Baymule’s Journal

Ridgetop

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During wildfire alerts we try to keep the stock trailer hitched. If we are evacuated the dogs go to the local shelter which will keep them for evacuation victims, the fairgrounds take in the horses and some sheep and goats.

Last evacuation fire we had we were not in the state and DS1 took care of everything. DD1 and her family were staying at our home while they waited to move into their rental, so was DD2. DS1 picked up children from school, had them pack bags, then loaded up the dogs. DD1 and DSIL1 knew nothing since they were at work. DS1 called them to notify of the fie and evacuation. DD1 came home and drove the children to her friend's home. Our truck was in the shop so DD2 and her boyfriend haltered the horses and led them down the road to the park where they were temporarily tied up until they could be trailered out. DS3 drove 3 hours down from Nipomo through several other wildfires to pick them up in his stock trailer and brought them to his place. The sheep remained until DS2 (who was working 3 hours south) went to his friend's house, and borrowed her truck and trailer, loaded them up and hauled them out. We had no phone or TV reception and knew nothing for 3 days! Worst fire ever - if we had not had our sheep to scour the ground and reduce all vegetation to dirt, we would have lost our barn, house, al our possessions, etc. As it was the dire hit our fences ad the bare ground within them and burned around our place. The fire department were able to stage on our flat area to fight the fire raging in the 100 acres + of empty brush behind us. Winds were 60-80 mph! Fire wasn't just traveling by burning, it was jumping large areas blown by the winds and traveling fast. Crossed the freeway, the wash, and came so fast into Shadow Hills it caught people with cars in driveways and horses still in corrals that didn't get out. Horrible.

So glad that the fire s contained. Sheriff Woody Wallace sounds just like the sort of sheriff you want to have.
 

Ridgetop

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We need a second truck now too since we need our truck to hitch our 5th wheel to live in if the house goes. DS2's truck will pull the stock trailer. But will the sheep all fit???? We can ride Josie the Mule out. A lot of people just open the gates and let the horses and livestock run before the fire. At least they have a chance to get clear.

I used to have nightmares that our house was on fire and I had to get everything out of the house. Horrible. Now I would just grab the 4-H record books (which have so much of my children's lives in them), jewelry and important papers we keep in special folders, and leave everything else to burn.
 

Baymule

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Trip hasn’t been doing well lately. He’s lost weight, not eating much and finally just quit eating. I tempted him with raw beef hamburger and steak. I cut the steak in fingernail sizes and hand fed him. He would only eat a small amount at a time. I gave him bread, cornbread, he loves both. He chewed with his mouth opening wide, dropping pieces of food. Depressed? Pain? Bad tooth? I made a vet appointment.

He wasn’t having any part of them trying to examine him, so they brought out a muzzle. He wouldn’t allow that either, so I took it. I suggested several times that they sedate him. I put the muzzle on him, several times, it failed. After I told them several more times to sedate him, and that when he came to after being neutered, he tried to bite everyone, the vet decided to sedate him. LOL Trip got real relaxed.

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They put him on a stretcher to take him to X-Ray. The vet showed me the X-Rays, his stomach was distended, huge, full of gas, his intestines were inflamed, the intestine walls were thickened and full of gas.
Trip had hookworms, but they shouldn’t have caused all this. I wormed all the dogs last month.

The vet mentioned the possibility of lymphoma. No way to know for sure without opening him up. Don’t really want to do that, as a last resort, but even if we did, there is no cure for him.

Since he was sedated, the vet got the tube she uses on horses and cattle and tubed him. The techs squeezed his belly, releasing a lot of gas. They worked him over, shots of B12, fluids and manipulating more gas out.

Vet said bland diet for couple of weeks, no more steak for Trip. He had a medication for nausea, one for pain and one for hookworms. @Ridgetop suggested milk of magnesia so I got some today.

Trip’s appointment was at 3:45, we didn’t leave until 6:20. The vet and 3 techs stayed after 5, working on Trip. He came to, and was glad to jump in the truck to go home. I fixed him chicken and rice, he ate it up. His belly had to feel better without all that gas in it.

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Today I bought 40 pounds of chicken leg quarters and a 20 pound bag of rice. I’ve cooked 10 pounds, pulled meat off the bones, got 2 half gallon jars of meat and huge pot of broth. Trip had a good lunch.

So this is where Trip and I are at. Does he have lymphoma? I don’t know. I’m really hoping it is something else. For the next few weeks, he’ll get rice, chicken, broth and medications for nausea, pain and to get rid of the hookworms. He’ll get a little milk of magnesia to make sure his intestines are working, the rice should add bulk to help things move along. We’ll see how it goes.

I know dogs come with an expiration date, but I figured Trip’s expiration date was a few years out, I’m sure hoping so. I’ve had enough loss, it needs to stop and give me a break.
 

Baymule

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It’s raining, we sure need it. Trip is conked out in the floor. That’s all he wants to do lately be in the house and asleep. Carson wants to be with his buddy so he’s in the house too.

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I looked outside, not a sheep in sight, they ran for shelter. The Anatolians are in their favorite corner under trees, where they can survey their kingdom. It takes a hard rain for them to run for cover.
 
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