Since the Holidays are upon us soon.. I wanted to take
this opportunity to tell the heart warming story of a miracle gift. A gift
money cannot buy and yet the heart will never forget...BabyGirl..
Born January 22, 1998 in Rimrock Arizona. First born of a set of cashgora
twin girls, daughter of a rather large angora/cashmere mom...She was born on
the fly so to speak.. mom was walking away from another goat at the time..
and dropped her in the process.. Checking her out carefully I saw nothing
wrong with her in spite of her rude arrival into this world of ours.
She was standing in no time and nursing along side
her sister - things seemed fine. This was the year of 40+ babies being born
in a 3 week period, and because of this I wasn't able to give as much
attention to each child as I would have liked.. maybe I would have noticed
sooner.
At about 2 weeks old I did notice she was not as active as her sister, I
checked her out again and things seemed normal so I didn't worry about it.
Then I would hear little cries from the goat yard.. pitiful little soft
cries. Out the door to see and of course - nothing. I finally saw it.. the
baby wouldn't lay her head over her body when she lay down.. or rather
Couldn't and would cry each time she tried. I stood in the kitchen and
watched. She was fine until she tried to relax her head and then she would
lift it up and cry... Out the door to check her again. This time I noticed
she held her head at a tilt, like a dog does with an ear infection... So, I
checked her ears..nothing I could see.. cleaned them out and set her down..
she still held her head slightly tilted.
Armed with Penicillin and a syringe, she learned what "Just a little
poke" meant. She Hated me for it.. and for the days following she learned to
hate me even more.
The 'ear' never got better, I did however notice a small lump forming on
her neck- not quite under the chin but to the side ...Goiter? I never dealt
with a goatie goiter so I looked up all the information I could and went
back to catch her- Yes by this time she no longer came up to me in the goat
yard.. she did not forget those shots. I felt it, I pushed on it.. I tried
to 'see' with my eyes closed what it could be. No, not a goiter, about the
size of a marble and rather hard, it didn't move and well.. it felt almost
like another head that never formed. I had heard of deformities of sheep
with two heads and I wondered if she wasn't a victim yet the head just never
did form completely...yes this must be what it is. I kept an eye on it and
her actions in the next months.. It grew with her but not out of proportion
and she was less active than any of the other babies but not in pain or
hindered except for laying with her head over her side she did everything
the others did just a little slower and maybe not as coordinated. By a year
and a half old had a characteristic tilt about her looks, really kinda
cute.
She would run from me the minute I came into the goat yard even
after so many attempts to just sit and hold her lovingly.. she Hated me and
her sister, once my good bud, distrusted me and would not step any closer
than she had to.. they were holding a grudge in a big way.. Mom still would
come to see me but she too had a look of "what have you done to my baby" in
her eyes. By now her tilt was affecting her walking abilities and she would
fall at times..(You try walking with your head tilted at a 45* angle) gets
dizzying. Preparing for the move from AZ to MO I knew she would have to have
special care, so when we loaded the goats into the livestock truck, a
special compartment was made for a very few more delicate of the herd.. She
made the trip with her mom and sister watching over her. Arriving in MO 4
days later (That's another story) everyone made the trip with flying colors
and no ill effects were seen in the following weeks...UNTIL.... She started
to fall occasionally in the goat yard.
Only a foot between the yard and my front porch I was close to watch,
trying to see if she was getting knocked or if the new ground being a little
uneven was hindering her stride.. I couldn't figure it.. Almost like she
would just lose control of her legs and fall.. I also noticed her rumen
didn't seem right.. she was thick around the middle and no real definition
of a left-side rumen. The lump on her neck by this age was about the size of
a ping-pong ball and her head had a bit more of a tilt. I went to her and
tried to help her up.. she wanted to run from me but couldn't.. After
standing her back up she would seem fine for a bit then Oops.. down again.
She would go limp and fall so hard you could hear her head hit the ground..
I started looking for a vet.
