Tuesday, May 08, 2007

When Maggie, our goat, died last year from eating from our Rhododendron bush, the vet told us that once the toxins enter the goats system there is very little that can be done to save them. Goats have three stomachs and they are not able to throw up.
Last Tuesday Jenny, our little yearling angora, had all the signs of eating a poisonous plant. There were no more Rhodo or azalea bushes as I dug them out after losing Maggie. I checked the plant area (that is outside of the goat pen) to see an Iris chomped down from the top.
I went online and sure enough Iris is on the poisonous plant list.
I wrapped her and myself in blankets and settled in for the night.
I was sure she wouldn't last through till morning.
She made it through that night and the next day, She was so weak at one point that she lay by the duck pond and couldn't hold her head up. I was afraid to leave her for fear she would drown.

I talked to he vet who told me what I already knew, there was nothing he could do for her. Get water into her and give her lots of TLC was his best advice.
I cried a lot and prayed even more over her.

By Friday evening I was beginning to know she would make it but scared to get my hopes up.
Saturday morning she was up and out with her best friend, Hey Babe.
By Sunday you would never know she had been so ill.
I have dug all the plants out of the yard now. I have given some away and replanted other at the front of the house, Far away from the goats.

we also had a sickly little duckling. We were not so fortunate with it as it died a few days after hatching.

4 Comments:

At 10:01 PM , Blogger Rita said...

Wow a narrow escape. I knew rhodies and a lot of garden shrubs were poisonous but not iris, and our goats did eat a small amount of the young shoots which they could reach through the fence from a different part of the garden once. I suppose there weren't any ill effects because they are all adults and it was only a bite here and there. Can't trust a goat!

 
At 1:00 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your story brought tears to my eyes. The agony owners face when their animals are ill is torture. I am pleased that your goat is now ok.
Sara from farmingfriends in the UK

 
At 8:08 AM , Blogger Bristolcare said...

Hi Sara. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment.
Do you have a blog or a web page?

 
At 12:34 PM , Blogger Pat said...

Animals are truely amazing creatures and I'm so glad she bounced back...

Heartbreaking as it was.

Happy Mothers Day to you..

Hugs

 

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