It is with great relief and gratitude that we get to report that ALL of the baby cows are still alive.  They are really starting to trust us and allow us to be close to them.  This process is a long one, getting them healthy.  It takes a lot of people and round the clock attention to save calves in this condition.  These are very sick babies, but it isn't like a flu or sickness that a child might get, treatable with antibiotics in a few days.  It is more like an elderly person who gets pneumonia and needs to be hospitalized for a month.  In the elderly person's case as well as the calf's case, if they go untreated, they most likely will die.

So, we are in this for the long haul (about a month or so) before they are "better" and their bodies' immune systems can be strong enough without support from medications.
 
With that said, here is where we are at; All of the calves still have pneumonia with a lot of fluid in their lungs, making it hard and a bit painful to breathe.  Their eyes are runny and glassed over with pinkeye.  Two of them have advanced stages of pinkeye and might end up losing an eye.  The advanced stage of the disease shows up like a pimple in their eye (pictured above).

They all still have a horrible skin condition and are still weak and wobbly, but better than the day before.  They need to be bottle-fed twice per day, washed off during the day to bring down their fever, and blanketed at night in the barn to keep them warm.  They need to be given injections and an oral paste for infection and fever control.  They need round the clock supervision.
 
This is our wish list in case you have these items lying around:
 
Towels
Wash cloths
Cases and jugs of water
Rubbing alcohol
Paper towels
Toilet paper
Blankets
Batteries
Flashlights
Extension cords (50-100 feet)
 
All items can be dropped off over our front gate.  Please make sure they are in packaging that will prevent them from getting wet.
 
We need funds for:
 
Algae/vitamin supplements ($500)
Hay ($250)
Straw/shavings ($500)
Veterinary care/antibiotics ($5,000 so far)

As you may already know, last night was crucial for the downed baby cow.  If he took a turn for the worse, it was the veterinarian's advice to put him down.

Fortunately, that is NOT the case.  After caring for him through the night, this morning his fever broke.  So, at this point, things are looking up.

This morning, "Chai" finished up his slumber party complete with a brunch of alfalfa and grass hay, and fresh clean water on a bed of straw and shavings.  They all spent their morning lounging around the barnyard sporting their new blankets.

All joking aside, the ones who are having the major issues are doing better, however, they still have a hill to climb, as two of the others have spiked a fever.

 

 

Thank you all so much for your financial support, for volunteering, and offering your well wishes and prayers.  It was a rough night last night.  The Gentle Barn staff and volunteers were up through the night caring for these most delicate babies.  We gave them alcohol baths when their fevers spiked.  We gave them special medications to not only promote a productive cough, but to help make them feel better and reduce their fevers.  Two of the six did more poorly than the others, one of which ran a fever until about 2:30 p.m. today.  Last night ranked up their as one of the most intense nights in our history.

The vet came out again today and examined our new arrivals.  Four calves are still coughing to clear the fluid in their lungs, but their fevers seem lower.  They are eating, drinking, and walking around.  They're even allowing volunteers to brush them.  The prognosis for these calves looks really good.

The fifth baby is still coughing a lot, is having trouble breathing, but is eating and drinking.  The sixth baby, who was the downed calf, is very, very sick.  He is really struggling to breathe and has more fluid in his lungs than the other calves.

The vet is deeply concerned about this one and even suggested putting him down.  But, we want to give him a little more time and see if we can turn things around.  We pumped nutrients and fluids into his stomach again, giving him a huge dose of super blue green algae to boost his immune system.  He will be monitored throughout the night by volunteers lying next to him, keeping him warm and telling him of the paradise that awaits him at The Gentle Barn should he choose to live.

 

 

 

Our new horse Prince Charming had x-rays taken of his knees.  The bad news is that he has severe arthritis; the good news is that the bones aren't fused together.  So, the vet administered a special drug that will alleviate the soreness and pressure in his joints and we should see drastic improvements within the next couple of days, hopefully.  The vet has to come back and give shots every four days for seven cycles.  Then, he should be comfortable for six months to a year.  Charming met our other horses today and the girls were very excited.

 

 

 

 

 

April 2, 2009