In this small town of only 2900 people there is but one vet, so I stopped
in one day and told the gal I had a goat I needed to bring in for Xrays to
find out what in the world was wrong with her neck.. My appointment was for
the following day. Arriving on time, me with BabyGirl in my arms as by this
time she could no longer walk at all- or stand for that matter..She had been
down now for a few weeks and it was up to me to make sure I stood her up
many times a day to release gas from her rumen and try to give her legs some
strength again.. being a small goat of maybe 40 pounds. it really wasn't a
problem to carry her in. We went into the exam room and the vet came in
refused to even 'touch' her..(he literally would not lay a hand on her)
after just 3 minutes told me she had a broken neck. I told him it had been
this way from birth and is getting worse.. told him I would like to have
X-rays taken. Again he said that her neck was broken and X-rays would do no
good.. I would have to put her down..
Well now.. this just wasn't an option at this point and even though she
had been "down" for a few weeks, I really wanted to know what I had been
dealing with all this time. nope.. wouldn't do an X-ray.. "just was waste of
good money", he said. Needless to say, I left there furious with BabyGirl in
my arms! Started to call around the nearby towns in hopes of finding a vet
who would take me seriously and do an X-ray on her so I at least knew what I
was dealing with.. I found one 40 miles away who on the phone claimed not to
know much about goats.. (so what else is new?).. I explained the whole story
and asked if he could do an Xray, even if we couldn't do anything to help
her?.. I HAD to know now what was in there.. He really impressed me during
our conversation, asking me questions like "How is her attitude?" and "How
do her eyes look?" He wanted to know if she was giving up or if she had a
desire to try.. I assured him her attitude was really good.. she had
developed a small amount of trust in me and her eyes looked bright and happy
in spite of the fact she could not stand up. My appointment was for 10am the
following day.
Never having been to Gainesville in the 4 short weeks I lived here in MO,
I left in plenty of time. Situated BabyGirl on my son's girfriend's lap for
the ride and off we went.. not knowing what we would find out.. but at least
in hopes of getting an X-ray to 'see' in there. I had in the meantime found
out the vet in town I had gone to refused to do an X-ray because he had NO
X-ray machine.. now why didn't he tell me at the time.. or better yet why
didn't the gal at the desk who had worked for him for year tell me when I
made the appointment specifically for an X-ray?.. Well, that was behind us
now and we were off to find out things I wasn't sure I wanted to know.. 40
minutes of praying on the way.. we arrived at the Gainesville Vet Clinic a
few minutes early. Weighed BabyGirl in at 41.5 pounds. Mind you, by now she
had a pretty full coat of fiber and being she laid down all the time her
urine was matting her hair on her back legs and on one side, she was matted
and dirty from being on the ground and not able to stand and shake. She
looked pretty pitiful actually. The gal behind the desk came around and
petted her in spite of her looks.. and her first words were.."ahhh" in
sorrow for her.. I burst into tears. Ten minutes late the new vet, Dr. Main,
came through the door with "Goat Medicine" ,(the goat vet bible), under his
arm.. I was impressed!
Directly over to her to touch her neck and talk to her he started his
exam.. Asked her weight and again wanted to know the details of what I
thought happened or how this started.. did a fecal on her, asked about
selenium, and a million other questions.. He determined her neck was 'fused'
in the position it was in and he too wanted to look inside to see what it
was.. somewhat perplexed we went to the X-ray room.
What he saw on
the X-ray was astonishing!
He came into the exam room with the X-rays and
told me "If I showed this X-ray to another vet, he would tell me this goat
was either dead or completely paralyzed". Two of the vertebrae in her neck
were at a 45* angle to each other, and in his words: "I don't know how the
spinal cord is going through that angle". He was amazed to say the least...
and especially with her attitude. He tested her legs for strength and
feeling, all were capable of feeling the needle test in her feet, and all of
them had more strength than you would think.. Her tummy was hard and felt
like there may be a baby developing inside. Her rumen had lost some
elasticity and began stretching toward the right under the belly. He read,
he thought and he asked more questions... he touched her, he talked to her
and he smiled at her... exclaiming she was a pretty amazing little goat. He
took blood tests to see if there was some deficiency and he did a urine test
for possible kidney problems. Gave her a shot of lutylise in case she was
pregnant so she would abort and wants to see her in 7 days. By then the
blood work up would be done and he wanted to check her out again.. He spent
4 hours with us that day.. for a vet who claims he didn't know much about
goats I think he did a pretty darn good job and certainly is not stingy with
his time! Besides, he thought she was pretty cute and agreed with me that it
wasn't her time.. her eyes were happy and bright.. the fact that he was
thinking along those terms.. from her outlook, impressed me too.
