Hope sucks, but sometimes it pushes you through to win
Back last month, Cerryl-goat died on August 2nd from acute anemia. By the weekend of the 17th, I was expecting Pan to die, too. But even then, I wouldn't give up. I squirted "cookie dough" (fat and sugar mix) down Pan's throat daily for a week. Achaosofkittens dosed Pan with the last-ditch dewormer and cookie dough while I was off on vacation. On a mostly-regular basis, Achaosofkittens and Quixotic_Goat helped me give Pan direct shots of iron and B vitamins. I fed Pan extra hay, ProBios, copper-laced mineral mix, and baking soda. I even moved him onto the front lawn for a weekend of fresh, non-pooped-on grass. Eventually, he ended up in the pen with the baby girls eating baby food (and getting beaten up by Ginger).
The vet came out yesterday to bless the goats that are going to the Shenandoah and Rhinebeck shows. He also checked on Pan and expressed his pleased surprise that Pan looked "so good." The vet pulled blood from Pan to check his numbers to prove that he is doing as well as he looks. I got a call from the vet office today: Pan's total hematic count/packed cell volume is over 20 (24 is healthy) and his total protein is over 5 now (6-7 is healthy). For comparison's sake, Pan's numbers on August 28th - PCV was 8 and TP was 3. (Cerryl died at 7/4.)
I think we can declare a win.
Now Pan just has to blow his stressed-and-shedding coat out, re-grow some nice hair, and gain some weight. I need to trim his toenails and clean his dirty rear end. Or maybe his shedding will take care of the dirty parts. Either way, I'm just happy he is alive and thriving again.
