Never did I imagine that having farm animals involved so many medications and injections!! I have a whole drawer of my downstairs bathroom now devoted to syringes, needles and animal drugs! Plus there's penicillin in my fridge, and I mean in an actual bottle, not growing on some old lemon Gordon forgot about!!!
I have needles in many gauges (and actually know which to use for what) and syringes from 3 cc to 20 cc.
The, er, lubricant was bought just in case I had to "go in" during goat kidding! Fortunately I haven't had to use it yet.
I needed to deworm the pigs (a bit late, I meant to do it right after things finally froze in December!) with Safeguard, which comes in liquid oral form. So I had this brainstorm at the grocery store..
MINI MUFFINS!
I figured I'd inject mini carrot muffins with the proper dosage and give one muffin to each pig. They really shouldn't have sugary treats but these are so small, I figured they'd be okay (and they did have actual carrots in the ingredients!)
As an aside, half our grocery cart every week seems to be filled with fruit and veg for the farm animals! And that tricolour pasta is a pig treat. I stuff Kong treat dispensers with it. Keeps 'em amused in winter! The ducks love the kale but so do I.
So tonight every pig got a muffin laced with dewormer. It was easy for me to keep track of who got what, and it worked like a charm. Ha!
Meanwhile in my office...
... the cat presence was very heavy! Honey and Annuk snuggling in my chair...
...Daisy and Mootie in a bed under my new desk! I just had my entire office redone, including the floors. Got toss all the IKEA furniture I'd had for 11 years that was falling to pieces, woo hoo.
And outside, it's time for...
...a donkey felfie with Saul...
...and a pony felfie with Finney!
Everyone got a hoof trim last week. I think Esme's hooves are looking particularly nice. She's had many bouts of laminitis over the years and we are really trying to prevent it from happening again.
Saul wants to know who the real ass is in this picture! But these two are good buddies who play together. They are both four years old now.
I love this guy to bits!
So, if you decide to deworm your pigs and use my patented mini-carrot-muffin method, let me know how it goes! :)
I think you are brilliant to come up with the muffin idea. I love Saul. Is it possible he'll get a friend or so of his own kind?
ReplyDeleteThere are many options for animals these days which give them a much better and longer life. Good on you for learning how to give meds properly...like in muffins!
ReplyDeleteI used to buy stale baked goods and "butter|" it up with Ivomectin paste for my pigs. They loved it! I used to do it in February.
ReplyDeleteWe'll call you Nurse Natalie. The doctor never has to figure out how to get the medication into the reluctant patient! You've done splendidly.
ReplyDeleteYou are truly a doctor! You made me laugh, thinking about penicillin growing on an old lemon Gordon forgot. :)
ReplyDeleteHoney and Annuk snuggling in THEIR chair that they sometimes very generously share with you.
ReplyDeleteEsme's hooves look like spats. Classy!
And I just thought of this and now will forever think of you as E.L. Doctorowe!
ReplyDeleteNatalie, I love your pictures... especially the animal selfies. As for the drawer of medications, I imagine if you didn't do some of this yourself, your Vet bill would be astronomical... if it isn't already.
ReplyDeleteYou are the mother of invention! Genius way to deworm your pigs and should be written up for the veterinary journals!
ReplyDeleteSaul looks like he has a bit of the punk rocker look going on. :) Love the muffin idea.
ReplyDeleteDon't you love it when you come up with a really clever sounding idea, and it actually works!! :)
ReplyDeletewhere oh where do you find the time??? xoxo catchatwithcarenandcody
ReplyDeleteOh lord just don't let Gordon take a muffin that's laced with dewormer lol ! That wont be pretty lol ! Yup having animals is a 24/7 job I remember it all from my farm days lol ! But it is all worth it as I to love all the animals . Lovely photos , Thanks for sharing , have a good day !
ReplyDeleteI look forward to a dose of pure joy when I receive your post with all of the photos/comments...
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