Good and bad news. Had to take a Fantine to UC Davis (Vets School). A week ago last Thursday, Fantine was what I call “ADR” (ain’t doing right). It happened the day I had the group from Endeavor out. In the morning Fantine moved out with the rest of the herd but as the morning went by she just started to fade. Thankfully Lin and Steve Murray were here helping with the event. We were all in agreement she wasn’t right, took her temperature which was normal, she was eating but when we looked at her mouth and eyes she was VERY PALE.
I called Dr. Betsy, who was working at Gateway Animal Clinic that day. In fact when I called she was in with a patient. I told her I though we were going to lose Fantine. She finished up with her patient and was here in no time. After evaluating Fantine she called UC Davis and away we went.
I can tell you that was a long 3 hour drive. I was watching Fantine in the rear view mirror the whole way. Betsy said Fantine was critically anemic and would probably need a transfusion. Betsy warned when I got to Davis to wait for the vet students and carry Fantine in as her oxygen level was very low.
What a wonderful staff they have there. Dr Diane Rhodes was the vet that handled the case. She immediately put Fantine on oxygen and started an I-V drip with fluids while waiting for the blood work results. In route Betsy called to tell me the results of a fecal sample she had taken. Fantine was loaded with Trichostongyles probably Haemonchus (aka Barber Pole worm). UC Davis is culturing the eggs to verify the information.
The good news is that Fantine responded well to the transfusion and seems to be making a good recovery. She will have to be watched carefully until we determine her body is regenerating red blood cells. She got to come home last Tuesday.
The Friday after I took Fantine to Davis I began doing a Famacha screening on my whole herd to determining the extent of the infestation. The rest of the herd (70 animals) were wormed with Safeguard (wormer) three days in a row. What an ordeal. It will require continued testing as the haemonchus is very resistant.
