Its been a very hard 24 hours, sadly last night Zeus lost his fight for life. Its been a very up and down three and half weeks, there were days when I though he was going to make it and days when I thought he wouldn't.
I think his mum knew his time was coming to an end, she never left his side all day. After watching him during the morning, I called them down for lunch early so I could check him out and give him a feed. I called and as usually the whole here came running and bronking down the field, except little Zeus who just stood at the top of the field. I fed everyone in the hope he would make his way down, but he didn't.
So I walked up the field to get him, he never moved until I go there, as I walked around the back of him to encourage to walk down the field and came face to face with his mum Emma, she had run all the way back up the field when she realised he had not come down. I walked behind them to encourage them to head for the barn which he didn't to seem to have any problems with.
I gave him his milk and checked him over, his ears felt very cold so I check his body that was also unusually cold, he had lost a fair bit of weight so would obviously find it difficult to keep warm,, I took his temperature it was 36.5 so not a good sign, the concern being hypothermia. So him and mum were put in a nice warm stable with a deep straw bed, I put another rug on him. He seemed quite happy and started to nibble at the nice pile of fresh hay.
Due to my concerns of hypothermia and dehydration, I got some boiled water and cooled it to body temperature and added some re-hydration powder and glucose, this would re-hydrate him and give him additional energy available to keep himself warm. He seemed quite happy and his temperature raised to 37 a bit more acceptable. I checked on him every hour through the afternoon/early evening, alternating between giving him his milk and fluids.
Around 7pm I went out and everyone looked like they had settled for the night in the barn and in the stable Zeus, Emma his mum and Chloe his sister were sat down, slowly chewing the cud. Nobody got up, having now got used to me popping in and out, I gave him some fluids and checked his temperature which had dropped a little so I popped a third rug on him.
8pm I went out and they were all still sat in the same spot, it had got colder so I pushed the straw up around Zeus to give him extra warmth and covered him with a horse rug, he was breathing a little bit heaver.
9pm I went back out and he had taken a very bad turn for the worst, he was on his side and was breathing very deep and shallow, I sat down beside him, stroking him and talking to him quietly and within ten minutes he slipped away.
Its been a hard few weeks, but I would not hesitate in doing it all again, we gave him every chance we could, but I think one of the factors against us was the weather! Its been up and down, maybe if this had happened in the summer we would have had more of a fighting chance. So sadly we say goodbye to Zeus it was nice to have know you the time you have been with us.
This morning, after a very sleepless night (which I will go into in a minute) I went out into the barn with a lump in my front and just had to check the stable where Zeus was, I don't know I just felt for a minute he may be sat there looking at me waiting for his milk, but obviously he wasn't. So with tears in my eyes I set about looking after the waiting dogs, alpacas, goats, horses and our barn cat.
After their breakfast, all the alpacas wandered out of the barn as usual, I fed the horses at the top field and came back down to tidy the barn and fill the hay racks, as I turn from the haystack with some hay I came face to face with Emma, she looked at me with her big eyes and hummed, I believe she was asking me where her baby was, I told her how sorry I was and that Zeus was no longer here, she wandered around the barn humming for a while then back out into the field. Tonight she came to me again and hummed, she stood looking at me for a second or two and then joined the rest eating the hay.
I think his mum knew his time was coming to an end, she never left his side all day. After watching him during the morning, I called them down for lunch early so I could check him out and give him a feed. I called and as usually the whole here came running and bronking down the field, except little Zeus who just stood at the top of the field. I fed everyone in the hope he would make his way down, but he didn't.
So I walked up the field to get him, he never moved until I go there, as I walked around the back of him to encourage to walk down the field and came face to face with his mum Emma, she had run all the way back up the field when she realised he had not come down. I walked behind them to encourage them to head for the barn which he didn't to seem to have any problems with.
I gave him his milk and checked him over, his ears felt very cold so I check his body that was also unusually cold, he had lost a fair bit of weight so would obviously find it difficult to keep warm,, I took his temperature it was 36.5 so not a good sign, the concern being hypothermia. So him and mum were put in a nice warm stable with a deep straw bed, I put another rug on him. He seemed quite happy and started to nibble at the nice pile of fresh hay.
