Tuesday, May 29, 2008 | Day 26

Some folks are saying this is the beginning of the sloughing process. Others are saying - Oh my God...get a vet out there! I feel this was going to slough off soon, but perhaps she snagged it on something and ripped it and started the process earlier. Either way, I'm letting it take it's course. Keeping it clean and medicated. I have half a mind to snip some of the dead skin off if she'd let me so that it won't snag on something else.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 | Day 25

I've never seen anything like this. One of the vets described what was going to happen as 'like a bullet shot from the inside out" and that is what it looks like. However, the folks who have gone through this with their doe said it just died and dropped off in one chunk. I can't help but think she caught it on something and ripped it open or something.

Half of it is just hanging there attached to what seems to me to be living flesh. It doesn't seem to bother her anymore than usual. She's flinching and kicking at it a bit, but I think that's flies bugging her.

So again I'm not sure whether to continue doing what I'm doing or if I should try to wrap it up or something. It looks like it could easily snag on something and rip off.

Disgusting.

I feel terrible for her...

The yellowish green hue on the teat is Fural (wound medication)

On this photo I lightened the area in the background to differentiate the leaves from the teat.

Saturday, May 25, 2008 | Day 22

I have spoken with three people now, who have gone through this with their own goat, and who let the dead teat slough without any intervention. Finally I have a handle on how long the process is actually going to take -- 3 to 4 months! Andi's dead teat is extremely large, so it may take even longer. The entire thing has to die completely, then it needs to heal underneath, and only then does it fall off. I am told it will be one big chunk - similar to how the balls fall off when you wether a boy with a band.

Still - this is looking pretty wet and I think the goal is for it to dry up and become leathery.

No more antibiotics for this girl. She has two pretty major swellings at the injection sites...and I'm pretty certain that the infection has run it's course