doesn't want to go. I make piles of food her for to follow.....nothing doing!
I get close enough to entice her and put the bucket in her face and try to coax her, keeping the bucket just in front of her. NO GO.
I squat down and hand feed her a bit, then scooch back a bit....feed her....scooch back. She's about 1/2 way across when she decides to BACK UP and haul butt!
By now, it's about 7:30 and it's light. I go on the hunt for a gate......found one to the right of the barn. Opened it, she followed me right in.
BI*CH! I don't like her, and she doesn't like me. See, Dusty is my husband's mini. She's at the ranch because H wanted a mini donkey baby. So, she turned Dusty out with her Jack, who's a bit on the small side anyway. So...she's big and prego now......yay! But, she's still a BI*CH!
OK....mini problem taken care of! Now, to feed the rest of the critters! I'm in HURRY mode because I SHOULD be leaving for work at 7:45!!!
Feed the MINI and Boo the Arab mare...no problem!
The 'birds' are another story! I'm NOT a fan of BIRDS.......especially Hissing Geese and BIG Tom the Turkey. Tom is sitting on the bucket I need to get to in order to get grain out for the birds! Shoo Tom, Shooo! Tom fluffs his feathers and glares at me. SHoooo tom, SHOOOOO! I nudge him with the end of my mag light! He hops of the barrel and struts outside. Whew!
I feed the birds, and quickly scrape the bird house.....shoveling the poop outside. Leave the big door open, but put the wire back so the horses don't get inside the pen.
Onto the goats!
AMBUSH! They all run to the gate as I go in their pen.
I let the very prego pygmy out, and dump feed in the bowls/buckets. They are happy!
I head to the 4-wheeler, and haul butt back to the house. it's 7:45 when I get back inside. I should be leaving!
I hurry to get cleaned up and dressed and rush out the door at 8am and get into my car that smells like goat!
What a morning!
First Night at the Ka (razy) Ranch
Got back from Port A a bit later than planned. Got there about 5 instead of 4 as I'd hoped.
DH and I went around and checked on Everyone.
Bella and Maxie - Boxer and Mastiff
Boo and Dusty - older Arab mare and mini
Chickens/Peacocks/Ducks/Turkey/ birds etc
Goats - Fainting and Pygmy
Everyone was fine.
Played with dogs for a bit and decided to go feed really quick before DH headed to our place to tend to our critters.
Dogs - what good dogs!
"Horses' - check......they are so well behaved
"BIRDS" - only get fed once a day...CHECK!
Goats -
Oh my God. Goats EVERYWHERE! The attack you! Attack you when you try to feed. Them. now, the are SMALL goats ......Fainting and Pygmy.....See photos. So, they aren't knocking me DOWN.......but pointy hooves mid calf will make you step back a step or two.
SO....put down the food bowls....pour some food mixture into each....they start munching. OH, there are 2 spotted Donkey's too. They aren't tame...pretty skittish, really.
One goat (Fainting Goat) will not come out from behind the 'pen' that was built for having the babies. Most of the female goats are in-kid. (LOL - horses are in-foal....goats are in-kid).
Moving right along.....I stare at said goat behind pen......looks kinda.....worried maybe? If a goat can look worried that is!!
Finally, goat turns around and shows me....
Nasty, jelly like almost clear with a slight tint of yellow/green (hard to tell, it was almost 100% clear) 'string' hanging from her backside.
DANG IT!! H (ranch owner) isn't going to be here for this. She REALLY wanted babies on the ground before she left, and now this goat (Starsky, I believe) is going to have this baby the DAY she leaves. BUMMER.
Starsky isn't 100% tame. Are goats EVER really tame? Who knows!
SO....we 'corner her'. DH takes a heavy metal rake (the one with a solid end, not the flimsy end) and kind of 'holds her' (gently) in the corner so I can go in and grab her.
I put her in her 'baby cave'. Give her some hay, and some 'bedding' and fresh water and re-hung the water bucket up off the ground a bit so the KID doesn't decide to go for a swim.
NO pushing, no contractions that I could see, YET. So, Starsky is under the heat lamps to 'chill' LOL and relax. We hang out and watch a bit......slight contraction, with a bit of pushing, about 5 mins apart..... ok, cool.
DH needs to go, so our critters aren't holding their legs crossed to avoid making messes.
Couldn't find the "MULE", 4 wheel variety that is....so I jump on the 4-wheeler under the shed.
DH assists in getting it started, and I'm headed to the house!