Due to my concerns of hypothermia and dehydration, I got some boiled water and cooled it to body temperature and added some re-hydration powder and glucose, this would re-hydrate him and give him additional energy available to keep himself warm. He seemed quite happy and his temperature raised to 37 a bit more acceptable. I checked on him every hour through the afternoon/early evening, alternating between giving him his milk and fluids.
Around 7pm I went out and everyone looked like they had settled for the night in the barn and in the stable Zeus, Emma his mum and Chloe his sister were sat down, slowly chewing the cud. Nobody got up, having now got used to me popping in and out, I gave him some fluids and checked his temperature which had dropped a little so I popped a third rug on him.
8pm I went out and they were all still sat in the same spot, it had got colder so I pushed the straw up around Zeus to give him extra warmth and covered him with a horse rug, he was breathing a little bit heaver.
9pm I went back out and he had taken a very bad turn for the worst, he was on his side and was breathing very deep and shallow, I sat down beside him, stroking him and talking to him quietly and within ten minutes he slipped away.
Its been a hard few weeks, but I would not hesitate in doing it all again, we gave him every chance we could, but I think one of the factors against us was the weather! Its been up and down, maybe if this had happened in the summer we would have had more of a fighting chance. So sadly we say goodbye to Zeus it was nice to have know you the time you have been with us.
This morning, after a very sleepless night (which I will go into in a minute) I went out into the barn with a lump in my front and just had to check the stable where Zeus was, I don't know I just felt for a minute he may be sat there looking at me waiting for his milk, but obviously he wasn't. So with tears in my eyes I set about looking after the waiting dogs, alpacas, goats, horses and our barn cat.
After their breakfast, all the alpacas wandered out of the barn as usual, I fed the horses at the top field and came back down to tidy the barn and fill the hay racks, as I turn from the haystack with some hay I came face to face with Emma, she looked at me with her big eyes and hummed, I believe she was asking me where her baby was, I told her how sorry I was and that Zeus was no longer here, she wandered around the barn humming for a while then back out into the field. Tonight she came to me again and hummed, she stood looking at me for a second or two and then joined the rest eating the hay.
RIP Cotswold Vale Zeus
Now after a very upsetting evening, this carried on into the night, my little Jack Russell dog Midgey took a turn for the worst, which took me quite by surprise. She had been fine during the day, was eating and even had a little walk around the garden,
Late evening she was sick, I thought this was due to her pinching the cat food and being a bit too rich for her. But to cut a long story short, she became very ill and this morning we took her to the vets, and it turns out she had Pyometra, she under went an hysterectomy this afternoon and is recovery, we are unsure how much this has effected her and the next 12/24 hours will tell.
So I am now wishing the next two days away and hopefully will have my little faithful midgey back home where she belongs.
9 comments:
Oh I am so sorry and genuinely saddened by your post, I so hoped Zeus would pick up. I am sorry for you and for Emma. What a lot to cope with. Fingers crossed Midgey will make a good recovery asap. X
Sorry to hear your news after a trying period, I'm sure you did all you could.
Sorry to hear your sad news...I know that feeling you describe walking into the barn the next morning...take care x
Very sorry to here about Zeus. Having read what you have been through it would seem that there was nothing else you could have done. Sometimes things just happen. Chin up.
Oh no. I am so very sorry - what a heart breaking end, and after all you did for Zeus.
Every best wish
xx
So sad to read your news...its always a difficult time, especially when you think there is an improvement...you did your best and sometimes, its not enough and its a sad end, when you want so different, hope things are good for your little dog...my Dogue De Bordeaux had closed Pyometra at her second season....we nearly lost her also...so I can appreciate exactly what you are going through.....fingers crossed...and take care xx
so sorry to hear your sad news how brave of you to share with us
Thank you everyone for your kind comments, its a very difficult time, but I find its helps to write the blog and get my feelings out and also hope my experience can help others.
Just catching up after a few days away and was so sad to read about little Zeus. Big hugs...you did all you could and it sounds as if he died peacefully.
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