- Thread starter
- #761
AClark
Loving the herd life
We decided to go with the vet that is 38 miles away. I did some calling around yesterday, and as far as goat vets, he's it other than the one we were going to. Every office I called said "oh goats, well we can do vaccines, or order them for you since you probably do them yourself, and little routine things like blood draws, but for surgery or emergencies call...(vet that is 38 miles away).
The other one close to me will do routine stuff for goats, but refers out to the one way out for big stuff, and won't touch horses. The other one does horses, but said they can order me the stuff for goats to do myself because they don't do it and send it out to...you guessed it, vet that's 38 miles away. That's it for the large livestock vets near me, the rest do small animals.
Good thing is, the one that's way out does all large livestock, and has another vet in the office that does dogs and cats. He also told me if I had an emergency I couldn't bring down they will do house calls day or night, even though I live so far away.
38 miles doesn't sound like a lot, and it isn't, but the drive is slow, only about 5 miles of freeway until it's down county roads, which is fairly slow going. It took me almost an hour to get there.
So, all that craziness behind me, I need to shampoo the back seat of my truck. It's an unholy mess, I'd be scared to be pulled over because it looks like someone was murdered back there, and I'm not sure explaining to a cop that "it's goat blood, I swear" even sounds sane. I was hoping I wouldn't on the trip out because as soaked as we were it was going to look bad initially. Imagine the cops reaction looking in the back seat, with a bloody teenager with a bleeding goat on his lap?
My son is tough. He felt bad that once the vet opened up the big wound and he could see bone and tendons that he got woozy. I saw him get pale and start to wobble and told him he needed to sit down, and he tried to argue it but then said he felt sick. He also said "being a vet isn't for me!" Something about that huge hole just did him in, he was fine with all the blood, or just running on adrenaline because we were both really upset. I told him I was proud of him for stepping up when I needed another adult sized person, since DH had to stay home with the rest of the kids. My son carried JD in to the vet and out after I got him off the table and held him for the whole ride home. He even offered to sleep in the barn with him that night, just said to pull out the army cot and he'd be good. Of course not necessary and like I told him, we did all we could already. Good kid, just no gross open wounds for him.
JD is recovering well, I think I'll let him out of the barn for a bit today so he can get some fresh air and sunshine and I can clean the stall without a friend pestering me the whole time. I've been cleaning it, but trying to pitchfork out used up straw and every time I turn I'm bumping into a goat is just time consuming.
The other one close to me will do routine stuff for goats, but refers out to the one way out for big stuff, and won't touch horses. The other one does horses, but said they can order me the stuff for goats to do myself because they don't do it and send it out to...you guessed it, vet that's 38 miles away. That's it for the large livestock vets near me, the rest do small animals.
Good thing is, the one that's way out does all large livestock, and has another vet in the office that does dogs and cats. He also told me if I had an emergency I couldn't bring down they will do house calls day or night, even though I live so far away.
38 miles doesn't sound like a lot, and it isn't, but the drive is slow, only about 5 miles of freeway until it's down county roads, which is fairly slow going. It took me almost an hour to get there.
So, all that craziness behind me, I need to shampoo the back seat of my truck. It's an unholy mess, I'd be scared to be pulled over because it looks like someone was murdered back there, and I'm not sure explaining to a cop that "it's goat blood, I swear" even sounds sane. I was hoping I wouldn't on the trip out because as soaked as we were it was going to look bad initially. Imagine the cops reaction looking in the back seat, with a bloody teenager with a bleeding goat on his lap?
My son is tough. He felt bad that once the vet opened up the big wound and he could see bone and tendons that he got woozy. I saw him get pale and start to wobble and told him he needed to sit down, and he tried to argue it but then said he felt sick. He also said "being a vet isn't for me!" Something about that huge hole just did him in, he was fine with all the blood, or just running on adrenaline because we were both really upset. I told him I was proud of him for stepping up when I needed another adult sized person, since DH had to stay home with the rest of the kids. My son carried JD in to the vet and out after I got him off the table and held him for the whole ride home. He even offered to sleep in the barn with him that night, just said to pull out the army cot and he'd be good. Of course not necessary and like I told him, we did all we could already. Good kid, just no gross open wounds for him.
JD is recovering well, I think I'll let him out of the barn for a bit today so he can get some fresh air and sunshine and I can clean the stall without a friend pestering me the whole time. I've been cleaning it, but trying to pitchfork out used up straw and every time I turn I'm bumping into a goat is just time consuming.
