Really, it started last night and has gone on and on. I went out socializing in Cold Lake and when I returned it was 11, not terribly late. But then I went to check on the ducklings and their heat lamp was off. I could not get it on and gave them a huddle box instead, that is a box with an opening. They can all fit in the box and their body heat will keep them warm enough to be comfortable. The box is half a very large dog house and is plastic so no wind or rain can get in either. They have a shade tarp over their coop, but it is not rain proof, though we don't have any rain forcast and the terrible drought continues. But drought is another topic.
After trying to set the heat lamp up and then installing the huddle box, I finally got to bed at 1 am. Then at 5:30 there was a terrible ruckus in the bush out by the creek just outside the other house. I quickly got dressed and went to see what was happening. In hind sight, there are bears in the area and that might not have been a good idea, but I was thinking of my young cows that were on their own for the first time. Perhaps the dogs had cornered one. It was much much worse than that.
As I approached the yelping and barking, I called the dogs. Ofcharka came bounding out with a muzzle full of porcupine quills and then Joe, Mike and Harley followed and they also have quills, but not as many as Ofcharka. For the rest of the day I tried to get some help. I phoned 5 vets in the vicinity. The two closest do not go to farms for dogs. The dogs have to be brought in, but I could not load Ofcharka especially or Harley into a truck or they would bite. They were hurting and over excited and not about to allow me get them where they did not think they should go. And none of those vets I phoned would prescribe a tranquilizer to dope the dogs enough to allow us to get them into the truck to get to the vets. It was a catch 22 situation.
Several people offered suggestions, one brought a horse trailer (very kind but not going to work) and all day there were comings and goings for other reasons. I still was trying to get the chores finished and finally got the morning watering done. The feeding didn't get done until later, much later.
Finally, the Cold Lake vet gave a dosage for a medication to sedate the dogs and another lady had that medicine and gave it to me. We got the medicine into the dogs and waited. Three of the dogs were cooperative and were well sedated and we were able to get the quills out and check their mouths and lips. I feel the quills are out of them and they will be fine. Ofcharka, on the other hand, has still not gone docile and will bite. He will have to go the vet's but how to get him there is a question yet to be answered. One more time to check before sleep….one more time….sleep….
After trying to set the heat lamp up and then installing the huddle box, I finally got to bed at 1 am. Then at 5:30 there was a terrible ruckus in the bush out by the creek just outside the other house. I quickly got dressed and went to see what was happening. In hind sight, there are bears in the area and that might not have been a good idea, but I was thinking of my young cows that were on their own for the first time. Perhaps the dogs had cornered one. It was much much worse than that.
As I approached the yelping and barking, I called the dogs. Ofcharka came bounding out with a muzzle full of porcupine quills and then Joe, Mike and Harley followed and they also have quills, but not as many as Ofcharka. For the rest of the day I tried to get some help. I phoned 5 vets in the vicinity. The two closest do not go to farms for dogs. The dogs have to be brought in, but I could not load Ofcharka especially or Harley into a truck or they would bite. They were hurting and over excited and not about to allow me get them where they did not think they should go. And none of those vets I phoned would prescribe a tranquilizer to dope the dogs enough to allow us to get them into the truck to get to the vets. It was a catch 22 situation.
Several people offered suggestions, one brought a horse trailer (very kind but not going to work) and all day there were comings and goings for other reasons. I still was trying to get the chores finished and finally got the morning watering done. The feeding didn't get done until later, much later.
Finally, the Cold Lake vet gave a dosage for a medication to sedate the dogs and another lady had that medicine and gave it to me. We got the medicine into the dogs and waited. Three of the dogs were cooperative and were well sedated and we were able to get the quills out and check their mouths and lips. I feel the quills are out of them and they will be fine. Ofcharka, on the other hand, has still not gone docile and will bite. He will have to go the vet's but how to get him there is a question yet to be answered. One more time to check before sleep….one more time….sleep….
Ofcharka and his quills. This is after two doses of medication but he is still awake enough to bite. Another course of action will have to taken and he will have to go the vets.
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