Urinary Calculi Surgery

[DownUnder Gal]

I hope I'm not tempting fate by posting this update but William is doing really well.  I know he is feeling good because he frisks me for snacks every time I come into the paddock, which is something he used to do before he got sick.  He took a good three weeks to get over the surgery and only in the last few days have I integrated him back into the herd, and even then only during the day.  He had a few re-introductory visits with the other goats every couple of days in week two but golly, they can be cruel.  Always ganging up on him and brutally butting him just where it hurts.  Even if he visited with just one goat he got the rough end of the pineapple.  I had to physically intervene a number of times and take him away quickly.  After each encounter he started to drip blood from his sheath but I was warned that that was expected (and OK) by the vet.  It was still distressing.  He was obviously not ready to go back in the main paddock at that point but I needed to check from time to time how strong he was with the others and that seemed the only way to do it.  He was becoming a little depressed, having lost his position in the herd.  However, now William has re-established himself as 2IC (I am the boss ) and grazing away happily with the others in a new paddock of lush grass and lots of saplings.  I am so glad he has his dam and sister doing shifts in the sick bay paddock at night to keep him company; family bonds mean they treat him respectfully and don't shove him about.  I try to ensure anyone who is ill is not on his own (where possible and depending what the issue is).  William has lost 12kg which is what the vets wanted, given he was somewhat overweight at the time of surgery.  He can get around much easier now but I don't want him to lose any more.

I am mixing 1kg of salt with water per day and soaking everyone's hay with it on vets' orders, to encourage more water consumption.  I'm also putting coarse plain salt out free choice in addition to salt blocks.  After initially ignoring it most of the goats seem to be nibbling at it every day.  I just have to keep an eye on the weather and retrieve the pans if it starts to rain.  I've also removed all the sheep sorrel by hand from the paddock they're in which took about 5 hours - apparently it can exacerbate the type of stones William has.  He's had his urine tested and all looks good, for now.  It will be re-tested every few months.