You Just Do What You Gotta Do...

Like most other children, I had big dreams of what I wanted to be and what I wanted to do when I grew up. Being a veterinarian was not one of them. :) I loved animals just as much, if not more, than most other children. It's just that I like the part of playing with them and having fun with them....not the "fix-their-booboos" part of it. But...like many other things in life, there are just times when ya just do what ya gotta do. :) So, this week, I've pretended I was a vet.

We have had a very sick little calf this week, and have spent the better part of the past 4 days in the barn. I told someone earlier that I don't think I've ever seen a calf or cow this sick and they didn't die. This little calf has somehow endured.

We've only had her for about a month...and though you couldn't exactly put your finger on it, there was just something "not quite right" about the way she acted. We'd give her medication and she'd get better, then she'd get "not quite right" again. Finally, Monday, she just went down. She literally could not get up. We moved her into the barn, (in the midst of a downpour...no easy feat) and called the vet. From being "sickly" off and on...and we don't know how she was treated before we got her...she had gotten dehydrated, and the doc also said she had lost quite a bit of "muscle." To top it all off, she had also developed pneumonia. He gave her 5 or 6 shots, drew blood, and handed us a big bill. :)

We had to call him again today because she was still sounding pretty "raspy"...he gave us 4 more shots...but these we had to do ourselves. I would loved to have waited until Matt was home from work, but he said to give them to her right away. Just look at the size of one of the shots!!!

It was as big as a tree limb!! :) Well, maybe not quite that big, but trust me, it was BIG! But just look how brave I was. (yeah, right!)
Actually, I wasn't brave....I just did what I had to do. My legs felt weak as water! :) Thank you, Lord, for a big strapping 17 year old boy!

Because the calf still isn't about to get her up her own, we had to get her up. We had to rig up something that looked like a form of torture, but we got her up. We then pretended to be physical therapists for a while. :) Thank you, Lord, again for that big strapping 17 year old boy...this little calf has done nothing but lay there and eat for 4 days! :)

So, though I've spent a few days doing things I never thought I'd do to a cow...I can at least say I've learned something new. :)