Maggie- icing.

 The clicker training is working! We are able to keep a damp flannel on her knee for a few minutes now. Next is to move onto ice. Our next problem is how to remove the Fentanyl patch on her leg without having our hands bitten!

Shearing.

Don't be fooled by how peaceful it all seems. We had a frustrating morning. It took 50 minutes to move these sheep out of one field. 50 minutes! It used to take Maggie  5 to 10 minutes. The little b.... knew where the gate was but would they go through, no. The shearer was due at 10.30 am and I thought they won't be in the yards when he arrives. Once they kindly left the field they actually just went from field to field and into the yards like sugar wouldn't melt. Tired mostly likely but whose fault was that. So the four woollies got shorn and our kind shearer even did the 5 lambs that needed marking. The rest were vaccinated. We're going to miss Maggie! She barked and howled from her crate and now has a red spot on her bottom from swiveling around wanting to come and work. It's been a busy few days.

Hay making.

Well that's another job done, hard work, well not for me but for Chris! Yesterday he raked the hay and he was back this morning baling. We're lucky that he fits us in while also doing his own fields. I had a message from him telling me he baled 24 round bales and thought it was good quality too. Earlier this year we had the field fertilized, then during the winter sprayed for broad leafed weeds and finally a booster at the beginning of spring. Looks like all this has paid off.

Maggie's home.

Maggie is a sorry sight. They shaved all the way up her leg and across half her back. She's allowed some weight bearing but we help support her too, with a towel under her body. We are asked to ice the knee a few times a day. Now this sounds simple enough but not with Maggie. This is a dog that has never, never laid down beside us not even as a puppy. Our first attempt went badly, she  went berserk, fighting to get away in the confines of a crate so we stopped. We'll give her a day then I'll try just putting a face flannel on her leg then rewarding with a clicker and some yummy food. We're also expected to stretch her leg! There are fun times ahead.

Maggie's woes.

I suppose we've been lucky. A recent study by the Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences found that Tripawds maybe susceptible to future orthopedic conditions after an average of 21 months. Maggie's occurred after 2.5 years. Now we think about about it there were some warning signs, the latest being fluid on her knee. So when she went lame when moving some sheep it wasn't a surprise when the Vet told us her cruciate had torn. A visit to the specialist confirmed this. Poor Maggie! At least Tripawds having TPLO's isn't unusual these days and they have a good recovery rate, but Maggie isn't the best patient so it will be a slow process and then she'll back on all three legs.

The sun isn't shining!

The saying was 'make hay while the sun shines', much more suited to the English climate than here and certainly not today's weather when our grass was cut. In fact we were waiting for this drizzle to go away! After the dry winter we did wonder if the grass would grow enough to cut, but the high nitrogen in the booster we had applied and the bit of rain over the last month did the trick. The grass and clovers were thick and up to knee height which was pleasing. Now to see how many bales are made.

Blue Iris.

The white Iris are nearly over and now the Blue Iris have popped up. After the dry and cold winter I wasn't sure if I'd see any this season.