So Much For Serenity

Today was quite stressful.  All was pretty normal this morning during the a.m. barn feeding but William was being a bit rambunctious by harassing Jordan (momma ewe) and her lambs.  William who, as you will remember from my previous posts, is a three-year old Irish Wolf Hound. In other words, he is in his teenage years with lots of energy and sometimes the mischief goes on overload.  
This morning his rambunctiousness caused Jordan to get uptight. Instead of eating she was rushing and charging the fence at William to protect her lambs.  

Now, to understand what happened next, you need to know one of the rituals of morning feeding. Jordan gets a few small quarters of an apple and I put a tiny speck of apple pulp (fingernail-size) on my finger for the little lambs to enjoy their own treat.  They definitely like it and suck on my fingers.  Jordan usually can't get enough of her own apple quarters except today she dropped a few pieces on the ground in her haste to warn off William.

I was hanging out watching the lambs and scratching them, continuing the task of getting them used to being handled and liking people.  I noticed the black lamb, Queenie, trotting along. Then, she stumbled a couple times and something about the way she was moving didn't seem quite right.  I saw her stretch her neck oddly and throw her head around.  As I stepped closer, I could see she was open-mouth breathing and a strange gurgling sound was in her throat.  I had that uncomfortable prickly feeling on my skin and knew something was wrong.  I scooped her up and opened her mouth, putting my finger in and searching for an obstruction. She could breath because she was making coughing sounds and sometimes little baas but she was in distress.  I let her down and ran into the house to call vet, en route trying to get William to come inside for me.  I was anticipating a drive to the vet and William cannot be left alone outside.  He would probably try to follow the truck and that would be the last thing I needed.  William is not at all car savvy.  

Anyway, Dr. Howard said to get her in as quick as possible. The problem was William. He wouldn't come in. Finally, I opened up one of the truck's cargo doors and he jumped in so I could leash him and put him in the house. I left him there as I ran back to the lamb pen, scooped up little Queenie and rushed to the old farm truck with Jordan noisily complaining behind me about my abduction of one of her babies.  I placed Queenie on the bench seat next to me and bolted down the road to the vet's office about 15 minutes away. (Actually, it's about 20 minutes away but I made it in 15.) She still had air but this couldn't continue for long. As I stroked Queenie and worried over her labored breathing, I saw for the first time froth around her mouth and nostrils. It was the faint scent of apple that got me to thinking what the problem might be --- Queenie, wanting to be a grown-up, had nibbled on the apple dropped by Jordan. This was not a good thing for a two-week-old lamb. 

Luckily for me, Dr. Howard was in the clinic this morning which he said he normally wouldn't have been on a Saturday. I ran into the clinic, breathing almost as heavy as the lamb in my own stress.  I explained that I thought maybe the lamb, liking the taste of her little speck of pulp so much, found one of Jordan's discarded quarter pieces with tough apple skin on it and tried to eat it.  This was a guess but I asked if  he thought the tiny bit of pulp I let her have could have produced this.  He said definitely that wouldn't do this as it would dissolve too quick but the outer skin could be a problem.  

The vet went on with what could not be easy for any animal, much less a baby lamb.  He snaked a tube down Queenie's throat in the hope it would dislodge something that was stuck.  In the process, she fought and of course, stressed herself out as well as lost more ability to breath.  In about 5 minutes of this procedure, little Queenie began to lose color and then went limp in my arms.  Seeing that sweet little lamb go limp in my arms just wrecked me and I could feel the tears pricking my eyes.  Doc Howard had the tube out which was covered with a lot of the froth and began pushing gently on the lamb's diaphragm to get her breathing again.  His assistant pulled over the oxygen tank and placed a tube near her nose to get some pure oxygen into her while Doc had me hold her up to make it easier for air to get into her lungs.  It was a tense minute and I really thought we were going to lose her but she began to come out of it, opening her eyes and wiggling her ears a bit.  We stayed like this letting her catch her breath and calm down.  Doc explained that he felt my assessment about her getting some apple skin stuck was probably right as far as guesses go and he was hoping the tube had pushed it all the way through her esophagus to clear it out.  

Queenie was still open-mouth breathing so we weren't sure she was out of danger yet.  He explained also that while not common, the piece could have gone into her trachea and the odds of a little lamb her age surviving going under anesthesia for a tracheotomy weren't good.  But, as she was breathing without foaming now, he was feeling better about her not having an obstruction anymore.  He was concerned about her continuing to breath so heavy but he said he felt it was just as likely that was due to her being still stressed from this ordeal and in strange surroundings.  

We waited another half hour and made the plan for me to take her home to momma and see if that wouldn't calm her back down to normal breathing.  Back in the truck we went and almost immediately as we hit the road Queenie's breathing quieted down and she had her mouth closed, snuggling into my side while I rubbed her little ears and head.  My own heart rate and breathing finally began to settle but the tension still felt like a weight on my chest.  I couldn't believe that only an hour before this sweet baby was limp in my arms.  Queenie would lift her head while I talked to her soothingly and look me right in the eyes. That sweet, trusting expression just slayed me and tears of relief finally came.  We were back at the ranch and as soon as I picked her up and she heard Jordan baaing to be reunited with her baby, Queenie began making loud baaing noises of her own, no gurgling at all.  As every moment passed and all her behaviors continued being normal I was feeling more and more positive that the danger was over.  

I called Doc Howard and reported that Queenie had already nursed, poking her momma with vigor and taking a decent drink of water at the trough. I had knelt right near her and watched as she was able to swallow the water without any difficulty.  She wasn't as energetic as her twin but her eyes were clear, ears alert and walking with no stumbles.  I chalked up her quieter demeanor to be tired from the tense ordeal she weathered that day and the vet concurred that was to be expected.  He felt she was out of danger and I didn't need to stay right there, only check on her every couple hours.  He gave me his private cell and asked me to call again late this afternoon around 5pm with a final update.  I am so thankful for this man, for his calm demeanor and kind reassurance by keeping in contact with me all day.  Pam said he was one of her favorite people and an excellent vet.  I couldn't agree more.  He was just as good with me, as I practically began to hyperventilate trying to tell him what was going on.  He said to me in the early minutes at his office, "now slow down, take a breath and just tell me what happened".  On the phone with me he said how glad he was that she was doing well and that I'd done the right thing. When you find a vet, or any doctor for that matter, who not only considers it his duty to take care of the animal but goes the extra mile to help the human feel better, you've got an exceptional caretaker.  Wonderful man, wonderful vet.

The photos below are of Queenie, the little black lamb, who had to be rushed to the vet.  These were taken the next morning after her emergency and she is doing just fine, back to her normal inquisitive self.  I'm so glad she wasn't so traumatized that she is leary of me.  The big ewe is Jordan and there is another sister lamb called Natasha who is brown and white but was being a little too busy and quick for me to capture her on camera.  I'm sure I'll have more chances so stay tuned for the ranch's version of Animal Planet.  

No wonder Miss Queenie got into a bit of trouble eating stuff she shouldn't. Here she is nibbling on my jeans.  In the dictionary under cute, there really should be a picture of this little girl.