Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Sweet Loretta

Oh, shit.

Loretta has cancer.

She took ill last week and we brought her to the vet. The vet thought she had CL, which would have been devastating to our herd. CL is a highly contagious disease that results in abscesses and can never fully be eradicated once it is in your soil. We have been very careful about buying from clean herds only and not allowing strange animals on the property, so we were skeptical that that could be what was wrong.

The good news for the herd is that we were right. The bad news for all of us is that it is Lymphosarcoma and death will come rapidly now that she has shown signs.

We will be doing our best to keep her comfortable and when it gets too hard for her to eat and play, we will have her put down, quietly, at the vet.

I am so sad. It is always the sweetest goats that this kind of thing hits. Lo has been a wonderful, sweet, clowny girl in our herd and we will miss her so much. I'm not much on the praying for livestock, but if you will keep us in your thoughts, it would be much appreciated.

7 comments:

Mommy, M.D. said...

Lisa, I am so, so sorry. That is very sad. I wish there were something we could do.

Dee said...

I am sorry for you :(

Blue Heron Farm said...

Brandi-- Loretta is your Emmylou's mother. I think Emmy inherited the pompadour from both Lolo and the Bishop. :)

Thank you both for your thoughts. This is definitely the downside of being a farm where the animals are treated more like pets than like livestock. But honestly, we couldn't ever have it any other way.

Michael@greenakeys.com said...

At least she isnt a horse...That would require a backhoe.

Michael@greenakeys.com said...

Im never going to get attached to my animals. Even with the dogs its hard not to get attached, but Im afraid of just this situation. I do like all of my animals, but I cant let myself get attached. Someone will step on a nail and get blood poisoning and die. Or lightening strikes, or cancer, or something else truly awful. And I cant take that. Im really sorry that she is sick. I am trying my hardest here to keep things strictly business. I keep reminding myself that these are a commodity and not pets. It aint easy sometimes. Especially the babies...

Kristin said...

Ughhh...I hate the "c" word. Hope L stays comfortable and happy in her last days...

Katherine Seger Weber said...

We're so sorry to hear this news. I know it's hard to take. Thinking of you and Loretta. Love, K, A, E, S