We never know what we might find when we get up in the morning, and we kind of hold our breath until we make the first rounds. Today's surprise was finding Molly the sheep stuck in the round bale feeder. (Yes, we have a handful of rescued sheep ... it's not our focus, but we agreed to take them a few years ago when they had no other options. We aren't taking in any more farm animals.)
Molly had tried to climb into the feeder, got her big fat hips wedged between the upright bars, and then couldn't go forward or backward. There she stayed all night, her hind legs off the ground, her front legs in the hay, her belly pressing down with all its weight on the rim of the feeder. It was like someone had tied a cord around her waist and cut off the circulation to her hips and legs for hours.
By the time I found her this morning, she could not move her back legs. I was able lift up her hind end and push her through the uprights and all the way onto the hay, but she couldn't stand up. In fact, she lay there, shivering and immobile. I rolled her back and forth, pulled on her legs, but she never resisted. Very unsheep-like. In case you're wondering, these girls weigh about 200 lbs.
We covered her in blankets to stay warm and then I went inside to call our equine vet, Dr. Bill Brown. (If you spend enough money with equine vets they'll work on the occasional farm animal!) I explained what happened and what condition Molly was in.
Bill had me inject her with 20 cc's of dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid, and also give her a dose of Banamine, a different type of anti-inflammatory. Within a minute after giving Molly the injection she started to get up on her hind legs, but couldn't get her front feet out. I think this was a response to the shot, as in: "Uh oh, if I don't move they're going to give me another one!" So we wrestled with her some more, got her to sit up sternal, and left her eating contentedly from the hay that surrounded her.
I wish I could say this was Molly's first time at being wedged in the feeder, but it isn't. She isn't what we would call a "learning individual." But this was the first time she's done this kind of damage to herself.
It's too soon to tell if Molly can walk again. As of this evening, she was still sitting in the feeder, covered in her blankets, munching away. The other sheep were looking on rather enviously.
(Click on photo for larger image.)
Poor Molly! The feeder looks wrong for sheep. I think the bars should only be far enough apart for them to get the food out. I would offer to build one, but you know how that goes. Hey all you talented people out there, how about a sheep feeder? I hope Molly is doing better.
Posted by: Mary Ann | January 12, 2006 at 10:29 PM
How is she doing now? Tell her I'm thinking of her. I don't know much about sheep, will this, hopefully, teach her not to do it again?
Posted by: Sandi Hoffman | January 12, 2006 at 10:28 PM
Poor Molly! She's lucky you found her when you did. Maybe she wanted in there so badly, now that she's in, she's never planing to come out. (especially after the shots)! She may just think she's in heaven.
Posted by: ginger & Tobias | January 12, 2006 at 07:38 PM
Poor Molly ! That is the saddest photo. Let us know how she is doing.
Posted by: Leigh | January 12, 2006 at 07:19 PM
I so hope she is better this morning!
Keep us posted.
Nancy
Posted by: Nancy | January 12, 2006 at 01:20 PM