Topic: Annie Recovering from Hysterectomy (no joke!)
CaliforniaLyme
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So UPDATE: we had done welfare checks on Annie and found, much to our dismay, that despite the squeaky clean image these people put out, his water was filthy and his food was ON THE GROUND and that he was NEVER given any attention. He howled when he saw us (and if you have never heard a goat HOWL it is the most pitiful sound in the whole world). AND it turned out he had never been castrated hence his aggression. And that was horrible, that was a month or so ago we visited him and found all that out.
SO the people have JUST decided they didn't WANT a goat AFTER ALL after having had him for months & months now. He is MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE than before because now he is a full-grown billy pgymy goat and because he has NOT EVEN BEEN PETTED FOR MONTHS NOW. And this was a goat was was HAND RAISED and BOTTLE FED!! And petted every day of his life preceding them!!!
But he is coming back, and we are going to have him castrated at the Vet, and we are going to either work as hard on taming him as humanly possible or rehome him to a Pgymy Goat rescue place where they would take better care of him.
When we visited him, we actually tried to report the people to the SPCA because he had not been PETTED in months, but the SPCA said goats are not considered pets and that was not against the law. But he was the loneliest little goat I have ever seen and he howled at us in bleats when he saw us- it was so sad. It SHOULD be against the law when a goat HAD BEEN a pet and you were assured he WOULD BE a pet!!!
So not this weekend but next weekend he may be coming HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Weirdly enough, my husband is the one insisting on it even though he had insisted Annie go. He has a soft spot for animals and abuse of any kind makes him sick. The girls & I cried for 3 days after we visited Annie.
I got the email this morning and he was home from work today and when I told him they had decided to get rid of him, he said, "Bring him home."
My 10 year old just came in to say good morning and I told her and she said,
"That's weird, last night I had a dream we were going to get Annie and bring him home!"
So it was meant to be-
I know it is going to be a bit of a nightmare now. The person wrote he is even worse now and as of a month ago he was SO much worse. I won't be able to let my little one in the yard with ihm at all. But that's okay (we have 3 yards and lots of space!). My husband is talking about building a new fence for a new pasture for him!!!! (THIS from the man who said, "GET RID OF THE GOAT- OR ME!")-
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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CaliforniaLyme
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p.s. And we had begged to take him back then, too- but they SAID that he had been in such a state when we dropped by unexpectedly because they were out of town and had a bad petsitter-!! And said they were going to get him a companion animal in his pen and get him castrated but NOW, opps, decided it cost too much!!! Why would they take an animal if they weren't prepared to pay ANY vet bills? You ALWAYS have to be prepared for unexpected expenses with animals!!!
Poor poor Annie, he was such a lovey-dovey creature with us. We used to be able to kiss him on his little muzzle but I don't think we can even get near him now!!!! POOR ANNIE!!!!
Not this weekend but next weekend he will hopefully come home!!!
Luckily it's winter and rain time so my little one won't miss the big yard too much- we have 2 other yards for her!!
HEY!! I have a photo of Annie I can email if anyone wants it!!! I got it online- it is Annie with our little black cat Diamond who loved Annie!!!!!!! Oh she will be so happy!!! That little black cat never loved anyone so much as that goatie!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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sizzled
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This is going to sound weird but if you can adopt another wether that is friendly and well-behaved, it will help turn 'Annie' around.
Annie can play like a goat but then can learn to behave differently to humans.
Thank heavens for people like you and your husband who are compassionate enough to recognize a bad situation.
posted
MAN!!! When I read the first paragraph I thought Annie was a HUMAN! Lord, have mercy!!
Then I remembered something about Sarah and a goat....
we had done welfare checks on Annie and found, much to our dismay, that despite the squeaky clean image these people put out, his water was filthy and his food was ON THE GROUND and that he was NEVER given any attention. He howled when he saw us (and if you have never heard a goat HOWL it is the most pitiful sound in the whole world). AND it turned out he had never been castrated hence his aggression. And that was horrible, that was a month or so ago we visited him and found all that out.
Sure am glad it's a goat we're talking about! Whew!
Somehow I think he might take that wrong since almost as soon as he comes home we are having him fully castrated!! I had a friend over for tea when I got a call back from the mobile vet re pricing, I hadn't told her yet about Annies return, her eyes widened as she eavesdropped,
"So JUST castration is $200? And you'll just DO it to him? Here?"
I was actually a little insulted at her expression!!!!!!!!!! Like she thought I was arranging a hit (below the belt!) on my poor husband!!!!!!!!!!!
So I think Manny Bananie would make him feel like he is missing something!!!