A week later and no abortion no real change but a new thought crossed Dr
Main's mind, he had been researching all week.. Oct 1st 1999...Back
at the vet's. Dr. Main looked at her X-rays again and was suspicious of
maybe a damaged Vagus nerve..from her neck vertebra.. causing vagal indigestion which leads to an enlarged rumen and
thinking he may have felt rumen contents that were harder than normal
instead of a fetus.. (he had done a palpation but not really hard since we
both figured she may be pregnant.. even though the X-ray showed only a mass
and not a skeleton) anyway.. he did another palpation.. outside on the
grass.. (he's very, kind always thinking of the animal..it was easier for
her to be on the grass eating oak leaves while he worked than stressed in a
room on a table) anyway.. we lifted her up into a sit-up position a dog
would take.. and he felt around the rumen to the right side.. and he feels
her rumen has taken on the typical "L-shape" from having Vagal Indigestion..
this could also explain the odor from many of her burps. The Vagus nerve
being high up in the cranial area.. the angle of the vertebra right there
would indicate to him that pressure is being put on the nerve and causing
her to ruminate less than normal.. the rumen gets flaccid and extends shape
to an L.. going to the right side more and becomes thinner walled.. less
elasticity to bring up gas.. (very similar to hardware disease found in
cattle) in any case.. the option now is to give her prednisone to help
alleviate the swelling some and possibly reduce the pressure on the vagus
nerve.. he had her on 20 mgs a day split into 2 doses.. hope this helps..
and her coordination in her legs he feels is also caused by the pressure on
her spinal cord.. something to do with the signal that tells the brain where
the limbs etc are..
I am at this point considering making a walker for her to help to
re-strengthen her legs.. I KNOW it must be hard for her to lay on her side
day after day.. goats just aren't made that way. but as long as she isn't
giving up.. neither am I!
She takes her meds hidden in a Fig Newton, and gets her probiotic paste
and baking soda every day to make sure her rumen stays active, and we have
even found a way she doesn't have to wet herself (which has been so
demeaning for her).. she hollers to let us know she is ready to go.. and we
run and get the sour cream container to put under her to catch the flow..
she stays dry and no mess.. I swear she even smiles afterwards.. Pleased she
had trained us to be quick..
Oh I forgot to mention...
she now spends much of her time in the
house..
Too cold outside except during the middle of the
day...
She loves being outside with all the other goats!
Her mama sure loves her! And she loves her mama.. This
picture is priceless! And her sister loves her and watches over
her..
Too cute!
So I carry her out to her mom and sister for a few hours every day,Prop
her up next to the fence and watch her closely that she has no problems..
falling over on her other side or getting bonked by another goat.. When mom
moves about and lays in a new place.. she hollers for me to come get her and
move her too. I am very well trained.. The leaves are falling and all the
goats are running after them.. then I turn to BabyGirl watching them too.
tears in my eyes.. I go get her some and give them to her so she can "play"
too...At times it seems as thought she is spoiled, she hollers and I just
ask what?.. and go do it.. she gets her water brought to her since she can't
get up and drink from the water-buckets herself.. She requires almost round
the clock care, but as long as she has happy eyes and is trying to do.. I
will do anything I can to help her. Let me say now that if I thought for one
minute she was in a lot of pain and had lost her desire to live.. I would
have had her put down.. but I will do what I can until SHE is
done..and so far she isn't..
The walker was a good idea but we couldn't get one to work .. so I spend a
few hours during the day to massage her little legs to try to keep them
somewhat in muscle.. and because we have wood floors I have gotten a few of
those throw rugs for her to lay on, she lays in the living room to watch TV
with us and she 'does' watch too.. with her personal supply of hay in front
of her..
