Sam

Sam has completed all of his treatments.  In case you didn't read my earlier post, he was starving to death, and the vet couldn't figure out why.  He had prepared me for Sam's passing, and it was really ripping me up.  I am very fond of Sam, truly a gentle giant.  When Dr. Rock was here about ten days ago, he suddenly said, "I want to check his tongue."  It seems that Sam got a rare disease called Wooden Tongue, which is just what it sounds like.  His tongue was so hard that he could no longer graze, and finally even getting his oats down was almost impossible.  The good news is that it is very treatable.  He immediately put Sam on penicillin and some vitamins while he waited for the anti-fungal medicine to come in.  It would have to be given intravenously.

He got his i.v. a few days later.  It was administered into his jugular vein, and it was a four person operation.  Ren, who was there for her first day of helping in garden, got pulled into the barn because we needed a fourth set of hands.  I stood by Sam's hip to keep him from moving, Kayla held the rope to the halter, which was pulled through a heavy post, to keep his head and neck steady, and Dr. Rock put the needle into the jugular.  Ren held the bottle up high so that gravity would do its work, and a few minutes later, Sam was free to leave.

He is eating and eating and eating!  He is not one bit interested in those oats, which was about the only food he was able to take when he was at his sickest.  He is loving that grass!  Bovines are ruminants, and they are really not made to eat oats.

Dr. Rock checked Sam over and said the misplaced stomach had already righted itself, even before the i.v.  So the penicillin and the vitamins must have done their job while we were waiting for the anti-fungal medicine to arrive.

I am so very relieved!  Here is one of my favorite pictures of Sam, wooing Rosie last summer.  He always courts his girls, no "wham bam thank you ma'am" when Sam is on duty!  I'm also including two pictures of Sam, one about six weeks ago, and another from last summer, before all of this started.  I can hardly wait for him to look like "last summer Sam" again!!!

Rosie and Sam on a date!

Sam six weeks ago, very sick.

Sam last summer, very healthy