A Scary Weekend

We only got one bucket of the field peas shelled before plans for the evening fell apart. Earlier in the evening we had to run to Tractor Supply to help a lady with a sick pet chicken. While we were gone our neighbors son and grandchildren threw cutting from where they had trimmed his bushes over into the goat pens. They didn't know azalea is very, very, toxin to goats. We weren't home and didn't know they were in the pens. Before you think terrible things about these people.. please don't. They love all of animals and have been allowed to give them treats and go in the pens. Our dogs don't even bark when they see them. They are very caring, good, people. They just didn't know about the azalea bushes and we had told our neighbors wife what the goats could not have but she has passed away and I forgot to tell her husband, thinking she had told him. This was no way intentional or their fault. It happens. Anyway, back to Saturday night. While we were shelling peas we heard a goat scream in pain over the baby monitor. We ran out to find all the goats very sick, throwing up, some unable to stand. It was dark in the lower part of the pens and we didn't see the cuttings. We started checking goats thinking maybe they had somehow gotten into the feed room and had bloat. That wasn't the case. We kept checking their symptoms and realized they were poisoned. We then started looking around to see from what so we would know how to treat them. With a big spot light set up we searched the pens and found the azalea limbs and leaves they hadn't eat. Cleaned all of it out of the pens and then started giving 7 goats and a ewe tablespoons of salt to make sure they threw up as much as possible. A hour later we gave them mineral oil mixed in gator aid  to not only coat their stomach but help them throw up.Even gave IV to one.

What? You never used your diningroom as a ER and the ceiling fan as a IV pole?
  Thank goodness the 2 young bucks and Lil Vicki hadn't eaten very much. Around 2AM they were past the worst of it and were resting. Mammy ate only a little because she was fine quickly. The others were slowly calming down except for Buttons and Robby. They must have eaten a lot as they were really bad off. After we got what we thought was all out of their stomachs by making them throw up we gave them pro-biotic and electrolytes. After a couple of hours they seemed to be resting so we went inside to try and sleep. A couple hours later found Buttons still resting but Robby was back to screaming and throwing up. I gave him a little gator aid and more pro- biotic. Sat and kept a cool wet cloth on his head and he finally seemed to rest. Most of Sunday had the goats and ewe just laying around resting. No grain for the gang, just hay left for them to nibble on if they felt up to it. This morning had all of them at the gate crying for their feed except Robby. He was worse than yesterday. He was having dry heaves and couldn't urinate. Time for IV's. I put fresh straw in his stall and got him settled in. Robby stood still while we got the IV started as if he knew we were doing our best to help him. I kept putting cool cloths on his head and that seemed to help with the dry heaves. Finally after getting half of the IV bag he urinated and started moving around like he was feeling better. Finished the IV and he went out of his stall and straight over to the doghouse. Guess he decided that was where he was going to recover. He spent the day in the doghouse napping. Tonight finds the gang still a little weak but all are  on the road to recovering and getting back to their "normal". During all of this each one of them seem to know we were trying to help them. Mary the ewe doesn't like to be handled unless you have food for her but while she was sick she let us put medicine in her mouth, check her eyes, mouth, etc. Even the baby goats opened their mouths and didn't fight when taking their meds. The best part of this scary weekend was tonight as I was doing my bedtime check. Robby came walking right up to me and started licking my face. He nuzzled my neck and then seemed to kiss my nose. I think it was his way of saying thank you. I gave him a kiss on his nose and told him he was very welcome. What a blessing they all pulled through. I was very afraid we were going to lose Buttons and Robby but lots of prayers, a phone call to NC Vet Hospital, and a little help from us all is peaceful at the homestead. I am blessed!