Danny is an easy little lamb although reacts dramatically when life happens! Danny will give a little squeak to let you know he is hungry but then quietly wait until his bottle is ready without another sound. If he trips over his big, long legs he will lay there with legs splayed looking up at you like “well aren’t you going to do something”. Danny sits quietly under his carer’s desk while she works, waiting for her to take a break so he can go outside for a play. He is not overly inquisitive and we think will be a quiet boy when he’s older.
When Stanley arrived into care, he would not take his bottle. This is always a very obvious sign of a problem because the highlight of the day for most lambs is bottle time. His temperature was on the high side so he was given antibiotics in case an infection was brewing. Although his temperature improved, Stanley would still not drink. Constipation can cause lack of appetite in lambs but a small dose of oil will normally see this condition fixed. The oil helped Stanley do a small poo but his condition still did not improve.
When he still would not drink his milk, Stanley’s carer tube fed him the milk to try to build up the essential nutrients his little body was becoming starved of. It was then that he crashed and his temperature dropped to a critical low of 36oC. He could easily have slipped quietly away if not for the dedication of his carer and her family in keeping him alive. Round the clock care saw his temperature stabilise with the help of an Intensive Care Unit. The next day things looked a lot brighter for this dear little boy and a visit to the vet gave us the positive news we were all hoping for. We are so happy to say the future is looking good for Stanley who was so dangerously close to death.
Photos: Danny in yellow by Jane Jarman and Stanley in blue plus Stanley and Danny by Laura Chayter