Annie will be pretty appropriate, hopefully, after we're done with him!!! I am hoping it will provoke a huge change in temperament but he may have gone too long like this already!! We'll see. We are prepared to rehome him if necessary but we are all very hopeful it will work out this time.
I can't wait to see him. Poor Annie.
He was such a sweetie. When we visited him, whne we came in the outer corral he saw us and started this horrid bleating hoWL, I have never heard anything like it in my life and he clearly recognized us, and it was like he was saying, "How could you have left me with these people?" (okay, so I am maybe MAAAYBE anthropomorphasizing a LITTLE bit-) and we had brought BREAD in our pockets to feed to him and HE DIDN't WANT it and we saw that they had set up a funnel where from OUTSIDE his cage/fence you could tip a bucket and food would go into the funnel and then fall on to the ground in his cage!!! But his gate was twisted shut with about 10 strands of WIRE which made it evident from that and the funnel that they did not even upon ihs gate to FEED him, not even ONCE a day open his GATE. And his water was FILTHY and had MOSS in it. I am NOT joking.
But he would not even eat the bread we brought for him, wouldn't even sniff it, just kept crying- and Annie LOVED LOVED LOVED eating MORE THAN ANYTHING!
We contacted the SPCA and they said they couldn't do anything because goats were not pets and tehre were different standards for goats. The people said when we were in contact with them that they had been out of town and that a pet sitter had done their job badly. But I don't believe that, frankly.
And they had named him CHUCK!! (Talk about mean!) We may have named him Annie but that was my two year olds idea from her favorite character from Little Einsteins!!
ANYWAY, I am SO glad he is coming back to people who love him. We can give him LOTS of St Johns Wort because in the months he has been gone the plant is bushy again!!! And he will LOVE the way the peach tree is drooping more with laden branchings because he can eat all the twigs and leaves!!! And he will be happy to see little Diamond, the black kitty, again. They were good friends and hung out together for most of the day every day.
I just hope the castratation changes him!!! We'll see!!
OH you guys- AND- he was SKINNY!!! Our fat little Annie Bananie was SKINNY!!! And I don't mean a healthy goat skinny I mean SKINNY!!!!!!!!
ANYWAY, I can't wait to see him- This weekend sometime-
Andif I can figure out how to post it I have a photo ofhim and Diamond the black kitty online in email now!!! He is such a cute goatie!!!
Sincerely,
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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sizzled
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Get the vet to worm him.
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Just Julie
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I second the worming idea . . . and it may take awhile (don't know, can't even guess) before, if any, you may see a "change" for the better in Annie's demeanor-meaning, maybe maybe back to his ole' self! I have heard thru a very reputable source (my friend runs the animal control in Berkeley) that even if you castrate a male, it may not have the effect you're hoping for, if it was done too late. . . hope you see a change for the good in this sweetiepie!
And, yes, email me a photo of your precious, at [email protected], Sarah. I'd love to see him!
His howling would have made me cry. On the spot. Doesn't matter if he's a goat, or not. That's a real heart puller there. So sorry!
-------------------- Julie Posts: 1027 | From Northern CA | Registered: May 2001
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CaliforniaLyme
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This is really weird. You guys won't believe this, truly, won't believe this, but it is true.
I don't even quite believe it.
It is raining and my husband has gone to pick up Annie from the vet where he is recovering.
He was supposed to have a full castration at 11 this morning, but then talking to the vet it turns out they were just going to cut off his balls, which weren't visible because they were not descended wihch is why the second people who had him thought he was fixed!!! But they were going to leave his little goatie penis!!!
OKAY
so the vet said, they called, and said they would do his operation later because his testicles were not in the usual undescended place they were WAY up in his abdominal cavity and he was a "clipped orchid" (sounds like) ???.
ANYWAY so it would cost more, we said fine of course!!!
SO SO SO
about an hour ago we got ANOTHER call.
"This is Adobe Animal Hospital"
(see, you can call and check on this it is true, it is so weird, Adobe Animal HOspital, Santa CRuz, CA)
"We were wondering WHY you named this goat Annie Our Tranny?" (on his name tag)
Weird question for vet to call & ask!!!
"Um, because it just seemed right. Our two year old named him." I said.
"Well, you don't know how right you ARE. Annie is a full-fledged hermaphrodite. We just removed two testicles, two ovaries and a uterus."
No, it's not a joke.
I was floored.
I STILL am floored. The vet said it was really strange and that somehow we must've known and I agreed with her but frankly I didn't really, have any real idea, although ANNIE seemed like the right name for him, and how weird because my husband always calls Annie SHE and HER and I always call Annie he and HIM and we've ARGUED over it. So it does have a weird psychic element to it.
