Month Seven Part 2

The following Wednesday, I went out to do chores.  I gave Mama her antibiotics and went about my normal daily chores: scooping poop, filling hay bags, etc.  Since it was nice out and DJ was gone, I decided to set up my barn camera (or try to).  I went back to the house to get it and plugged it in.  I opened the app on my phone, but it couldn't find it.  I went back inside to move the router and head back to the barn.  Still nothing.  I accept defeat for the night and grain the horses.  Mama doesn't move.  Weird.  I call for her and she looks at me, still doesn't move.  I take the feed pan to her and she sniffs it.  Hmm...  She tries to take a bite and starts shaking her head.  I watch her for a bit and this continues.  Then I notice her flank area is moving abnormally.  I convince myself it looks like contractions (note: I have no idea what contractions look like...).  I walk away from her to give her space and she still won't eat.  Then she comes over to me.  Hmm... this is weird-- she's not exactly thrilled with me since I started shoving a tube of antibiotics down her throat twice a day.  Then she starts pawing.

I call Peter.  No answer.  I call Tessa.  She answers, screaming children and all.  I tell her what's going on and then I realize the sweat is real and I'm not just convincing myself of that.  Time to call the vet.  I give him the rundown and he wants to check her.  Naturally things like this only happen when DJ is gone with the truck.  I call Debbie and start crying as soon as she answers.  It's like I kept my cool for the first two phone calls and then lost it.  Her and Bill hook the trailer up and head over.  We load her up and head to the clinic.

We get there and he's in the barn waiting.  Her respiratory rate is high and her guts are moving fast.  Another head scratcher, because other than that she now appears normal.  He decides to give her some banamine and suggests I keep her separate from Pongo to notice any changes in manure consistency or food consumption.  Uhh, yeah I can do that... I guess.  That won't be too hard.  By the time I get home, I'm a walking zombie.  She's eating again and acting normal.  "I'll figure this out tomorrow," I tell myself.  I get inside and call DJ.  I tell him we need to figure something out to keep them apart.  He's pretty excited willing to play Bob the Builder.

By the time I got home from work, I had a stall in the barn.  WHAAAAT!!  Major brownie points for DJ!

The craziness has quieted and we're getting into a routine for giving the antibiotics.  Hopefully that will be the end of the excitement until baby gets here in June... fingers crossed!