RIP ROSIE...........

 We said goodbye to Rosie today.  She had been here about 13-14 years, came in with her friend Gigi.  They were going to be shot and buried, because Gigi was crippled, and the people said Rosie had tumors.  She had been eating alfalfa and grain and was extremely obese, with fat pockets not tumors.

We managed to keep Gigi comfortable for many years with shoes to keep her feet from twisting, but a year or so ago, had to let her go.  Rosie was chronically foundered ever since we picked her up and also had ventral dermatitis every summer.  I had just started doctoring her every morning this week. 

Gigi and Rosie years ago, although blurry it's the best picture I found of them together

Yesterday Rosie came in with a bloody chin, but seemed to be OK, ate her supper.  This morning she ate her breakfast as usual, she really loved to eat.  Had a couple of tours this morning, she participated as usual.  This afternoon Debra one of our volunteers, called me and said Rosie was caught in a corral panel in her pen.  

I ran out there and sure enough she was cast with one of her front feet caught in such a way it was almost impossible to get it out.  Took the corral panel out, dug out underneath and managed to get the hoof out.  Nothing seemed broken, but she couldn't get up.  Every time she tried she banged her chin exactly like she had done yesterday.  So we think she probably had some sort of happening yesterday but recuperated by evening feeding time.  Called Dr. Jeremy and he came out as soon as he could.  He worked with her all afternoon, John even picked her up with straps and the tractor and laid her on a bale of hay, to hold her up but she wouldn't try to stand, so the decision was made. 

 If she had some sort of issue yesterday and another one today she obviously had something serious going on.  Her gums weren't as pink as they should be, in fact were rather blue/grey or light pink off and on all afternoon.  Although she tried to get up a few times, she never put much effort into it.  

As I said I started doctoring Rosie this week for her ventral dermatitis, I also am doctoring Boaz and Cisco every morning.  Hopefully I started early enough this spring that their skin issues won't get ahead of me.