Drive back in about an hour (7ish) and check......more pushing, much more strenuous pushing, heavier contractions, more contractions, about less than 4 mins apart.......
The sun is setting......I'm sure we'll have a baby by dark!
Drive back to the house.
Drive back to the barn about 8ish....
Much more pushing.....stressed out goat.....heavier contractions.....YIKES!
The vet's name and number is posted on the side of the feed can......
Now....let me backtrack a bit....my cell phone battery SUCKS! I mean, SUCKS! I can be on it for less than a 2 minute phone call and it will turn off.
LUCKILY, when H put up the heat lamps, she also put in a couple extra plug in ends! YEEHAW! I'd taken my cell charger out there, as I'd noticed the plug ins the first time I was out there :) Observant, huh? :)
SO....plug IN the phone before I call.
I start to DIAL and DH calls. WHAT!
"Whatcha need?"
"Hows the goat" - DH
"Not so good....she's pushing...no feet or nose yet....I'm calling the vet" - Me
"ok, I just talked to H and " - DH
Interrupt "Why did you call H? She's on VACATION! Once I knew something I was going to call her and let her know. No need to WORRY her!" - ME
"I know, but I wanted to let her know all was well and that she should have a baby tonight. She said to call her sister and her sister can have one of the vets call, she's very good friends with one of them." - DH
"I'm calling the vet who's information H left for me....I'll call you back, bye" - Me
Dial vet number......
"Hi, _________ answering service can I help you"
"Hi, this is _______________________ I'm calling on H's fainting goat. She's been in active labor for a while and I don't know much about goats...can you have Dr.W call me please?"
Dr.W called me back.
I relayed the information on the goat to him.
He said "ok, is sounds like she's having trouble and we need to see her. She may need a C-Section. Can you bring her in?"
A GOAT, bring her in? WHAT? NO WAY! I don't have the truck! I have my car! No room for a Goat. Well, ok, it's a hatchback. there is room....and we have carpet down in the back....ok...
"OK, I'm not 100% sure what H wants to do, let me call her QUICKLY and I'll call you right back"
Called H, got the ok to do WHATEVER needed...ok!
Called answering service back...... Tell Dr. W I'm going to bring in the goat. I will call when she's loaded and on my way.
HOW in the HECK to I get the goat from it's PEN to my Car?
It rained, so I can't drive my CAR through the pasture. If I had out 4x4 truck....SURE. But not the Mazda!!
OK, think.....think.....
It's a good...couple 100 yards from the goat pen to the closest place I can get the car in.....
H suggested a dog kennel that's in the barn.....
I checked it....too bit to fit in the back of my car....drat!
ok.....don't wanna pick her up and squish that baby in there.....
SO....right or wrong...the 'best' option I could see was to walk/pull/drag her to the car.
Haul butt on the 4-wheeler to the house.....park.....turn off....get the car!!
Haul butt in the car to the fence. park. throw open the hatch.....run to the goat pen.....
grab the goat..... bleating.....pull the goat (fainting goats faint...their legs lock up and they fall over). So, when she gets 'scared' her legs 'lock up'.
Just picture me.......pulling a small but very pregnant goat with unmoving legs a couple hundred yards, through 2 gates.
Then comes the task of GETTING her in the CAR! Hummm....now what?? Grabbed goat around the middle, behind both front legs and kinda swung the hind end up into the back of my car.
QUICK, slam the door before she runs away!
Hop in the car....drive cautiously but quickly down drive way......
STUPID automatic gate opener! Soooo slow.......dang it.....HURRY! Pull through, finally....stop...wait....press button, nada, press button, nada, press button, success! Gate closing! Wait till almost closed and take of. Called Vet's answering service on way out....letting them know I was on the way/
Now, the 'end' of the driveway is on a steep hill...so take off had to be slow and careful.
Once out on the highway however......look out!! I was NOT about to lose a goat! I was about 20 miles from the vets office....I left the Ranch at 8:30.....pulled INTO the parking lot at 8:45. There are many stops, turns, and twists between the Ranch and the Clinic..... :) Thank goodness the route was trooper/sheriff free!! I'm sure I looked very much like Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmatians while she was driving away!!
Dr. W donned his exam gloves and went "hunting". Found feet, yay! Found nose...yay! All seemed well....but that was a BIG head on that kid, he said.
About 15 mins or so ( I wasn't looking at my watch) of trying to help her have it the natural way, with the other DR and myself keeping her on the table...and he said, I don't think this going happen naturally, H is ok with us doing a C-Section??
