Flu Season

I have a sheep who's been sick for about six days. She doesn't have a name. Unfortunately, she's one of my pure-bred ewes. She does seem to be getting slightly better; but the improvement is so slight that it could just be my wishful projection. Because she's a sheep and she's sick, she'll probably croak soon and I'll have to deal with the Dead Animal Man again.

As you know, when my first young buck died last summer, the entire flock was forcibly converted to follow the precepts of the Christian Scientists. I decided that no pharmaceutical company has developed any medicine that can cure a sick sheep; and so the sheep must trust in the words of the Twenty-Third Psalm (I think that's the right number) and hope that their REAL SHEPHERD hears their prayers because I'm at a loss as to how I can heal them. As a neighbor told me, "just segregate the sick one and keep her quiet." That was the only advice he had on treating ill ovines after he had raised them for over twenty-years.

This morning, the Husband took Antoinette in for a booster shot of some sort. We received the notice from the Vet and dutifully followed instructions to bring her in and write him another check. However, as soon as the Husband put Antoinette in the car for the ride to the village, she projectile vomited.

She often pukes in the car, but usually waits for it to start rolling down the road.

At the Vet's, Antoinette was diagnosed with the "flu." And so she couldn't get her booster shot. She has to come back in a week for that. However they did give her three other shots and loaded the Husband up with packets of medicine.

Oh, the doctor also told the Husband that Antoinette has to lose three kilos! He said if she's this fat at a year and a half, she'll be a real tub when she's older.

When the Husband pulled in the yard and got out of the car, Antoinette followed behind him but somehow got her leg stuck between the car seat and had twisted her body around. She was screaming. Believe me, you don't want to hear a dog screaming. The Husband went to help her, and she bit him rather badly.

We're having a bad animal day.