The meds are slow to take effect it seems, though she is moving her
body around more-still on her left side much of the time.. she sleeps on the
floor next to my bed on her pillow, me with my arm over the side on her to
let her know I am there for her.. Once she is in position she rarely moves
much at this point.. By mid
November 1999 it had been nearly 3 months
for her on her side every day. The prednisone has given her a little
mobility as she now would paddle her feet and catch them on boxes, door way
or what ever she could to scoot herself from facing one way to facing
another.. or even move herself a tiny bit while still flat on her side..she
still could not lay upright on her chest without us doing it for her.. but
she was trying.. seemed like more with each day.. of course she got all the
verbal cheers for moving 6 inches from here to there.. and I firmly believe
that a goat feels encouragement from your attitude.. she was however trying
to get around more.. and cute as a button.. no longer hated me.. if I left
the room for any reason she would holler till I got back.
The beginning of December brought changes, she was chewing on her
feet a lot, leaving me to believe that they were tingley- somewhat like when
our foot goes to sleep and tingles.. so I asked the vet..He agreed and
decided that she should lay on something soft because the hard floor even
with the rug wasn't allowing for blood circulation.. this is when I decided
to sleep her in the bed with me from now on.. all night in a water bed would
do her good.
It did and the foot chewing stopped within a few days.. Also,
she was more alert than she had been.. or rather more attentive. If I walked
from room to room, instead of being satisfied with her little spot on her
rug.. she wanted to be with me.. so she would almost throw a tantrum,
kicking her feet about and catching the doorway and turning herself around
quite a bit.. At first I would run to her and 'fix' it by putting her back
leaned against the wall, then I noticed she would do it again.. so I
waited.. and watched her.. and then purposely went into the other room out
of her sight yet still talking to her.. she was
MAD! Flailing and
kicking..she scooted herself into the kitchen where I was.. then lay
exhausted and looked at me.. I gave her a cookie. She would be able to get
no traction even if she did try to stand on that wood floor.. so I got more
rugs.. Long runners for her to move from place to place in the house.. She
wasn't trying to stand but she did use them to move around some..then one
day I was in the kitchen and she was in the doorway. She looked like she was
trying to get up on her front knees..
I waited and watched.. and thought.. hmmmm..
bribery now would be good.. I held a cookie and talked to her..she
wanted that cookie so bad.. and couldn't reach it.. I teased her with it and
she almost got up on her knees to get it!
This was the first time in months she had
shown any signs of strength in her legs I was tickled to death! I sang
praises to her.. and gave her more cookies.. OK, now is the time I
thought... I stood her up and held her standing against the chair while on
the rug for traction.. her legs didn't crumple under her like before.. tears
in my eyes I let go..for a few seconds she stood leaned against the chair
but without my holding her up. I sobbed and held her to my chest crying like
a baby. My prayers for her were being answered!!! ...We took turns my son,
his girl and me holding her up on her rug so her feet could touch the floor
and letting some pressure be on her legs..helping her to take steps.. a
little each day. It wasn't long before she wanted to test her new tricks
outside to show her mom..
Straddling her and holding her back-end up between my knees
and her front end under her chest with my hands we walked a few steps
outside with mom and sis watching in dis-belief.. By the end of that day she
was standing on her own for the very first time in months leaned up against
the fence for support.. then she did it.. she took her first un-assisted
steps with the fence holding her up.. 5 steps before she
fell..!!!!!!
I ran to help her up praising her the whole time.. "good
girl" I hollered.. "what a good job!" More steps, then she ventured away
from the fence.. took a few steps with no fence for support before she
fell.. we all cried for her in happiness.. she was SO proud of herself.. and
her mom and sis stood watching her and looking at us before mom came to me
to nuzzle my arm, as if she were thanking me for never giving up on her
daughter..
The days that followed she progressed each day.
She still came in at night, then back outside as soon
as it warmed up a bit.. December 24th 1999
I called the vet office
and asked the gal if Dr Main would be there in an hour still.. she promised
me he would be.. He had to see this !!.. and it was the best gift I could
give him.. We drove the 40 miles and while Trine stayed outside with
BabyGirl, I went inside to talk to Dr Main and told him I just wanted to
wish him a Merry Christmas..gave him a small gift and started to leave..
turned around to him and said.. "Oh., I almost forgot. There's something I
wanted you to see" Opened the door to the office and there on the front lawn
was BabyGirl.. walking to the steps to the office.. ..and UP the
steps.. I turned to him and there he was.. tears welling up in his eyes.. "I
would have NEVER believed this if I hadn't seen it.myself!" He couldn't
believe she was actually walking.. She really gave him a show.. He kept
shaking his head and saying I really can't believe she is on her feet and
walking. She even squatted to piddle for him.. being very proud of her
regained ability.
