New Year’s Eve was close to a tragedy for Castlekeep yesterday afternoon and well into the night. I thank God that he made me a planner, a worrier, for my nursing background and the strong belief in “a good medicine chest”.
Yesterday started out with a plan. Another day of beautiful weather called for “seizing” the day and finishing monthly pedicures for the herd. The girls had all been trimmed and now it was time for the boys trim and they needed their CDT boosters.
Gentle FanDango first – uneventful. Trim, CDT, Nutri-Drench. Dango was cake.
Next, Footloose and a big surprise. Fresh blood. Lots of fresh blood just above his rear left hoof. Sliced, top down, swelling, dripping. He and Sam had been dueling while I was trimming FanDango and perhaps Sam had clipped him. I don’t know how it happened – but I counted my blessings that I was hoof trimming and happened to be on the spot. I headed to the house for a warm bucket of water, peroxide, paper towels and prepped a penicillin injection then quickly headed back out. Ok … it’s cleaned, I can see it better, can’t clip it off, too big and too much swelling, spray the Red Kote – administer the CDT – then the Penicillin & give him a squirt of NutriDrench. He’s happy. I’ll keep a close eye over the next few days and repeat the Penicillin & probiotics & Red Kote. Footloose is always such a gentleman -he’s never a wrestling match.
On to Easy Sam. Calm uneventful trim, CDT injection, a touch of Blue Kote on the bridge of his nose, a little NutriDrench squirt. Hummmmm? why is Sam suddenly a bit skittish? He’s salivating too (just a little foam). I’ve never seen him do that. Didn’t he like the Nutri-Drench? That’s probably it – didn’t like the Nutri-Drench. Hour and 1/2 later…time to feed. Dango is calm and ready to eat. Sam and Footloose are laying down – neither make a move. Call to them…no response. NOT NORMAL! I go out to them and MAKE them get up. Footloose is willing. Sam, although up, is standing stalk still. I drag them both out of their pasture into the alleyway (a 16 foot wide separation of buck and doe areas that extends thru to divided pastures). I shout for Phil to come and help me. We are GOING to walk them. All three of them. Dango wants to go, Phil has Footloose in tow and I am dragging Sam along. Footloose perks up, Dango on his own is meandering along behind – they spy the girls and tails are up and on “high alert”. Sam could care less. I am pulling him gently along. I stop. Sam is quivering. What is this! Delayed CDT reaction? Can it happen like this? We are 1 1/2 hours past the anaphylaxis period. What on earth is this? Sam is now visibly shaking- hard. I slowly dragged/encouraged him back to the buck house. He’s just standing and shaking. I feel his side. Sam’s heart is racing. No interest in food no interest in does. Time is of the essence. Decision time: Treat this like a CDT reaction? Tetnus Antitoxin. Have it in the fridg (I’m paranoid like that). Phil stays by Sam’s side as I run back to the house. Quickly draw it up. Do nothing & I will surely lose him & could lose him still if I do something wrong. Gonna give it. Risk the label warning – this too, like CDT – may cause anaphylaxis. If Sam was having a delayed reaction to the CDT will he also have a negative reaction to the antitoxin? I run back to the buck house, bring the lamp & the injection. Footloose and Dango are still chowing away. Sam is still standing and shaking and Phil is trying to comfort him. Here we go….IM in the neck muscle. Wait….Watch…Pray. Wait….watch…Pray.
The GREAT NEWS is that Sam turned around about 10:30 last night. It seemed an eternity to me. About 3 hours after the tetnus antitoxin injection was administered his shaking ceased, appetite/and perhaps the ability to eat returned with a vengeance. Was it the CDT injection? Was it a reaction to the carrier agent with the CDT vaccine? I have no clue. All I know is that a healthy young buck who was rearing/playing/headbutting at 3pm in the afternoon, soon after having had an uneventful hoof trim and a CDT injection – began to change – dramatically. It went downhill quickly and it turned around 3 hours after giving him the tetnus antitoxin. I am clueless. We will never know for certain. You can draw your own conclusions.
New Years Day 2017 has dawned and Sam is with us. When the boys saw the “food cart” headed their way – it was like always….they were happy to see me (food), and tails were up and wagging (my boys do that – even as big boys and even when it’s not dinner time!). Tails wagging and the boys standing on the fence always makes me smile.
Another Blessed day at Castlekeep. I am grateful.