Sunday, March 27, 2011

V - Day


My calendar said today was Big Animal Vaccination Day in big red letters and I was nervous. I had picked up my baggies of shots (that sounds funny, doesn't it?) from my vet clinic a few days earlier and had been stewing over them ever since:

While I've given shots on occasion to Chester, my donkey, and my goat boys, Pete and Reggie, I don't do it regularly enough to feel supremely confident about it. Here's Beau looking a bit concerned about the whole thing:

Bottom line, though, I was far less concerned about giving the donkeys their shots than I was about giving Kai llama hers.

You see, Kai and I came to an agreement many months ago: she approaches me and touches me whenever she wants to, but it is very much preferred that I do not touch her - under any circumstances - unless it is during the exchange of carrots. Today, however, was obviously not carrot day:

Fortuntately, my girlfriend, Lori, was very happy to lend me moral and physical support in my vaccination efforts this evening. Friends like this are invaluable, let me tell you :-) :

Because of Kai's tendency to rear up, spin and kick out when confronted with situations she feels uncomfortable in, we utilized the two green gates I have at the entrance of my barn to act as a sort of llama "chute":

The idea was that this would safely contain her, while protecting us and allowing me to easily inject her. Novel idea...until she kushed down and sat on her haunches:

But, a farm girl doesn't give up. A poke in my own thumb and a bent needle later, I managed to vaccinate my llama...while on my knees:

Next year, I think I will wait until after she has been shorn to try to do this. At least half of my battle was trying to weave my way through all her thick winter fiber to find her skin! Live and learn.

Phew! I think all of us here on Critter Farm can say we are mighty relieved to have B.A.V.D. (Big Animal Vaccination Day) behind us!


P.S. Just as an FYI...
The donkeys, Chester and Beau, received an "Equine 5-way plus West Nile Virus" vaccination. This shot is a combination of the 5 vaccines that are considered a must for all horses (and donkeys) in my area - Tetanus toxoid, Eastern Encephalomyelitis (EEE), Western Encephalomyelitis (WEE), Influenza and Rhinopneumonitis. It also contains the vaccine against the West Nile Virus. Kai received the standard CD-T vaccination which protects against enterotoxemia (overeating disease) caused by Clostridium perfringins types C and D and tetanus (lockjaw) caused by Clostridium tetani.

28 comments:

  1. Good for you, being able to do your own shots. It can really save you some cash. I use to give my own in Oklahoma, but in WI a vet has to do the rabies, so I gave in.

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  2. i bet you are glad that is over. i would have been a nervous wreck!

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  3. Well, I for one am proud of you. I hate needles and I am not sure I could do it. I KNOW I couldn't do it with just a tiny little boo boo. i would have ended up with a hoof in my face or something like that :)

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  4. Well done! Maybe I should get some of that enterotoxemia vaccine and poke myself.

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  5. Great idea using the gates as a chute! Anything to make the job a little less dangerous for the humans involved.

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  6. Oh my, so that means you are now protected from Overeating Disease as well..send me some of that! Ha! I didn't know equines needed to have these shots..I don't think peeps across the road give these..go figure...their animals aren't that healthy, maybe that's why. I am so glad you take such good care of yours!

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  7. LOL on the bent needle....reminds me of the time I was teaching my niece to give shots and she went in one side and out the other into her own hand. We laughed so hard I wet my pants. She didn't get parvo that year:)
    Don't worry, soon giving shots will be easy as pie.

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  8. Congratulations! I can't imaging trying to give shots to a llama.

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  9. So much to learn.

    Maybe a few carrot bribes, in addition to the two gates (great idea!) would have helped. ;)

    Have a great week! :)

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  10. Seeing as I hate medical needles, I got the shivers! I dread vaccinating Bill! I haven't done it yet, but I need to soon.

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  11. Congratulations on getting BAVD done and over with!

    Hope you had a nice glass of wine that evening!

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  12. Phew! GLAD to hear that is over and ThankGOD for best friends!!!I wrote something down I saw on another Blog, "A Best Friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have" Author Unknown My violets are UP this morning!!!One of my FAV!

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  13. Ha! Cush! This is what Boo does when the goatmother tries to trim her hooves. I never knew it had a name. But, that explains a log. She must be part Llama and we never knew!

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  14. I don't do needles. I get all wiggy. Mine wife does the shots. she had me do it once, and I puked in my mouth a little. Ok, not true, but I didn't do well with it.

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  15. I'm like you, I do it, but not confident about it, and what's worse, the goats know I'm not confident about it.

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  16. glad you got the job done, adn seeing as how you got poked in the thumb, I guess your protected now too! Sounds like a great idea to wait till after shearing the llama...and speaking of, when does that happen? I'm really interested to hear all about that day!

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  17. it sounds as emotional of a time as I had holding my 4 year old down for her 5 shots in her legs... although trying to give a shot to a llama is much more risky and challenging physically!!!

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  18. Poor Kai. I don't think carrots would have done it for me either. Can't blame a girl for sitting down hoping it will all just go away. It was worth a try!
    Staci

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  19. Great job! I can't even imagine giving a llama a shot. Finding the skin would be the most difficult part.

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  20. That was smart to use those gates as a chute for Kai. I bet everyone on Critter Farm is happy to have BAVD behind them, and probably none as much as you!

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  21. Poor Kai! Poor you! I didn't get this far with Charlie, but I could appreciate the experience. The real question is, how long will it take her to forgive you?

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  22. Good for you. I would have been stewing over it, too.

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  23. Okay, you did sound a little like a drug dealer talking about baggies. ;) :D

    The look on Beau's face was a little bit of, "What'cha talkin' 'bout Willis?" :D

    Thank goodness for Lori!!! And good for you for getting it done. I don't think I could do it (yet). I'm totally impressed. You go!

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  24. Great job Dr. Danni..I have to say, giving shots either to humans or animals would not be my forte..I have to look away even when they give me one..haha I'm a big wimp..you did an amazing job..Bravo!!! Now their all healthy til next year!

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  25. I completely understand your concern with the llama. We have Fuzzy and they can be intimidating. We have the same arrangement. She can touch me, eat from the bucket etc...but under no circumstances can I pet/touch/catch her. We gave CD&T shots and de wormed all 9 goats, 15sheep but couldn't cathch the llama. I continued to worry about this. So this morning we let her into the smaller paddock behind the barn and Ted and I looked at each other like, if she kicks me it's really going to hurt. After a few attempts I was able to walk right up to her and put my arm around her neck and get the halter on her. The shot was a snap. Boy does she hate to have the dewormer gun put into her mouth. After a few attempts a rearing I finally got the drench down her. Yes, it does taste nasty. Take my word on it. Happy Llamaing. You did a great job. I stuck my thumb the other day too. Doesn't freak me out. I would much rather tick my finger at home than at the hospital with HUMANS. Ewwwww.....

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  26. Yikes. You're brave. I don't like giving shots so I have my vet come out and do them...that way I also make sure everyone gets a good once-over just in case I'm not seeing something going on with them.

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