I said yesterday that I don’t pray for sheep, but if anyone wants to this might be a good plan. I was expecting to euthanize Ma this morning – I told Maria this when she called from Alabama this morning – but Dr. Lauren Marsh of the Granville Large Animal Service came. She said Ma is extremely ill, suffering from pregnancy toxemia, dehydration and is struggling to survive.

We agreed to conduct an ultra-sound to see if any babies were alive in her, and we saw at least one with a strong heartbeat, her udder is full of milk but the pregnancy is literally eating her alive, she’s an older sheep, her blood sugar and pressure are through the roof. Dr. Marsh said it was up to me – one of those decisions in the real world of real animals I write to much about. I wasn’t sure.

When I saw the strength of the heartbeat in the ultra-sound I decided to try one last thing, so Lauren came up with a plan that I was comfortable with. She hooked up IV up to the barn wall and injected sugar and other fluids into Ma, she gave her an antibiotic for the painful foot abscess she has, we have her steroids to induce labor. This will either kill her or cause her to give birth. We agreed we would give it 24 hours, either the babies are born in that period or we will euthanize her to end any suffering.

Lauren said I would almost surely have to pull the babies out of her, she is so dehydrated it is unlikely she would have the strength or fluids to do it herself. We put her out in the pole barn – the other sheep have been sitting with her day and night and I will have to check on her every few minutes.

Deb Foster has been helping me out, she has been great, my back is just shot. Maria is coming tonight, I’m picking her up at midnight, she will be happy to hear this news, I hope Ma pulls through. Lauren says 50-50. I can’t bring myself to pray for sheep, not when there are so many people in need of help in the world. But I won’t turn down any spiritual mo-jol from the outer world. I’ll keep you all posted.

It looked like a sheep version of MASH in the barn, needles, IV’s, Red was heroic, Ma tried to blow through the gate and he got in front of her and she butted him and he bit her on the nose and backed her right into the stall. A great dog. Wild day in the real world of real animals. I hope she makes. If not, we’ll put her down in the morning, for her own sake.