A C-SECTION? A C-Section on a goat? GET OUT!
"YES", I informed him, "she said do what ever you needed".
OK, then let me get somethings ready and we'll do that.
I stayed with Starskey while the Dr's got thing ready.
Dr. W came back in, and said everything was ready and I was welcome to come back and watch. AWESOME! One, it just sounded SOOOO neat, and 2...I had to make sure H's goats were ok!
Dr. W laid Starskey on an angled table.....2 pieces of metal table angled at about 90 degrees. it was like 'stuffing her into a taco shell' if you will.
He gave her a sedative.......and went to shaving her belly.
they put a cone on her face, which would provide 'meds' to keep her 'under' during the surgery. HOLLY COW! This was a better set up than some PEOPLE hospitals!
He then injected some lidocaine under the skin in a line from mid belly to just before her udders.
AND THEN......he draped a 'sheet' over her with a square cut out of it. The 'square' went over the area where he was to make the cut. Just like you see them do in the Dr. shows on tv! It was neat!
He made a cut in the first layer of skin....first layer? How many are there? This was the layer the hair was attached to....
Then he cut through the 2nd layer......much thinner layer
AND THEN......the 3rd fatty layer......and he was in!
WOW!
He felt around a bit.....made an incision in her uterus....and pulled out a black ball of ears and hair! What a cutie! SHE had 'salt and pepper' colored ears, and muzzle, a white 'star' on her forehead, and a white marking on her right leg.....i believe, other than that, she's black.
Dr. W than went about the difficult task of putting all the 'placenta and stuff' back inside the uterus while Dr. B went about taking care of the new KID in town!
WHY, i asked?
I was told that you put the placenta and such back inside the uterus so she could pass the 'after birth' naturally. As much as we've messed with her already it's best to let the rest happen as naturally as possible.
WOW, learn something new every day.
Dr. B kept a good eye on the kid, and assisted Dr. W too! Tag team effort!
There were some other 'things' that should be on the INSIDE of her body that were on the OUTSIDE of her body..... I asked...... "and everything else will just go back where it should?" as they moved her from laying on her side, to straight up in the air on her back.
Dr. W said 'YES'. He said amazingly, a goats body will just put itself back to where things should be.
I said "that's amazing. I've had much more experience with horses, and know that if you don't put things back together just right...you are in trouble".
Both vets were in agreement....horses are much more difficult than other animals.
Dr. W Sewed up the uterus......and the skin layers......cleaned up the incision area....and put momma goat down on a towel, while Dr. B grabbed the baby and laid her down next to her. Both of them were VERY groggy from the sedative.
I noticed how 'mellow' the kid was while Dr. W was finishing putting momma back together. Dr. B told me that it was from the sedative. She got some of what went into the mamma's body. WOW, I hadn't even THOUGHT of that! Amazing!!
"Nothing like the first conversation between momma and baby being a drunken one!"
What an evening! Momma and baby were put in the back, in a pen. Dr W. gave them some shots....assured me all was well...and I was out the door.
It's now 11pm.
WOW. What a night!!
DH and I went around and checked on Everyone.
Bella and Maxie - Boxer and Mastiff
Boo and Dusty - older Arab mare and mini
Chickens/Peacocks/Ducks/Turkey/ birds etc
Goats - Fainting and Pygmy
Everyone was fine.
Played with dogs for a bit and decided to go feed really quick before DH headed to our place to tend to our critters.
Dogs - what good dogs!
"Horses' - check......they are so well behaved
"BIRDS" - only get fed once a day...CHECK!
Goats -
Pygmy Goat
Fainting Goat
Oh my God. Goats EVERYWHERE! The attack you! Attack you when you try to feed. Them. now, the are SMALL goats ......Fainting and Pygmy.....See photos. So, they aren't knocking me DOWN.......but pointy hooves mid calf will make you step back a step or two.
SO....put down the food bowls....pour some food mixture into each....they start munching. OH, there are 2 spotted Donkey's too. They aren't tame...pretty skittish, really.
One goat (Fainting Goat) will not come out from behind the 'pen' that was built for having the babies. Most of the female goats are in-kid. (LOL - horses are in-foal....goats are in-kid).
Moving right along.....I stare at said goat behind pen......looks kinda.....worried maybe? If a goat can look worried that is!!
Finally, goat turns around and shows me....
Nasty, jelly like almost clear with a slight tint of yellow/green (hard to tell, it was almost 100% clear) 'string' hanging from her backside.
