Gilbert the Goat
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Gilbert, a miniature Nubian goat, has walked the hard path to happiness. Yet he has never complained – only offered sweetness to everyone he has met along the way. YOUR DONATIONS enabled us to give life and happiness to this sweet creature.
History
Gilbert was brought to us by a distraught owner who had been trying to treat him but could do nothing more for the little guy. He was (and is) one of the sweetest-tempered goats we’ve ever known. Even when he felt absolutely awful, he would still lean up to give kisses and nose rubs.
When he arrived at our farm, he couldn’t stand up on his own. He ate voraciously, but could not gain weight. And if, overnight, he would lie down on his side, we would find him in the morning, crying to be helped up to sit sternal again. We had to prop him up with a maternity pillow and a huge teddy bear, and use pee pads under him to try to keep him clean.
Off to the Hospital
Within just a few days, we knew that Gilbert needed a great deal more help than we could give him, so we brought up to New Bolton Center (University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital) in Kennett Square.
Gilbert had suffered from several bad bouts of parasites, and was quite malnourished, so at first the worked on building up his strength. But radiographs and bloodwork showed that he had an infection deep in his chest, due to having been down for so long. This was really bad news. They just didn’t know if he could fight off the infection. They did regular bloodwork, and cultured the infection, changing out the antibiotics a few times.
A Favorite of the Vet Students
As he got stronger and was able to walk on his own, he became quite the Big Man on Campus. Students and vets alike would greet him and stop to inquire about his health!
Surgery
Ultimately they used a fascinating device called a “wound vac” that literally slowly vacuumed out the pus from his sternum; for unfortunately, he had osteomyelitis, a very serious condition. He went through many rounds of this; because his fibrinogen levels started to lower, but then went up again, they offered us the option to do a minor surgery where they inserted tiny beads of antibiotics directly into the sternum.
Whenever we are offered a surgical option, our first question is, “how much pain will this cause?” and “what chances does this give him?” In this case, the veterinarian, who was just amazing at explaining everything to us, said it was his best chance for survival, and was not an invasive surgery.
Homecoming
Gilbert got better and stronger (and fatter!), and, after six weeks in the hospital, they declared him ready to come home! We’ve gone for one checkup since then, and are due for another before the end of the year. He continues to improve, but we have to inject him daily with antibiotics and clean and bandage his chest every day. His wound has gone from the size of a quarter and foul with oozing pus, to just a pinprick with a slight daily discharge from it (as they told us there would be).
His prognosis when we checked him into the hospital was “poor” and we were devastated – and also unsure about putting him through a long hospitalization (and paying for it). But as he improved, they changed his prognosis to “guarded” (with optimism!, I might add).
We Have You to Thank!
Had we not received generous gifts from donors, we never could have promised to help little Gilbert. Our hospital bill came to just under $8,000, and we have to purchase numerous supplies for him, as his bandaging regimen will continue for some time.
This is what donating to Star Gazing Farm does – YOU enable us to make decisions that directly affect the life (or death) of an animal in need.
Now little Gilbert watches over Madison, our very aged sheep (almost 21 years old). He adores him, and is never far from his side. Imagine in your winter years, finding such a loyal companion.