"clipped orchid"??? Anyone know? She said, "Annie is a clipped orchid." Obviously it's not those words but I don't recognize the phrase but that was before they knew Annie was a full hermaphrodite!! So that explains why his testicles were up in his body completely they said-
Poor poor poor POOR goatie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So he not only had a de-balling but he had a full hysterectomy today!!!!!!!!!!!
I have already excitedly called all my friends and told them.
My husband is picking up Annie now- I would have gone but my older daughter is having piano practice with her instrcutor in the other room so I couldn't!!!
Anyway, we shall see what changes will be in that creature!!! CHUCK!!!! No wonder CHUCK and BILLY just didn't seem RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Though honestly, we didn't know at all.
It's weird htough.
The whole vets office was apparently very impressed by our psychic ability!!! On the phone the vet was breathless with excitement!!! Said it was the most intersting surgery of that type she had ever done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very weirded out, Sarah
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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charlie
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I think the term is 'cryptorchid' meaning undescended testicles...we had a rescue cat like that and they couldn't get the other ball out and he still fought like a real tomcat till it finally killed him.
some creep with a .22 did it
Charlie
Posts: 2804 | From Texas | Registered: Oct 2000
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CaliforniaLyme
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found it!! ********** Undescended Testicle or Cryptorchidism
Cryptorchidism literally means hidden or obscure testis. It is synonymous with incomplete testicular descent. The condition may be unilateral or bilateral.
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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CaliforniaLyme
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Thanks Charlie, I just found it, you're right. My husband just called and Annie is going to stay the night at the vets. And he will come home tomorrow and we have to give him shots for several days because it was a bigger operation than they expected. Pain shots? I don't know my husband didn't say- poor Annie!!! I hope he is not scared being there but my husband said he is doped up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope they keep him fully doped up because otherwise he may be scared!!!! Poor Annie!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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Geneal
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Oh Sarah,
I had to read this to believe it.....
No wonder he/she was so aggressive....Gender confusion.
Shoot, I am confused and I am not even the poor goat!
Keep Annie's name. We know that women are the stronger sex anyways.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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CaliforniaLyme
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Yup, husband is home, he says Annie has to wear a cone and has staples and we have to give him antibiotic shots and pain shots because it's a big incision!!! Poor goatie!!! Will pick him up tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Geneal, that's true. I wonder how different he will be now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's weird. Poor creature. Poor Annie!!
My husband said the vet was really jazzed about it, had never had that happen before- that's what she said on phone-
A cone!!! Uh oh*)!)**!)!
Annie is NOT going to like wearing a cone!!!!!!!!! Especially because he likes to butt things- boy is he going to look pathetic!!
My husband will have to give the shots-!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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Just Julie
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So Annie will come home a conehead!!!!
I'm not laughing, really. When my poor dear german shepherd girls had to have cones on after surgery, or such, it was always so heart wrenchingly pathetic, made you laugh, made you cry, because they so didn't "get it". For their own good, but man can a 90 lb. g.s. dog ram it's head into things!
I can only imagine what a cone on the head of an animal that is meant to "headbutt" stuff will do!?
I'd check Annie's neck periodically, while she has the cone on, you may find some cuts from the edge of the cone where it's attached to her neck? IIf she comes home and does the headbutting thing one time too many . . . If you know what I mean? Unless they really have some thick padding, like vet wrap taped in that around the ring of the cone . . .
So Annie's a girl, wait, no Annie's a girl/boy. Almost like a catdog. Nah, not really. I can't quite place what I'm trying to say, but I think it's beyond cool Sarah, maybe something Davis would be interested in?
-------------------- Julie Posts: 1027 | From Northern CA | Registered: May 2001
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Cobweb
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Can you imagine the hormonal changes that poor goatie is going through?
So what sex is the companion going to be now?
Along those lines, a friend of mine has a dog that had out of control separation anxiety-until they got another dog.
Now he's as content as ever-and they can leave the house without the dog trying to jump out the window.
BTW- I do believe the proper name is "Elizabethan Collar" for Prince Annie.
Just Julie
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Yep Cobby, it's all coming back to me now, in fact, my vet used to refer to it as an "E-collar".
Elizabethan being quite the mouthful.
-------------------- Julie Posts: 1027 | From Northern CA | Registered: May 2001
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charlie
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I've seen dogs wearing those collars...it looks like the poor animal got fresh with a cheer leader....
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sizzled
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Wow!
This goat would have been written off and probably put down for his/her intractable behaviour ...eventually.
You are SOOOOOO wonderful for taking him back and getting him to a vet.
I have a vet visit , at least once a year, to do full checks on my animals. I keep the numbers down(# of animals) so I can afford the visit(s).
Yes. Hermaphrodites are very rare but maybe not as rare as we once believed.