DANG IT!! H (ranch owner) isn't going to be here for this. She REALLY wanted babies on the ground before she left, and now this goat (Starsky, I believe) is going to have this baby the DAY she leaves. BUMMER.
Starsky isn't 100% tame. Are goats EVER really tame? Who knows!
SO....we 'corner her'. DH takes a heavy metal rake (the one with a solid end, not the flimsy end) and kind of 'holds her' (gently) in the corner so I can go in and grab her.
I put her in her 'baby cave'. Give her some hay, and some 'bedding' and fresh water and re-hung the water bucket up off the ground a bit so the KID doesn't decide to go for a swim.
NO pushing, no contractions that I could see, YET. So, Starsky is under the heat lamps to 'chill' LOL and relax. We hang out and watch a bit......slight contraction, with a bit of pushing, about 5 mins apart..... ok, cool.
DH needs to go, so our critters aren't holding their legs crossed to avoid making messes.
Couldn't find the "MULE", 4 wheel variety that is....so I jump on the 4-wheeler under the shed.
DH assists in getting it started, and I'm headed to the house!
Drive back in about an hour (7ish) and check......more pushing, much more strenuous pushing, heavier contractions, more contractions, about less than 4 mins apart.......
The sun is setting......I'm sure we'll have a baby by dark!
Drive back to the house.
Drive back to the barn about 8ish....
Much more pushing.....stressed out goat.....heavier contractions.....YIKES!
The vet's name and number is posted on the side of the feed can......
Now....let me backtrack a bit....my cell phone battery SUCKS! I mean, SUCKS! I can be on it for less than a 2 minute phone call and it will turn off.
LUCKILY, when H put up the heat lamps, she also put in a couple extra plug in ends! YEEHAW! I'd taken my cell charger out there, as I'd noticed the plug ins the first time I was out there :) Observant, huh? :)
SO....plug IN the phone before I call.
I start to DIAL and DH calls. WHAT!
"Whatcha need?"
"Hows the goat" - DH
"Not so good....she's pushing...no feet or nose yet....I'm calling the vet" - Me
"ok, I just talked to H and " - DH
Interrupt "Why did you call H? She's on VACATION! Once I knew something I was going to call her and let her know. No need to WORRY her!" - ME
"I know, but I wanted to let her know all was well and that she should have a baby tonight. She said to call her sister and her sister can have one of the vets call, she's very good friends with one of them." - DH
"I'm calling the vet who's information H left for me....I'll call you back, bye" - Me
Dial vet number......
"Hi, _________ answering service can I help you"
"Hi, this is _______________________ I'm calling on H's fainting goat. She's been in active labor for a while and I don't know much about goats...can you have Dr.W call me please?"
Dr.W called me back.
I relayed the information on the goat to him.
He said "ok, is sounds like she's having trouble and we need to see her. She may need a C-Section. Can you bring her in?"
A GOAT, bring her in? WHAT? NO WAY! I don't have the truck! I have my car! No room for a Goat. Well, ok, it's a hatchback. there is room....and we have carpet down in the back....ok...
"OK, I'm not 100% sure what H wants to do, let me call her QUICKLY and I'll call you right back"
Called H, got the ok to do WHATEVER needed...ok!
Called answering service back...... Tell Dr. W I'm going to bring in the goat. I will call when she's loaded and on my way.
HOW in the HECK to I get the goat from it's PEN to my Car?
It rained, so I can't drive my CAR through the pasture. If I had out 4x4 truck....SURE. But not the Mazda!!
OK, think.....think.....
It's a good...couple 100 yards from the goat pen to the closest place I can get the car in.....
H suggested a dog kennel that's in the barn.....
I checked it....too bit to fit in the back of my car....drat!
ok.....don't wanna pick her up and squish that baby in there.....
SO....right or wrong...the 'best' option I could see was to walk/pull/drag her to the car.
Haul butt on the 4-wheeler to the house.....park.....turn off....get the car!!
Haul butt in the car to the fence. park. throw open the hatch.....run to the goat pen.....
grab the goat..... bleating.....pull the goat (fainting goats faint...their legs lock up and they fall over). So, when she gets 'scared' her legs 'lock up'.
Just picture me.......pulling a small but very pregnant goat with unmoving legs a couple hundred yards, through 2 gates.
Then comes the task of GETTING her in the CAR! Hummm....now what?? Grabbed goat around the middle, behind both front legs and kinda swung the hind end up into the back of my car.
QUICK, slam the door before she runs away!
Hop in the car....drive cautiously but quickly down drive way......
