Buffy

  

     June 3, 2015


   Buffy, the Buff Orpington hen came from a farm west of here.   She was housed with a number of hens and without the presence of a rooster, she had adopted the role of the female protector, rather a bossy she rooster as the former owner indicated.  He also stopped providing space once they stopped laying eggs.

    I was thrilled to get Buffy.   She was larger than my normal hens, and very healthy.  I placed her in with an elderly blind rooster.  It was something to see.  The bossy Buffy took care of him, and he stood with an outstretched chest, for the first time in his life, proudly, protecting her.  I had housed them both in a large dog kennel with security netting on top.  They had a perfect place and enjoyed themselves.  In their final week, they were joined somehow by a ring necked pigeon who could apparently enter and exit throughout the edge of the netting at the top.

       Sadly, very early one morning I discovered that Buffy had been killed.  A predator, likely a fox, had taken her head through the kennel, but been unable to get her body out.  Her blind rooster stood despondently by her side.    I eventually moved him to a cage system into the barn with other animals, where he presently remains. The ring beck peach pigeon is nowhere to be found.  I believe she may have just flown for her life when the commotion began.  I am so sorry to have lost Buffy. She was a beautiful, strong and capable bird.  Perhaps the lesson here is still that it is better to have loved and lost, even if you are a hen, than never to have loved at all.  Perhaps the length of our journey to Earth isn't as important as how we love while we are here.

Thank You, Lonnie

Lonnie, as I will remember him.

                            Lonnie joined our established alpaca herd in 2000 from the Pacific Northwest.  We had planned to continue breeding animals, but Lonnie came to us in a time in which we had decided to shift and focus more on our family and taking great care of our family and of the animals we had, and spending less time, worry and stress over breeding them.   We paid to have Lonnie transported in comfort from the West Coast in an air conditioned alpaca transport vehicle with an expert transporter, and he arrived here having shared space with some of the most famous and valuable alpacas of the time.   He was a young animal and was somewhat docile and shy at that time.

                          Most of our animals are dark colors and so it was especially interesting for us to add a dark eyed all white huacaya alpaca.  Lonnie continued to be shy and was a favorite of our son Daniel.

Somehow, Lonnie managed to get a bucket around his neck !

                                  If one of the alpacas from our herd was a comedian, then I think Lonnie would be that one.   Somehow, he managed one summer to unhook a bucket and get it stuck around his neck !   Fortunately, alpacas are much thinner than their fiber would seem to indicate, and so the bucket handle lifted off Lonnie's head fairly easily.

                                 Once we knew what a wonderful gentle alpaca Lonnie was, we had planned to breed him at least once.  However, the original seller had altered the paperwork from male to non-breeder without telling us, and therefore this was not a possibility.  I had even considered breeding him for a pet quality companion, but sadly, we never did that either.

                                  When our son Daniel died at 12 1/2, we became even more serious about taking good care of the animals he'd loved so much.  We spent much more time with the alpacas, and with Lonnie in particular.

                                   Lonnie was 16 this year.   Although many books on alpacas consider a full life expectancy to be 15, Lonnie actually has herdmates who are 21 and 19.   If they are cared for carefully, then the possibility exists for some individuals to make it to an advanced age indeed and to live a comfortable life while doing so.  We had hoped the same for Lonnie.

                                   This week, after a short gastrointestinal illness and consultations with vets and more interventions than I think I should have made, Lonnie passed.    I had checked him at 3 am, and made sure he was comfortable, and at five when I checked again, he had recently passed.

Lonnie, in the last twelve hours of his life.

                                It is never easy to lose a friend of 16 years who meant so much to his herd and to our family as well.  Thank you Lonnie for coming to our farm and being our friend.  We will take care of your remaining family as best we can.    We'll see you again.

When to Euthanize

            

Eventually, we all pass.    (This alpaca is very much alive and is owned by zenasurialpacas.wordpress.com )

 

                This is not a veterinary scholarly article on when to euthanize a beloved pet.   A veterinarian you trust is probably the best guide as to when to proceed.     This will be a post on when, as a farmer or animal lover, you must make the decision as to whether to continue to let the animal have a natural passing, or whether to end the process of an evolving "normal death" using other means.