Maybe your vet can write this up so that it can be on the record. If someone is having a tough time with the behaviour of THEIR pet goat, it may give them information as to why it is.
You did good....real good. Posts: 4258 | From over there | Registered: Jul 2001
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Geneal
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I thought about poor Annie as I was trying to drift off to sleep.
Gives new meaning to the word bi-sexual, huh?
Watch the cone. My dogs (all over 60lbs) would knock my children down
With that thing. It is usually very big and very ungainly.
I think he/she will do fine.
The question is: Will you?
Our baby goats came with crud in their eyes and had to get shots in their eyes.
My husband had to do that too, as I had just found out I was pregnant and had
The worst case of "all day sickness". No way I could even approach the poor babies
Without retching my head off.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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CaliforniaLyme
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Eeew Geneal, shots in their eyes!!! My husband is going to do the shots. Then again, I've given Bicillin shots on the buttocks of Lymies and if I can do that I can do anything*)!! I just don't WANT to!! I'd rather Annie associate my husband with anything negative!!!!!!!!!!
Sizzled, I just hope he IS different, who knows. I guess we will. We're picking him up this morning or my husband is. It turned out to be a very expensive vet visit, way more than we had anticipated. Was supposed to be 70$ but then went to $200 when they thought he was cryptorchid and now is over $500 I am sure!! Ouch*)!*)! But it's okay. It is always worth it for an animal in need. We are fine $wise and blessed to be able to provide for him.
They ARE sending his organs somewhere- maybe Davis?_ I don't know- but when my husband went to pick him up last night he got to see the removed organs- he is so lucky!! I made him describe them to me as we fell asleep- and HOW BIG were the testicles (BIG, very BIG) (BIGGER than big jawbreakers) and the ovaries (like small marbles-) and the uterus? (long and 3/4 of an inch wide, but LONG, like 6-8 inches from his hand gestures). ANYWAY, they had them in plastic bags because they are sending them somewhere to run tests on them for some reason.
If it was ME, I would have asked 1,000 questions and found out who, when, where, why. But my husband- "I don't know!" "I didn't ask!" Agh!!
He is picking up Annie while I drop my older daughter off at school this morning!
Poor Annie- he will NOT like the cone AT ALL!! I hope he is not in pain.
Hopefully he will be non-aggressive now but I guess we'll see!! I was giving my husband grief for using female pronouns but now I won't!!!
My mother is terrible. Whenever we have ANY animal problem she says the same thing,
"You should put it to sleep."
When my 17 year old cat lost weight,
When our one cat got a bad abcess,
When one cat got some urinating issues,
When Annie turned out so aggressive,
always the same-
"You should put it to sleep."
This from the woman who talked about finding me a tertiary care facility when I was really sick and who told me, when I was at my sickest and fighting so hard to live, that she had a dream it was time for me to let go and die... "And I knew it meant you had died- and were at peace!" Thanks Mom! She is from farm country Wisconsin and doesn't believe in letting sick animals live or spending money on them.
So it's nice to hear that from you Sizzled because from my Moms point of view (as she has let me know repeatedly) we just threw away money stupidly and wrongly on a useless, dangerous beast that should have been put down long ago.
And Annie wasn't sick, he was just different and now perhaps he will be a different animal- we'll see. If he is the same very aggressive creature we will have to rehome him again but at least we will have done our best- and this time I will be a million times more stern with potential home people after last time- that was awful!!!
The people who raised Annie from a wee goatie used to take him on walks every day around where they lived (Aromas) on a leash, so I have this fantasy of him being that tame again. Sure would be nice!!! While he was gone by the way with those other people he grew a little billy goatie beard and he has a black beard now that makes him look VERY goatie and not so babyish as he was before-
Happy Wednesday all- Guzzling coffee*)!*)! Sincerely, Sarah
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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merrygirl
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As a vet tech all I can say is wow! I don't think I have never seen a hermaphrodite animal before.
Poor baby!
I think this will really help Annie. Also when an animal has cryptorchid, if you do not remove the testicles from the abdomen they are at a high risk of cancer.
You are a good person!
Melissa
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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Geneal
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I have spent a lot of money on my animals.
My oldest dog (10 yrs old) had major bowel surgery early this summer.
I would not let my children starve or go naked, but when I took in these animals,
I took in the responsibility.
My Mom is currently fostering two 13 year old chihuahua's. That makes 7 dogs for her as well.
They can't be adopted out due to health issues, but my Mom wanted them to have a home
To live out their Golden years.
I have two sisters that would have a dog put to sleep for passing gas.....
I am glad I am an animal lover. Even better, my children are learning to take care
Of animals also. I hope this compassion extends to the two-legged version as well.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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