Eden's Update

Eden had a rough night. After tube feeding her last night, she was lethargic. Her breathing was labored and raspy. I hoped she was just feeling contentedly "milk drunk", but my instincts feared otherwise. Her lack of energy could be from the struggle to breathe properly with the congestion in her nose and chest. Or, it could be a result of the extra stress of going to the Veterinarian's office and receiving injections of an antibiotic and BoSe. Maybe being apart from her family caused her to shut down in defeat.

We took inventory of the situation. Since Dr. Sarah recommended pulling her from her Mother altogether, we decided keeping her in with us overnight might be best. At worst, Eden might pass during the night in my arms. At best, I could be close enough to respond if she needed us. I wrapped Eden in a soft towel and held her in my arms until 2:30 am. I applied peppermint essential oil in a coconut carrier to the towel near her nose to help loosen her congestion every 90 minutes or so and wiped her nose of any mucus.

She woke with a plaintive cry at 2:30 am. I woke Sean and he took her outside in case she needed to urinate. She didn't. She couldn't stand on her own and at this point we were pretty sure we would lose her before morning. Eden collapsed back to sleep until she stirred again at 6 am. Sean took her back outside to see if she needed to urinate, but again- she didn't and she still couldn't stand. She was fussing and mouthing at the blanket, so we tube fed her 3 oz of warmed goat's milk and dosed her with her antibiotic injection. I didn't tube feed her in the middle of the night because she was so lethargic, she wasn't breathing well, and could barely hold her head up. I don't want to lose her, but I also don't want to contribute to her suffering needlessly.

By 7:30 am, it was time to milk, so Sean brought Eden outside to her mother to watch over while we did that necessary chore. I didn't see it because I was preparing for milking, but Sean reported that as soon as he reached the barn, Eden heard goats bleating in the field and stirred. When she saw Birgitta, she ran to her and immediately attempted to nurse with interest (which is not ideal, but understandable). Birgitta accepted her back, but didn't let her nurse more than a minute before kicking away to eat her own breakfast. By the time I saw her after milking, Eden was following her brother around and attempting to escape through the pen slats.

We tube fed Eden again at 10 am and immediately returned her to her Mom. Birgitta, Micah, and Eden were curled up for a nap at noon. So, that's where we are. Her congestion seems much less than yesterday, but her lack of energy is a huge concern. We'll keep evaluating through the day and night.

Thanks for visiting today. ♥