                 I have had animals since I was four, and that means I have loved many creatures of many species. I am never okay with seeing them depart Earth even when they have met or exceeded their normal life expectancy.  However, death is a part of life. I know it is unfair of me to wish them to linger, and so my own needs are something I must keep in check.   Everyone passes. even beloved pets. I have also been very lucky in that most of my pets have had a tolerable gentle passing where I have been able to be present and supportive of them.  Only a few times have I had to resort to euthanization.    More than ten years ago, we had a beloved dog named Daisy who wasn't all that old.  She had been a rescue.  Daisy had intractable grand mal seizures that could not be easily controlled.  Even a continuous drip of intravenous diazepam at a veterinary critical care center could not prevent breakthrough seizures entirely.   Several vets and I tried everything.  Ultimately, she was suffering, and a fine vet came out to the house, and euthanized her in the back yard as I gently spoke to her.    Another time, also more than ten years ago, I had a rescue beagle who was by all accounts twenty-four years old.  He had cancer but was functional and was slowing down.  At first it appeared that he would pass fairly comfortably, but in the last day of his life, it was clear that his discomfort was not relieved.  His strong heart just wouldn't quit.   He was euthanized by the on call vet in the back of my car as we spoke to him softly.   It was only very recently that I made the choice to end one beloved animals life in the middle of the night, rather than letting him suffer until morning.   All of the other animals we have had have died naturally and peacefully.

                 Our "rescue farm" largely has animals that we had when Daniel was alive and still rescuing them.  This means that simply by virtue of time passed since he was here,  some of these animals are extremely old.  Intellectually, I understand that a week may come here when we have to bury several alpacas and a couple of dogs, and some chickens.  The vet told me six years ago that my Siberian Husky would likely not make it through that Winter.  What happened ?  My young son without known health problems passed suddenly of an arrhythmia, and Daniel's Siberian stayed for now, six and a half years past the vets stated date of probable expiration.  Vets can usually hazard a good guess as to when a creature will pass, but no one really knows.  A dog can be critically ill, and then receive conservative treatment and pop up the next morning to live five more years or so.  Conversely, a young animal can become sick and pass quickly while you and the vet are waiting for the results of lab work.

                 When should we as owners or farmers euthanize our beloved animals ?     I choose to euthanize when there is a known terminal process and the animal will suffer if permitted to continue living.   Sometimes we can medicate for pain and put off euthanization, and sometimes we cannot.    I tend not to euthanize an animal who is still enjoying eating and drinking.  I tend not to euthanize an animal who still enjoys walks with me.  I don't euthanize an animal who will be a lot of work for me in present condition. I try to euthanize as it benefits them.     I had a dog about six years ago who had seizures and weak back legs.  We were able to control the seizures with a vet who specialized in them, and with phenobarb and with specially compounded potassium bromide given twice daily.   As he aged, he developed weak back legs.  He ultimately was a lot of care, but he seemed to enjoy the care, was not in pain, and eventually passed comfortably. Each case is different, and each situation will require careful and individualized decision making.

                  Just recently, a friend of mine had a beloved horse euthanized and buried on his property.  The horse had been with him for more than half of his life.  The man's concern for his horses comfort was striking. I know that I am not alone in my concerns for the animals who look to me for comfort and sometimes direction.


                I have several alpacas and dogs who are of extremely advanced age just now.  Although they are functional, I know their passings are imminent, and my heart is heavy with the decision as to when to let them go.   I pray that I will have the wisdom and the courage to know when to proceed.  I hope that I am able to choose when it's best for them to depart Earth, not necessarily when it's best for me.

                 Of course, when a creature you may have taken on as a young animal, is now elderly and ready to pass, we cannot help but feel the passing of time, and its weight on our own lives.  The loss of a  beloved family pet is a reminder that ultimately we all inch toward a passing to the next plane.  Someday, my own time on this farm will end, and I hope to be reunited with my beloved animals as well as Daniel and other beloved family members.   Until then, I will do my best to guard animal life as long as is sensible, and then to end animal life as quickly and as gently as is possible.  I hope these thoughts are helpful in some way to you, and either help set out your own decision making, or bring comfort to you in a challenging time.

Memories of Sebastian

Sebastian in his kennel

                   Sebastian is a black labrador mix dog who came to us with his sister dog, when he was about six weeks old.    Our youngest son had just died, and our daughter accepted two beautiful puppies from a friend of hers who desperately needed someone to take some of the many puppies his dog had.  Although I wasn't initially very pleased about two new puppies coming to the farm, they gave us something to do in the very dark days which followed Daniel's passing.  Since then, I have become grateful for the new lives of those puppies.  Our daughter named one dog Sebastian and the sister dog Zelina.

                  They grew up quickly as little puppies so often do, and then Zelina was spayed and Sebastian neutered. The two of them could have shared a kennel compartment, but we found that they did best in their own kennel rooms side by side.   Neither dog seemed particularly intelligent compared to others we had and this meant that they could be watch dogs, and be stationed at observation posts periodically, but neither could be used to gather or supervise other types of animals.   Still, we don't need all of our dogs to do the same things. They can be loving without being brilliant.

