Saturday, October 13, 2012

Ellie's Update

I feel like I am neglecting all the other animals in our care, but beyond feeding, watering, and a quick "muck out", I just don't want to spare the time from Ellie. I know it is unrealistic to think I can be all places at once, but that is what we women do; believe we are Superwoman and pile all things on our shoulders to bear. I thank God that Sean is here to temper my "I must do EVERYTHING perfectly right this minute" attitude with some balance.

*Deep Breath*

This morning's update is... hopeful? I don't know. I want so much for Ellie to pull through, but I am trying to be honest at the same time. So, here are the facts. This morning, Ellie's temperature was normal at 101.5, her pulse rate is still high at about 120 beats-per-minute, her breathing is at 12 breaths-per-minute. She is not drinking as much as we would like, but she had emptied her water bowl at some point in the night and she finished another 1 1/2 quarts of water mid-morning. She is eating hay. She also ate some carrots and bread (under the premise that at this point getting anything nutritious into her to get some strength and weight back is a good thing) with great gusto and then, tried unsuccessfully to eat my fingers, too. We are not offering her grain. We plan to add some fresh leaves via brush clippings, courtesy of Sean, this afternoon.

Food is less critical than hydration. With that in mind, we are carefully monitoring her water intake. I don't like injecting her. It is not a fun exercise for any of us, even using the smallest needle we have on hand. Sean did give her more Lactated Ringers this morning, but it doesn't appear to be necessary right now. Though she is still looking thin and her skin feels tighter than normal, she is drinking on her own. According to the Onion Creek Ranch web page, "A 100-pound goat needs at least a gallon of liquid a day to maintain hydration. On average, a ten-pound kid needs about 20 ounces of liquids daily to survive." An article published by The University of Maine Cooperative Extension LINK recommends, "A 110-pound goat will require 1 to 3 gallons of water per day, depending upon diet, intake, and weather." As of 3 pm, Ellie has had a total of about 3 quarts of fluid orally of her own volition today. If she continues drinking at this pace, we won't need to continue injecting her with fluids.

The Ivomec is definitely already working. We have worms present in her feces. This is also good. However, Ellie is back to "cow patty" type droppings instead of the more desirable pelleted version. We are supplementing her with Pepto-Bismal chewable tablets, which she thinks is a great treat, to help get this under control.

Additionally, we added a mineral block to her hospital stall. She was very interested in it and chewed and licked it for a little while.

All told, I think Ellie is holding steady; maybe gaining slightly.

Thanks for visiting,
Sonja ♥

3 comments:

  1. Keeping my fingers crossed for y'all that she recovers quickly.

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  2. Been thinking about Ellie today. Glad to hear she's hanging in there! Funny photo of her with the mineral block :)

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