Gravely ill, but standing
Thursday 3/36 - short version: Ursula is still gravely ill, but she is standing and trying to eat. She might make it. We are cautiously optimistic and encouraged that she is trying to live. I didn’t think she’d make it beyond TUesday night.
Pneumonia, ketosis, threat of hypocalcemia relapse.
If she doesn’t eat, she’ll die.
We are force feeding her meds and fluids to address the ketosis. But you can’t give a ruminant enough to live via syringe for long.
Eating a little bit and moving around more — this is a huge step in the right direction for which we are deeply grateful (and relieved).
Today hasn’t had any signs of hypocalcemia relapse. But that will happen if she doesn’t eat. She needs to get the calcium from somewhere. Continuing to syringe it down her throat is only an option for so long and increases possibility of aspiration on already compromised lungs (she got rumen fluid in her lungs early Tuesday morning when she bloated when she had stage three hypocalcemia and was paralyzed).
Calf is well: She has also nursed her calf who is healthy - a little chocolate brown bull calf with some brindle stripes in the sunlight. He can do zoomies already. Name suggestions? We are temporarily calling him Baked Bean, but “miracle” in another language would be apt.
SUMMARY: if her appetite comes back, we get her minerals in balance, and her lungs heal then she could live. But she can’t go much longer without a lot more food. Her ketosis (no fuel in her rumen - glucose stored in her liver- so she burns fat and muscle) releases nasty chemicals into her blood which depresses her appetite and suppresses her immune system to fight infection in her lungs.
