June Health Updates

Updates on turkeys Betty and Louisa, Huckleberry the lamb, Fiona the dog, and Stacy the goose

Betty the turkey is doing better.  She responded well to her initial treatment for zinc poisoning after swallowing a ball bearing, however her body seems to have retained quite a bit of the metal, so she is undergoing a second course of treatment.  This involves us giving her a shot into her breast muscle twice a day - but she is so sweet she actually makes it pretty easy.  In addition, she sustained a bad cut on her toes (likely from falling when she first became anemic due to the metal) which then became infected and swollen.  Several weeks of foot soaks and antibiotics later, it is finally starting to look close to normal and we are hopeful that it will fully heal, though she may have permanent aesthetic changes to the foot.  

Louisa the turkey, who has been suffering from an infected injury on her chest, is finally close to being healed.  She was mostly tolerant of our nightly cleanings and she had to receive antibiotic shots and liquid for several weeks.  But we wanted to make sure that the infection is gone for good this time.  Luckily it seems to be fully healing this time - fingers crossed!

Huckleberry the lamb has been doing so well since a year ago, when he was hospitalized and almost died from bladder stones at only four months old.  However recently his treatment has not been working as well and we haven't been able to get his urine ph down to where we want it to be to break down any stones should they form.  Since we are still giving him only hay that has been tested and has specific nutrient ratios, he is probably Ok still, but it worries us to have only one last line of defense left against a recurrence.  We will continue making sure he is very hydrated this summer and hope that this is just a fluke.  

Fiona the dog has had a relapse of her liver issues.  Fortunately, the rest of her blood work has improved and the relapse appears to be fairly mild, and given that she responded well to the treatment last time, we expect a full recovery.  However she has nearly stopped eating and has lost some weight, which has us very concerned.  We are continuing to monitor her closely and also know that she has recently experienced the loss of her brother Odin and is now an only-dog, which certainly isn't helping her situation.  Though we promised him before his passing that we would steal Fiona's bed in the middle of the night, so that she would feel like he is still there with her.  

Stacy the goose has a bumble on her foot, which is proving a little stubborn to treat with the usual foot baths and bandages.  We will likely be seeking a vet appointment in the next couple of days if we don't start making progress.  Though it has been nice to have some rare alone time with Stacy without her overprotective husband Miles around to get in the way (he does not appreciate anyone messing with his wife!).