Link: BabyGirl WALKS! Can you Believe it?
He wanted to
start trying to reduce the meds soon for fear they side effects would do
more harm than good.. but we would wait until she go to the point that now
new improvements had been made and she had maintained for awhile.. What a
Christmas gift that was!!
January 22, 2000 she had her 2nd birthday and was feeling pretty
spiffy, doing almost normal things in the goat yard, still sleeping in the
house as it was so cold at night, but 2 days later she seemed down in the
mouth.. I thought maybe she had got bonked hard by another goat so I kept a
close eye on her..she seemed to bounce back just fine..
Until .. on the 24th when on our way outside like we always do in the
mornings...I walk out with a cookie and she follows.. I shut the door then
we go down the 2 steps.. except this time there was another goat there who
also wanted a cookie.. and accidentally knocked her off the steps.. just as I
was turned to shut the door.. screaming and laying with her head almost bent
in half under her.. I grabbed her and rocked her.. the neck wasn't broke..
so I stood her up.. she was really wobbly and obviously in pain.. so called
the vet.. and I'm on my way.. she was acting like she was losing it..
I prayed & sobbed the whole way there~ But by the time we got there
she acted fine.. *s*.. he took a look at her and to reduce swelling that
could interfere with her walking.. gave her dexamethasone.. brought her home
and she was great that night.. by the next evening she would act as if she
were in terrible pain in her belly.. and wasn't eating normally .. she would
also act as if her stability was off again.. falling more now.. this went on
and off for the whole week..
I tried everything I could think of.. more dex.. less dex.. no dex and
back to the prednisone.. baking soda, probios..tummy rubs.. electrolytes..
put her on penicillin.. She does Not tolerate shots at all.. so it was a
real procedure to give them to her and not hurt her.. thought maybe a
urinary infection.. took a sample and had to mail it to the vet.. snowed
in.. wouldn't ya know..urine is fine.. got the report yesterday.. last
night.., she would Not eat ..tried thiamine.. no luck.. tried more water.,.
goat nutri-drench.. baking soda.. had to force that and she usually likes
it.. tried probios.. she LOVES that and had I to force it..
Ears feet and mouth were cold like ice inside.. by 5:30 that morning and
not much urine or berries.. and lust less eyes.. no movement really- she
could walk but .. wasn't happy or comfortable..I had already made an
appointment for morning..
She was acting shocky..I was so tired and
upset..gave her some glucose and water.. and got her into bed with me under
the down comforter..
and snuggled up to me "spoon style" so I could keep her warm.. and
prayed.. she lay back and went totally relaxed.. and I could hardly feel her
breathing.. very slow and shallow..hardly and heartbeat.. and she let out a
couple pitiful cries.. soft and low.. I knew she wanted to be outside with
her mom.. but it was 9 degrees..I thought I would be taking her to the vets
for a necropsy for sure.. I tried not to cry.. but ... well... after all her
work to finally walk and never giving up.. my BabyGirl had given up..
or
so I thought..
This morning at 7:30 she woke me up.. cudding.. hadn't cudded all day
yesterday.. her mouth was warm.. ears and feet warm..We kept the
appointment.. he still says she couldn't have been that far down and bounced
up to walking around his office like she was in that short of time..
well.. I saw it~ she did..
but he had also said any goat with a neck
like that shouldn't be alive or if so would be paralyzed.. well.. the little
angel acted like nothing was wrong.. He drew blood.. and put her on SMZ an
oral antibiotic.. no more shots..
He feels she may have an ulcer due to
the steroids she has been on for the swelling in her neck.. so we're
treating her for that..
She hasn't given up yet.. bless her tiny heart..
I knew prayers
worked from all that BabyGirl has endured and come backs she has made after
looking like there wouldn't be a chance..
She is acting nearly normal
today
(Feb 7th 2000) eating like a horse and drinking plenty of
water.. her white blood count is way elevated which shows she does have
infection going on somewhere.. but her attitude and eyes look a lot better..
Today..BabyGirl 'RAN' out with the other goaties this morning at feeding
time.. good to see her bouncing her cute butt around again..thank you Lord..
for all I have to be happy for..
