We had quite a scare with Annie last week. The Shepherd was getting ready to go to Monroe and Fiber Fusion NW with our "teen aged girls" and he realized that something was wrong with Annie. Called the vet and loaded her into our dog crate not knowing what was wrong...did she have pneumonia like Jefferson had just had or what.
She was in very bad shape by the time he got there - they sprang into action and a quick diagnosis determined it was most likely sheep polio, caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1. Which causes swelling on the brain which leads to blindness. They started B1 shots immediately and something to stem the swelling in her brain.
Long story short, we almost lost her and she did go blind, but she began eating the next day and more shots here at home plus pills for pain and isolation from her sisters and brothers miraculously she has recovered. No blindness that we can tell and she seems to not be any worse for wear. Shetlands are genetically hardy little sheep, they have to be to live on those cold windy islands in the North Sea.
Now we just need to stop the bullying that happens when you reintroduce a sheep that's been out of commission into the flock. Poor little thing.