               Most of the time our dogs live to very advanced ages. We have one who is a 15 1/2 year old Siberian Husky !  Several others are also quite old.   Most of the time, our elderly dogs are simply in retirement. We love them and provide whatever they need without an expectation of any kind of work. How ironic that they should continue living, when a younger animal does not.

                 Sebastian would be about seven years old now.  Very recently, something neurological has occurred with him.  He has weakened back legs and looks older than his sister.   He has been receiving heartworm preventive, annual DHLPP vaccines, and rabies vaccine every three years.   We do use tick preventive.   Over night he appears to have become hypoxic and then had a stroke.   Dogs often recover from strokes, but this was not the case.  There was neurologic symptoms and seizure activity.   Sometimes, new onset seizures in a mature dog can be an indication of a brain tumor.   I am a big proponent of running the mile with dogs and I have done well doing so.  However, this dog was suffering badly last night, and we elected to euthanize him.    I have been very lucky in that the many dogs I have had as a part of my life have passed comfortably, and that I have not had to have very many euthanized.  However, when I must, I will.  When it is the right thing to do, I will.

                 This was done at not too great a distance from the other dogs simply because we could not easily relocate a seizing dog who was in pain.  Normally I would have shielded the other dogs from such a thing.
This morning, our dogs, and even Sebastian's sister know what happened but seem understands that we did what we did because we had no other real choice..I will watch them all carefully through the day.

                  We will miss Sebastian very much., and take care of his canine family as well as his sister.  I still feel very sad. It's funny that no matter how much you intellectually accept that for the hundreds of days of joy a dog gives you, we ultimately will experience some days of grief and loss when they pass from here, through euthanization or naturally.  Those latter days of loss never become easy to weather.

Animal Care in Challenging or Cold Weather

             

This dog "turnout coat" or blanket is secured with velcro in the front and underneath. This means that application and removal can be quick and effortless. Changing a coat for washing is easy too.  This can make an incredible difference in the life of a dog.  (Picture: www.picclick.com  )

     This week has been a labor intensive one.  Our Siberian Husky is still alive and seems to be doing well, but is fifteen years old now. Two of our alpacas are five years beyond normal life expectancy.  Elderly animals require careful watching. I have other dogs who are fourteen years of age, along with the complement of younger animals who also live here.  In extremely cold weather young animals can usually make the adjustment when water freezes and the amount of water they can take in before it does is diminished.  Elderly animals don't have such flexibility.  Their tolerance to heat, cold, and changes in feeding and water is diminished.  Bad weather for kennel or barn dwelling animals can be fatal, and this means that those of us who are their caretakers need to become even more diligent and more attentive to their needs. Consequently, it is sometimes necessary here to change dog water buckets every two to three hours in cold weather, and to consider Delongi oil space heaters in some circumstances. There are electric buckets for animals but for the number of animals here the total would not only be cost prohibitive, but I do not have enough safe outlets for such an undertaking.  So, the relatively rare occurrence of extremely cold weather with ice and lots of snow simply makes it a labor intensive process for me.   Some dogs benefit from wearing coats in cold weather, just as horses do.

                 No, I don't bring most animals into the house in cold weather.  My daughter has a young Pomeranian who stays with us sometimes. This dog wears a coat when she goes for a walk, and she would not be able to stay in a kennel for anything other than temperate days.  However, German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers,  Siberian Huskies, Border Collies, alpacas, horses, etc. are all quite capable of outdoor living if attention is paid to their housing and to weather concerns.

                  All animals who spend large amounts of time outside need proper housing.  Housing needs to be draft free and insulated in Winter, and secure from precipitation.  In Summer, there needs to be adequate ventilation and shade.  In our location, Summer ventilation and shade is often the more difficult nut to crack.   We also have multiple outdoor coats for each dog.   Some of them have never worn one, but if they become elderly, their ability to tolerate even the rare sub-zero temperatures here become diminished.  Their comfort and activity level is much better when they have a coat.  I keep multiples so that one could be washed while another is on a dog.  How can I afford thirty large sized dog coats ?     Quality dog coats are quite expensive during Winter, but sell for very little money in the off season or when certain color schemes are no longer in vogue. The XXL brown and pink print might not be a top seller, but the dog wearing it overnight is awfully happy to have it.



   http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm/product/649/foggy-mountain-turnout-dog-coats.htm                

http://equestrian.doversaddlery.com/saddlery/dog-turnout-coat


           Wherever you are, I hope you are having a safe and happy Winter and that you are giving thought to caring for the animals that are in your own charge.  Stay warm and stay safe !

A Tribute to Noche Buena

               

             On a farm where animal species lifespans at best, are a fraction of the time human beings normally dwell on Earth, you might think that we become accustomed to the passing of creatures.  Surprisingly, we never really do.

