Sometimes it doesn't matter how much you try

Did you know that rabies and thiamin deficiency are scarily similar in lambs. So many of you probably didn’t want to know that, and are now looking at house lambs differently. It isn’t common for a lamb to get rabies, but I just thought I would throw it out there, as Bobbert bit me the other day. I was clearing out the dog food he had snaked. Molars are vicious, as you can see in the picture below. (Welcome new readers, I do indeed post bloody pictures here. And I tend to get injured a bit often)

Bobbert was an interesting case. He was dong great, then bam! Down. But then the next morning he was up and fine again. But last night was not the case. He just slowly faded. It was so hard watching it. Husband held him, petting him and talking to him. We tried everything sans a blood transfusion to keep him with us. Husband even preformed mouth to mouth when he stopped breathing.

We had to give him a B complex shot, to attempt to perk him up yesterday. It only worked for a few minutes. He wasn’t processing nutrients correctly. A saltine and a bottle of sugar water had perked him up better than the B complex shot.

It’s difficult to lose a little one, whose mother rejected them and you worked so hard to keep. But it does happen on occasion.

We enjoyed Bobbert while he was with us. He received lots of love in his short time. He was smug and self centered, but very personable when he wanted attention.

For those of you new to this life, remember its ok when we lose one. The homestead must roll on. Give yourself a moment to grieve, as death is a part of the simple life.