some thoughts, another tangled ramble

 So , again I must apologize  for being a bad  blogger! Seems  time is  just  getting away on me. Plus  with no "go to " camera  I haven't  been  taking any photos.
Upside is I figured out  the camera  deal. I really like the  zoom  feature and I wasn't  ready to pay  nearly $100 more  for a  camera that w as  waterproof and shock proof , but took  poorer  quality pictures, so I had  settled on  the Lumix  with the 20X  zoom, and a really  good  case  to protect it. Then I went online and  found  a Lumix  waterproof that  was  way  cheaper , still poorer zoom, but without a lot of the bells  and whistles  the expensive one  had (that I didn't  want , seriously  GPS on a  camera?? not that  technical  thanks)

Now that t he camera issue is  solved, or  soon  to be ,what else is new? Not much, it has  been  cold , and with the cold I am in  the house a lot more, and when I am inside, what do I do ? yup I think!!!
A situation the other  night  brought to mind an issue so bear with me , we are headed for a ramble again.

Went to see my  cousin  on  Sunday , and when I got home I had a panicked  call from  the neighbor, crying and saying "you have to come ! its an emergency! bring  formula and a bottle!" Which  translates  to bring colostrum  for a  calf and a calf bottle. Because I know this gal  gets  pretty  worked up, I asked a few  questions  first, and long  story  short , she had a heifer  calve, they had  to assist it as it was a very large  calf (poor choice of  bull) and the heifer then  prolapsed. The vet was called to repair the prolapse and sew up  the cow. All of this happened at  around  2 pm . I got the call at 6:30 ,so  you can imagine, a  snappy  cold  day -15 C  was  a pretty  bad  time  to be  a brand  new  soaking  wet  critter  without  momma  doing her  job, and not on  particularly  good  bedding. With  that info , I also  grabbed  the tube  feeder , because I figured the little  tyke  wasn't  gonna have  the stuffin's  to suck a bottle . She had  the calf  in the house  by then and  we  did  what  we  could for it . I did tube it , and gave it a  shot of  vitamins and  selenium ( we are  in  an area of grey  wooded soil  which is  selenium  deficient ) I did  what  I could  and  we  got  baby  warmed up and back  near  momma  on  dry  deep  bedding in  a sheltered  area. The  next  day  the  gal  asked  me to call  and talk to the  vet  explaining  what  we had  done and what  medications  we  had  given   because  she was  too  confused. I did and this is the same  vet I regularly use so  no  big deal.
Except it  kind of is, and this is where  the ramble  starts.

When  you have  stock,  you  are going to need  a vet  from  time  to time, and its  not always  possible  to get the neighbor to call  for you . So there  are a  few  things  to remember  when you are faced with  an  emergency  and  calling  your vet, or  for that matter  your  neighbor.

1. as  upset  as  you  are  no one  can help  you if  they  cannot understand  you , so crying and  panicking into the  phone is  not a great plan
2. speak  clearly , and even if  you have to take  notes make  clear what  you are asking
3. If  you need the vet to come out, have whatever  critter  you need  looked at IN  A PEN . It  is not the vets  job  to herd  your  wild  heifer into a corral in order to treat it  or assist in its  calving 
4. Know  your  stock, and their "normal " so that unusual  signs  and symptoms  are  easily  recognize and  you  can  concisely  tell your  vet what is amiss
5. When  you  have  already treated  the animal  with  some  meds , tell your  vet  what medications,  what time and what  dosage. Again  write it  down if  you need  to 
6. Understand  you  might  not  be  the only  person  needing the  vet that  day  so if  you are able to clearly  record and report signs  symptoms and  what  treatment if  any  you have  already administered , you can save  the vet and yourself  valuable time so that they  can  best  triage  the  calls and help 
7. have a  full and  complete  emergency first aid  kit, the  tools to do  what  you need  to to maintain  the animal as  best  you can until  the help  arrives. (ie ,in this case , colostrum,  bottles, tube  feeder,  calf  sled , calving  chains  etc)
8. remember to breath! 
9. when  you fail to plan  you plan to fail. If  you  choose  to have livestock of  any kind , you need  to be  aware  that things  happen, an full "kit "  and  supplies/equipment is a  must. Know where it is  and what it is . Again there is a time to be haring  across  the pasture  with a  rope or  a halter  to catch  whatever  critter  is  in need, and that time is  not  when the vet is already  there ! 

Most  for the  folks  I know  already  do  this . but there  are a  few in  the world who are either new  to the  farming  deal, or  just  not getting it , and it makes  life  pretty tough , for  them,  their stock and all involved.
I know a  fellow  blogger  who  just  got through  a bad round of colic  with  2  of her  horses, and actually  came out the other  end  successful  because of her  quick thinking  and  calm  approach, another  who  sadly  lost a horse, but again  because they  followed some simple  rules they  got the horse  treated, and managed  her  pain well until  the  time  came  to stop  the fight and let  her  go.
We  do  not  always  save  them  all but if  we  do  loose  a critter to illness or injury , the planning and preparedness can  certainly  mitigate  the pain and  stress. There is a  lot more I could  add, and  maybe  should but I will  leave it at this for now.
 And just  tell you  to stay warm and  safe my  friends!