              Noche Buena came to us at four years of age from an alpaca farm in the Pacific Northwest.  She came with one intact male alpaca and a gelding alpaca also.   They were our initial starter herd in 1999 when alpacas were a rare thing indeed in our home state of Virginia.    Noche's sire had been a very famous alpaca named Peruvian Bueno.   Bueno was a white alpaca, but alpacas are interesting in that they can "throw" many other potential colors in offspring, depending upon the alpaca selected as their breeding partner.  Our Noche Buena was a beautiful all black girl, which at the time was a rare and special alpaca indeed.
         
              We could not normally have afforded the huge sums of money necessary at that time to start an alpaca herd.  However, we had found an alpaca farmer who was also a dentist.  He made periodic trips to South America to provide dental care to the indigenous villagers there where his own herd had originated.  He needed money for dental materials and so he sold our first three alpacas to us at a bargain.  We also paid a fair sum to have the animals trucked across the country by a specialized alpaca transporter.

              Noche Buena was a beautiful girl.  She was cooperative, and easily handled.  She was also a gentle herdmate as we progressively added other alpacas, and other females became her stable sisters.  Interestingly, Noche was bred, but never got pregnant or delivered.    We could have had a reproductive work up on her, but we declined.  We truly believe that the animals that are meant to breed do so easily, and that one that entails an extensive reproductive work-up may result in crias (alpaca babies) with difficulties.  Buena was a sister to other alpacas who bred, but never gave birth to any of her own.  She was, however, an excellent aunt, and later, an excellent stepmother to an alpaca girl whose mother passed due to astrocytoma.

              Buena or Buenita as I used to call her,  had a life that was simple and full.  She was acquired by us at age four, and remained the rest of her life with us.  She was very attached to her herdmates.   When we first began to raise alpacas, we were told that they had essentially a fifteen year lifespan.  As we grew in our expertise in the care of these animals, more became known about them. We learned that injections of three ccs of dectomax every six weeks would prevent the meningeal worm infection that is carried by the white tail deer in our region. The regime we used in prevention changed many times in consultation with our farm vet as more was learned about these creatures as more of them came to our area.  We learned that an injection of Vitamins E,A, and D given going into the Winter would keep them healthier than most other alpacas of the same age.  Noche Buena didn't pass at fifteen years as we were told she most likely would.  She passed quietly and peacefully just before between four and six am just thirty days short of her twentieth birthday.  She had been very well.  We noticed the day before she passed that she was cushed (down in an alpaca sitting position) more than was normal. I did examine her, and I did take a few actions I thought might make her more comfortable.  It's funny in that even when an alpaca lives a healthy and comfortable life with five extra years added to her life expectancy, that I am still looking for ways to prolong life, if in fact they are comfortable, and still enjoying their days.

               We have found that on our farm, with the type of feed, hay and maintainance regime we practice,  we expect our alpacas to live to about twenty years of age.  Sadly, a number of Buena's dearest friends and family members are also approaching this age, including the original alpacas with whom she traveled to us..

               Noche Buena was buried on the farm, and so she is gone from the pasture that was built for her.  However, she will never be forgotten. I wonder if Daniel takes care of her now ?   I remember how much he loved her.  I hope so.

Not So Glamorous Considerations for Fall Farm Life

                 

          I haven't forgotten all of you.  Life has been very busy here.  We have a new family member and since human beings are harder to integrate to the pack than canine, feline, camelids, or equines, it has been taking some time. In addition, we are helping with some of the animal work for another family which leaves my internet time to a fraction of what it once had been.

                     If you use natural signs from animals to determine a seasonal weather forecast, then this will be a difficult Winter.  All of the horses had developed a thick Winter coat by late September.  They also had developed thick fetlock (leg) hair by October. This is surprising, because they are all housed in a warm indoor barn at night. 

                    Although all of the immunizations for all of the species are up to date, we worm all species every Spring and every Autumn, and with all the activity here, I was late in both dog and equine preventive worming. This year, we also have the challenge of sheep, and since the sheep and the horses share some common pastures at times, the sheep may bring an added source of worms or other issues.  Yesterday completed the preventive worming for the farm, which is generally delivered once a day for three consecutive days.
                  If you think that your farm, large or otherwise might benefit from preventive worming as I have described, I have a few cautions.  The size of your farm, it's location in the country or in the world, the age and type of your animals, the animals ages,  and the available over the counter preventives in your area, all play a role in what is possible or wise.  Ask your vet as to how best to prevent infections in your location.  You should know something about the most common helminthic infections (worms) in your region, and something about the most common viral, bacterial and other infections which afflict the species you house.  Once you know something about the issues to be avoided, you can take steps to avoid these, using both normal preventive techniques (such as diligent water changing, etc.) and by using preventive medications, when necessary.