Feb 22 2000 BabyGirl had been
on SMZ a sulfa drug with antibiotic for her elevated white blood count 2
weeks and was doing really well after that last spell of digestive upset..
she finished her prescription 3 days ago and has steadily gone downhill
almost to the point of not being able to walk.. I got more today to get her
back on it.. we'll see how it does.. seems when shes off of it she blows up
in the belly area and has a hard time holding her weight up even to tinkle..
she falls.. while on it she was walking steady and tinkling fine.. even
running..sort of ????? weird.. this saga of her illness is such a mystery...
March 3 2000 After yet another trip to the vet...well.. we made it
back around 5pm.. the weather was coming in quick too..& the van decided
to run off the battery all the way back.. I was glad to make it home.. and
all the kids here were fine.. man I hate leaving the house with no one here
to watch them.. whew!
Now.. onto BabyGirl..Dr Main cannot find anything wrong with her
specifically.. her temp is normal.. her strength in her legs is good, no
worms, her blood work up didn't show signs of renal damage or failure.. the
only thing is her white cell count is really elevated still..22,000 instead
of 4,000which means either infection or inflammation.. he doesn't know
where.. even though here she cries out before she tinkles or berries.. she
did not there.. *s* just like a kid..acting fine in front of the doctor.
March 5 ~ She's back down again... her temporary wellness has
reverted back to being down and unable to get up once again but this time it
seems to have taken a toll on her attitude, her eyes are not bright and
willing to try like before. I think the relapse has taken the wind out of
her sails.
She is very scrawny compared to her twin sister.
About half her size.This photo taken just before she went down once
again. She cannot or will not stand up- he knows her legs are strong enough
and her neck doesn't seem to be hurting- so she isn't standing up ....why?
We don't know.. she crunches down.. leans forward & falls ~just like she
did when she first started all this in late August.. SO... The diagnosis he
says is inflammation ,of what, he doesn't know.. he palpated her stomach
pretty hard.. and she didn't show signs of pain.. he didn't feel anything
wrong.. no impacted rumen.. nothing felt distended or swollen.. nothing odd
at all.. no large amount of gas.. the only thing I personally found really
strange and I mean STRANGE.. was this..
I have monitored this girl beyond reality here.. when she tinkles.. I
catch it in a cup.. and gauge how much, how often, what color and what it
smells like.. and just before she tinkles she hollers out.. now being that
she is laying down again.. I know she doesn't want to get herself wet..
maybe that's why she hollers.. but it really looks like it hurts.. she
really hollers.. you know mouth open and tongue hanging out
hollering.. the whole bit.. That wasn't the strange part.. *s*.. (strange
for you maybe but not for me..) this is strange ...
Well.. he needed to get a fecal sample .. so on went the glove and
lubricated his finger and in he went.. she was obviously uncomfortable and
embarrassed.. but she dealt with it.. he got his sample..took some for the
fecal float.. it was maybe about 2 minutes and she tinkled..and I mean
ALOT.. (she has been putting out maybe a couple TBSPs of very dark urine
lately at a time.. ) this was probably about 3/4 cup and clear as water.. I
have not seen her tinkle like that in over a month.. she had no water to
drink this morning.. so you figure it out.. I wonder if he could have pushed
on something that was stuck or turned or wrong somehow to make her go like
this.. it was as normal as normal could be.. made me look like a fool..
*LOL* kids!
On the way home she laid in the passenger seat in
the van.. and half way home she starts to holler.. and kick her feet
around.. I knew she had to go.. so she did..not AS clear but a large amount
again.. she did this twice coming home.. He started her on Baytril.. man
alive 26.00 for 20 pills.. so he's stumped and so am I.. mostly I wonder
about that urine.. weird!..
March 26th 2000 BabyGirl is trying to stand up again on her own..
she just doesn't give up easily, this girl.. a few steps one at a time,
still wobbly but trying..even though she falls alot again in the
goatyard..now she falls and hollers out to me to come and fix it for her- as
pitiful as it is.. it is also pretty cute..
(of course just about everything she does is
cute to me.. *L*)
Now..I have sheared her fiber... and what did I notice?.. Her spine is
curved alot.. from the shoulders to the tail.. (wish I had seen that before
I talked to Dr Craddock).
