Sad Day

About an month ago, our sweet Pygmy goat, Grace, started falling down a lot and seemed to be wheezing. We had a big fire in the area and there was a lot of smoke from the fire lingering, so while we knew that Grace was getting old, I was  hopeful she just had a respiratory infection. (DH thought she was just getting old and was on her last legs) We brought her in the house and cared for her and dosed her up with B vitamin injections and Robitussin for a week/ She improved a great deal so we put her back out with the rest of the herd. The problem we encountered, though, is that they weren't being very nice to her. (DH was concerned that the rest of the goats were trying to thin the herd) They were constantly head butting her and chasing her away from the feed. So, like a good husband, DH built a pen next to the yard where we keep the goats. That way, she could be near the herd but wouldn't be bullied.

After a week, she was so much better, we started letting her back in the yard with the herd for short periods of time and no one was bothering her, so I moved her back in, full time. Things seemed fine, although sometimes she seemed a little less energetic than usual. Yesterday, I noticed that she was moving kind of slowly, but she wasn't wheezing or acting sick in any way so I didn't bring her in the house (with the puppies in the house it didn't seem like a good idea to bring a potentially sick goat inside). But sadly, this morning, when I went to feed everyone, she wasn't with the herd. In fact, she wasn't anywhere to be found. I called for her and called for her and looked everywhere. Then, I thought that maybe, since it had been raining, she might have gone under the shed that's in their yard (it's built on a hill so there's a clearance of about 4 feet). Sadly, that is where I found her. She looked like she was just sleeping, but after climbing under the shed, I realized that she had passed in her sleep during the night. I am thankful that she seemed to have gone peacefully but will miss her immensely. She was my favorite goat and always wanted love and affection from me at feeding times and whenever I went in the yard (as opposed to the other goats who are just interested in whether or not I have food).

My Sweet Gracie Girl