Goats, Goats, Goats

I have not had the chance to write in a couple of days; we have been busy on the Ellie front. She is improving... veeerrrrryyyyy slowly... I think. It is so hard to tell. She is eating well and starting to get some weight back on. Her eyelids are still quite pale, but the color is improving slightly. Since we have become so close with y'all, we feel like we can share that she is definitely passing worms in her feces, but they are still not yet regular pellets. At least, they aren't as runny as they had been. And, she is urinating regularly, which indicates that she is taking water in. Ellie is still taking her SMZ antibiotic pill each morning. She has finished her daily course of B1 shots morning and night. We are still treating her with a Sub-Q B12 shot weekly and she is due for her next 3ml injection of Ivomec at the end of the week. I have been supplementing her diet of lots of good, dry hay with fresh cut brush, kale and other fresh, leafy greens. I am also giving her a banana each morning and some carrots in the afternoon.

Like humans, I think that animals absorb the vitamins critical for their well-being better from real food sources rather than in pill form or injected. I have been trying to find foods that are naturally high in the nutrients that she needs the most and are also acceptable for her to digest. Apparently, Sea Lion liver and kidney are both very rich in selenium, which is critical to Ellie's joints and muscles gaining strength. Sean and I agree that as necessary as selenium is to a goat's overall health, attempting to find and then feed Sea Lion organs to our goat is both ridiculous and nasty. Besides, where would I even begin to find a recipe on preparing THAT? Instead, we attempted to feed Ellie some peanuts tonight with every thought that she would love to gobble them up, but she refused to eat them. She spat them out as quickly as I offered them to her. So, back to the drawing board we go.

It is getting late and I am quickly becoming a pumpkin, but I wanted to leave you with some pictures of the goats from this week. With Ellie's illness in mind, we have been vigilant in checking the other goats. Each of our herd was given a thorough once over, including checking: demeanor, general appearance, weight, hooves were trimmed, eyelids checked, and a follow-up wormer given. Both Abigail and Asher's eyelids were on the pink side, so they are both getting an injection of Ivomec to be safe. Everyone else seems to be in great health.

Enjoy the pictures and thanks for stopping in!
Sonja ♥

Jedi eyeing Sapphira's potential. Sorry lad!
She needs some more growing up time.
Come back next year. 

Jedi is checking to see if Leah is in "season."
Who needs an ovulation dip test?
 



...and Pepper's back hooves.

Sean trimming Leah's hooves.

Enjoying some afternoon hay.

 

Rudy, Sapphira, and Pepper don't seem to care that this fresh hay is for bedding.
(The plastic bag of shavings did not remain inside the stall for the obvious reason that
goats will attempt to eat almost anything, whether they should or not!)