saturday she was really having trouble getting out to the little sheep field so i said to leave her in the sheep barn shed. sunday she was even worse so we called out the vets. i had thought to euthanize on sunday because i felt we had gone as far as we possibly could with pain control. the vet offered the possiblity of a trial of a really high dose of steriods..there were some risks to her kidneys and liver involved but she had such a strong and determined will to live, we all thought it was reasonable to give her more time if we could. the vet was cl;ear that we really would not see any positive results for two or three days but since she seemed content to take it easy, and was still eating and drinking up a storm, i thought it would be ok.
well, it wasn't....by bedtime she couldn't even drink on her own from a bucket placed close beside her...we had to bring it to her right under her chin and then she could suck it down. she seemed more anxious too which may have been another side effect from the high steriod dose, i know that can happen with humans, so most likely with sheep too. i was worried because she could be thirsty or anxious when no one was near her. kevin called me this morning and said that while he was able to lift her up at breakfast time, her back end kept collapsing underneath her while she was trying to eat. i asked if she was distressed and he said that he thought that she was. i knew baby was teetering right on the edge of the end of her life and i suddenly realized it wasn't fair or necessary to take her to the very last inch of living that she could go. i called the vets back and asked them to come back out and help her to let go.
she had a very good death...she was in her home where she felt safe, she passed from this life to the next in one single moment without any fear.
love you baby, hope you are running young and free in a beautiful green grass field of all your very best dreams. you were such a gracious and lovely sheep.
RIP Baby, you will be greatly missed. Such a sweet girl