Day: May 5, 2014

Dr. Jason Weinstein says that Liam has some broken ribs, the left side of his stomach is almost caved in, he says he is in awful pain and can barely breathe, it is critical that he gets some milk and nutrition. So I put  him on Suzy’s teat and held  him there several times today. I always appreciate Maria, but on the farm this day, her absence made the day especially chaotic.

We gave Liam a pain killer shot, I will give him more tomorrow. He’s staying inside for at least 10 days in a stall with Suzy. Liam is going to fit into Bedlam Farm very well, I think. He loves to be photographed and looks good to the camera, he seems immensely popular (he is named after Liam Neeson, the actor, a great male role model.) He has had enough drama and excitement in the last couple of days to be a great chapter in a book.

I can’t honestly say Liam will make it, it’s a tough injury for a four-day old lamb. We’ll do everything we can to get him through. Jasons says it was a powerful bite on his back and left side – he said we did a great job cleaning and treating the wound on his back. He says the next few days are critical, bones heal rapidly in young animals. I’ll share the experience as always, it is a little chaotic here but writing is healing for me also. Maria has landed in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, she is sending me photos of quilts, so I know she is having a good time.

I am grateful for the healers, the people I call when there is pain and suffering in me, or the people around me, or the animals in my care. Jason Weinstein is a healer, he is a large animal vet who was sensitive to the pain in Liam, to the worries of Suzy, a wonderful mother, and to me, he was careful to explain everything I needed to know.

In the past few years, when I realized that I was broken, I turned to one healer after another, they were always there, they always helped. Liam is not out of the woods, but he is in less pain and has a good shot of making it. He will be inside for a couple of weeks with Suzy. Jason and I both agreed that when he is a bit bigger, the donkeys will recognize him as a sheep and not an intruder.

Jason gave the lamb a thorough going over. It’s beginning to look as if he has a broken rib. He said we did a great job on the wound, he says it is not infected. I think he suspects a broken rib.

It is impressive to see a gifted large animal vet at work. Dr. Jason Weinstein got to the farm right after noon, large animal vets have few diagnostic tools in the barnyard, they have to use their eyes, ears, training and instincts to diagnose animals who are sick or unwell. He noticed Liam’s rapid breathing, some bloodshot coloring in his eyes and a concave inversion on the left side. This are all consistent with a large bite or a stomp. He said Liam was in great pain, we’re still working on it.

I spent over an hour trying to find a large animal vet who could come to the farm, and we’ve seen Jason before, he is as good as any vet I’ve met I was relieved to see him come into the driveway. More checking to do. Might be broken rib.

Liam’s in  trouble. He went out grazing with the sheep this morning, he looked fine. I went to do some chores and found him lying in the Pole Barn next to Suzy, he was trembling and breathing very rapidly – not good signs for a lamb. It’ s possible his wound yesterday was infected, or there may be something wrong with him that is entirely unrelated. I called three large animal practices, they are swamped with large animal emergencies – a bad weekend for animals around here. I might have to drive up him north as far as Ticonderoga or Granville.

I might have a line on a vet who can be here in an hour, I’m going out to try and get some penicillin into him and make him comfortable, I got him into a stall inside the barn with his mother. Just letting you know, I’ll keep you posted when I can.