STUPID automatic gate opener! Soooo slow.......dang it.....HURRY! Pull through, finally....stop...wait....press button, nada, press button, nada, press button, success! Gate closing! Wait till almost closed and take of. Called Vet's answering service on way out....letting them know I was on the way/
Now, the 'end' of the driveway is on a steep hill...so take off had to be slow and careful.
Once out on the highway however......look out!! I was NOT about to lose a goat! I was about 20 miles from the vets office....I left the Ranch at 8:30.....pulled INTO the parking lot at 8:45. There are many stops, turns, and twists between the Ranch and the Clinic..... :) Thank goodness the route was trooper/sheriff free!! I'm sure I looked very much like Cruella Deville from 101 Dalmatians while she was driving away!!
I kept looking back and as long as I could see horns....I knew she was still alive! :)
Dr. W met me at the door, and we walked to the back of the car.....he picked up the goat and set her down quickly, she wouldn't comply, so he picked her up and carried her to the exam room. I met vet number 2! So, I got 2 vets! Not a vet and an assistant...both vets were there waiting on Starsky.Dr. W donned his exam gloves and went "hunting". Found feet, yay! Found nose...yay! All seemed well....but that was a BIG head on that kid, he said.
About 15 mins or so ( I wasn't looking at my watch) of trying to help her have it the natural way, with the other DR and myself keeping her on the table...and he said, I don't think this going happen naturally, H is ok with us doing a C-Section??
A C-SECTION? A C-Section on a goat? GET OUT!
"YES", I informed him, "she said do what ever you needed".
OK, then let me get somethings ready and we'll do that.
I stayed with Starskey while the Dr's got thing ready.
Dr. W came back in, and said everything was ready and I was welcome to come back and watch. AWESOME! One, it just sounded SOOOO neat, and 2...I had to make sure H's goats were ok!
Dr. W laid Starskey on an angled table.....2 pieces of metal table angled at about 90 degrees. it was like 'stuffing her into a taco shell' if you will.
He gave her a sedative.......and went to shaving her belly.
they put a cone on her face, which would provide 'meds' to keep her 'under' during the surgery. HOLLY COW! This was a better set up than some PEOPLE hospitals!
He then injected some lidocaine under the skin in a line from mid belly to just before her udders.
AND THEN......he draped a 'sheet' over her with a square cut out of it. The 'square' went over the area where he was to make the cut. Just like you see them do in the Dr. shows on tv! It was neat!
He made a cut in the first layer of skin....first layer? How many are there? This was the layer the hair was attached to....
Then he cut through the 2nd layer......much thinner layer
AND THEN......the 3rd fatty layer......and he was in!
WOW!
He felt around a bit.....made an incision in her uterus....and pulled out a black ball of ears and hair! What a cutie! SHE had 'salt and pepper' colored ears, and muzzle, a white 'star' on her forehead, and a white marking on her right leg.....i believe, other than that, she's black.
Dr. W than went about the difficult task of putting all the 'placenta and stuff' back inside the uterus while Dr. B went about taking care of the new KID in town!
WHY, i asked?
I was told that you put the placenta and such back inside the uterus so she could pass the 'after birth' naturally. As much as we've messed with her already it's best to let the rest happen as naturally as possible.
WOW, learn something new every day.
Dr. B kept a good eye on the kid, and assisted Dr. W too! Tag team effort!
There were some other 'things' that should be on the INSIDE of her body that were on the OUTSIDE of her body..... I asked...... "and everything else will just go back where it should?" as they moved her from laying on her side, to straight up in the air on her back.
Dr. W said 'YES'. He said amazingly, a goats body will just put itself back to where things should be.
I said "that's amazing. I've had much more experience with horses, and know that if you don't put things back together just right...you are in trouble".
Both vets were in agreement....horses are much more difficult than other animals.
Dr. W Sewed up the uterus......and the skin layers......cleaned up the incision area....and put momma goat down on a towel, while Dr. B grabbed the baby and laid her down next to her. Both of them were VERY groggy from the sedative.
I noticed how 'mellow' the kid was while Dr. W was finishing putting momma back together. Dr. B told me that it was from the sedative. She got some of what went into the mamma's body. WOW, I hadn't even THOUGHT of that! Amazing!!
"Nothing like the first conversation between momma and baby being a drunken one!"
What an evening! Momma and baby were put in the back, in a pen. Dr W. gave them some shots....assured me all was well...and I was out the door.
It's now 11pm.
WOW. What a night!!
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