Sheep people and large animal vets have all heard the saying, “Sick Sheep Suddenly Die.” When sheep get sick, they often, not always, die and usually it’s suddenly. I hope we have avoided that outcome this time. We called the vet in time, before her infections from Red’s bites spread. This morning, we pulled the gauze fillings out of her three wounds, gave her one pain-killer shot and one penicillin – big needles, deep injections to the muscle. She was good and stood still. She is eating well, moving around, and the wounds seem to have drained. We’re putting spray on to keep flies off. She already looks better, and I think we are at the healing time, when her body is strong enough to heal. She’s out with the other sheep and moving well.

Farm people are always ambivalent about calling large animal vets, they are expensive and one is never sure if you need to call or not. With wounds like bites, I think it is always good to call, because if something is wrong, it is very difficult to make it right. I think we got this in time, and I hope that is true. Red was only doing his job, but I do not like the idea of a sheep dying because of one of my dogs, it happens, and it’s life, but I don’t like the idea. Sick Sheep Sometimes Live.