Do goats get
scoliosis?.. I could find nothing in Goat Medicine about it.. She also now asks
to go outside to tinkle.. goes to the kitchen door and talks to me.. out on
the porch to tinkle and back inside.. and later when she gets tired.. goes
into the bedroom and stands by the bed.. waiting.. so I pick her up and put
her in bed.. she is really something.. Summer came and went and BabyGirl did
fine all summer.. out in the pasture with the others walking carefully and
sometimes falling, but picks herself up and brushes herself off and back at
it again..
I talked to Dr. Frank Craddock Texas A&M University -
goat and sheep specialist.. and he thinks that she did NOT hurt her neck in
the delivery as I thought.. He feels this is a birth defect..and the stomach
problems may be a part of it..
His first question was .."Is she still
alive?" and was shocked to hear she was.. and was improving some.. He was
pretty amazed at the fact that she has done so well.. and in his words told
me.."I don't know you have kept her alive..." which coming from him sure
made me feel good..
Needless to say the little darling still sleeps in
the bed with me.. and why not?.. especially with her spine curved like it
is. she needs all the extra padding she can get!
Yesterday we had a storm and everyone was out in the barn.. I
stayed with them for awhile and finally went in after it calmed down to get
some coffee..
I guess BabyGirl got tired of being in the barn without
me..I looked outside and
there she was.. very wobbly BUT walking all
by herself from the barn almost to the front pen.. about 50 feet before she
fell.. then got up.. soaking wet and muddy walked to the front pen to see
her mama.. then fell again..
My son's girl friend went out to get her- helped her up on her
feet.. opened the gate.. BabyGirl walked out the gate
by herself..
saw me on the porch..walked up the steps..
around the dogs and into
the house.. very unsteady and wobbly but on her own.. now go figure.. *S*
she
is something.. this little girl never gives up.. now happy as a
lark.. her eyes just shine.. last night she got up a few times to go to the
kitchen for hay..
which I keep for her under the table..
April 2000 We never did find out what the elevated blood
count was all about.. I have a bottle of dexamethasone on hand for any times
she has an accident and her neck swells.. I have watched her closely and it
seems within a day or two after even the smallest strains on her neck, she
starts to have problems with her motor skills.. and eventually her
digestion.. So, she is closely monitored and gets a shot of dex after any
accidents and within a day she is back to normal.. for her.. She doesn't
walk straight, her head tilts all the time.. sometimes she loses her balance
while tinkling, and sometimes she is fine.. her feet drag some and when she
runs she does this cute little side wiggle thing.. her very own
style..
August2000 She even takes the effort to "coo-coo" the
boys and I might add they think she's pretty cute too *S*
The girl is strong willed and a happy little
face, getting anything she wants any time she wants it.. Why Not?.. she has
more than deserved it.. Last year at this time she was flat out on her side
watching the other goats chase falling leaves..
October 2000This year she can
"chase" them too.. slow and carefully she will bend down to get one.. it
takes her a few tries but gets them none-the-less..
She spends the days with her mom
and sister.. and the evenings and nights with me..
She still shares my bed with me.. I wouldn't
have it any other way..
I think that's pretty fair.. don't you?.. She is
pretty well house broke.. asks to go outside.. even wakes me up in bed to
go.. I do have to lift her off and on the bed.. but hey.. a small price to
pay for little hoofies that can walk..
There have been many many
answered prayers in this house,many tears and many smiles.. She has brought
delight to anyone who has spent the time to know her.. with that BabyGirl
tilt of hers.. She is a blessing to have around and I thank the Lord every
day for giving her feet back to her.. for her.. not for me.. I would have
carried her till the end if she needed me to.. but she feels good about
herself and that's what counts to me.. she's happy.. her mom and sis are
happy and that makes my heart smile..
She is The Most Precious Gift I
could have ever asked for..
Until Next Time... goatie hugs
goatlady
*A Quick update on BabyGirl~
January 22 2001She
is doing very well.. has more good days than bad.
As long as we catch any
accidents quick with the meds and watch her closely...things work out
well.
She can steal your heart like no other! I promise you
that!
Here's the Birthday Girl on her 3rd birthday-Jan 22, 2001..Looking
good and playing with Binky...She's amazing!