Something Was Terribly Wrong
One day we went out to the barn and noticed Orion wasn’t acting like himself. He’s sensitive so we weren’t sure if the girls hurt his feelings or if something else was going on. When we approached him we noticed he was trembling and not interested in seeing us and he didn’t want to eat. This is completely out of character for him so we knew something was terribly wrong. When he stood up he struggled to pee.
Desperate For Help
We immediately called the veterinarian and left a message telling her we suspected he had urinary calculi. She called us back saying she was at a medical conference out of state. It just so happened the conference was on goat urinary calculi. She said we could remove the blockage ourselves or we could just wait until he died which would “probably be soon”. That was the last contact we’ve had with that doctor.
An Answered Prayer
We contacted another veterinarian who told us to bring Orion in right away. When we got to the office Doctor Mac and his assistants were waiting by the front door to rush Orion into the exam room. After some blood work and a physical examination to see how bad the condition was, Doctor Mac prepped Orion for surgery.
Emergency Surgery
The animals are always teaching us and pushing us out of our comfort zone. When a cat or dog has surgery, you drop them off and pick them up afterward. Doug, Tabitha, and I had no idea we’d be helping the doctor and his assistants with Orion’s surgery. While everyone monitored his sedation, oxygen levels, and blood loss, Doctor Mac removed a large section of Orion’s urinary tube that was blocked. He said the blockage was so large that Orion’s bladder was dangerously close to bursting.
Urinary Calculi
Doctor Mac said in his forty years of being a veterinarian, he had never seen a calcium stone so large. He said Orion was extremely lucky to survive his urinary calculi. The blockage was deep in his urinary tube so if we had tried to remove it ourselves, Orion would have died during our attempt. And he would have died if we hadn’t rushed him to the doctor when we did.
After Surgery
Once the surgery was done and as soon as Orion came out of anesthesia he immediately looked and acted like himself. He was sore from being cut open, but he was attentive and wanted to be around us. The doctor said Orion shouldn’t ever have to go through this again because his urinary tube opening was expanded while removing the calculi blockage. The only thing that could possibly cause another blockage is if scar tissue forms which is unlikely, but it can happen.
Part Of Our Family
When we took Orion back for a follow-up exam to have his stitches removed, Doctor Mac said he felt so bad because of the situation. He said when someone brings a castrated buck in it’s because the goat is a pet and part of the family. Male goats are used for two things- breeding and meat. If someone is going to castrate a goat, it means the goat won’t be used for breeding and if he was going to be meat, Orion wouldn’t have been over a year old at the time of his emergency. Doctor Mac said seeing our worry was heart-wrenching because he could see how much Orion meant to the family.
A Happy Ending
You’ve never seen a person so happy to see a goat pee! I felt a sense of relief (no pun intended) the first time I saw Orion go to the bathroom after his surgery. For a year after his surgery, his urine stream was weak, but now he’s completely back to normal.
Forever Thankful
We’ll forever be thankful to Doctor Mac for saving Orion.