Category: Blog

I have a long history with Bucks County’s wildlife rehabilitation canter, the AArk. Yes spelt with two A’s. I grew up directly across from their first location on Twinning Bridge Road in Newtown. The founder would sometimes let an owl rehab in our back yard or stay in my playhouse that my dad built. I started young with a love for all creatures and their purpose. Many years later when I was 18, the AArk relocated less than a 1/4 mile away from where I was living. I was so excited to work with wildlife and expand my knowledge in some of the different species found in our area.

For 7 years I volunteered my time with AArk, helping with the rehabilitation of endless lives and having to make very hard choices for others. I created a great bond with one of my supervisors that had known I had recently opened the farm sanctuary. She called me up about a swan one afternoon in early April. Brought in hit by a car early in November, the young male swan had no use of the back legs. No fractures to the wings or legs where felt at the time and the decision was to treat as a soft tissue or spinal injury and rehab after rest. They tried to locate an owner for the swan as most of the birds in our area occupy local residential ponds. Mute swans are actually not native to the United States at all. No one stepped up to claim him so they continued to let him heal in hopes of returning him to a new home once he could walk again.

The months between November and April went quick and when Kathy called, I knew she had a patient of concern. April is the beginning of full on baby central at the Aark and it takes a village to help them all. Kathy wanted me to come down and take a look at their swan and see if we would be able to take over his rehabilitation. I know what it is like their in the busy season and as Kathy also noted, there won’t be enough time to give him what he needs. So even though I told my husband I wouldn’t be coming home with a swan, I did. Along with a flying squirrel and pigeon to release on the farm. I am so lucky he tolerates me and loves every animal I bring home as unconditionally as myself.

Welcome Home Swan Connery!

Swans are known for their bad tempermant but it was quite obvious that Mr. Connery was very used to people at this point. Making the first step in building trust in order to help him, much easier. I brought home his own little cart they made for him that looked very similar to Rocky’s. He had a pressure sore on his kill due to the skin rubbing and lack of muscle on the breast area. Swans are large, awkwardly built birds. Mute swans are the second heaviest flying bird only to the tundra swan, with an adult male weighing in around 28 pounds! I knew our vet visit the following day would not weigh him in even close to that.

There are not many veterinarians in our area that will see a swan or know how to treat it. Fortunately we are lucky enough to have 2 within 20 miles of us. I went over and met Dr. Kathy at Dublin Vet Hospital, the veterinary clinic I had worked for the first 9 years of my career. Though the ownership and staff has changed since I left, it had always remained an exotics veterinary hospital as it was when I worked there. I loved having all types of animals to work with, from amputating a wallaby’s leg to surgically removing eggs out of a turtle. Did I mention I love to learn about all animals?

Swan, as I have gotten stuck calling him, was quite a sight even at an exotics hospital. He sat on my lap and we filled out paperwork together. Even Dr. Kathy took a double look at me walking into the room. I guess it just comes with the territory. Swan’s vitals checked out but his weight was worse than I thought. Sitting for so many months had done a real number on the muscle loss bringing him down to just 11.6 pounds. Birds are made of muscle, hollow bones and feathers. If you don’t use it you lose it. So we agreed on a plan to increase his protein intake from the 10% he was eating at the Aark to 21% protein in a waterfowl grower feed. Radiographs of his showed old fractures to the femoral head of both legs. Basically the ball was broken off the leg at the hip joint to both sides. So unfortunately this was his biggest set back from the beginning when he arrived in November. I can only say that this is exactly why the animals at Gratitude Gate get seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible to develop the best course of action for their rehabilitation. So first we need to get this boy some really good food and get him on the road to swanhood again.

The days to come would test my own knowledge and push me to know as much I could about this new species that has come to call the sanctuary home. Roll out the red carpet everyone!

 

 

So Rocky’s initial progress was insanely fast.  Down right incredible.  I would have never believed he would be able to figure it out so fast.  Yes, everyone talks about muscle memory and the power of the brain but 2 weeks and 2 days was far beyond anyone’s expectation.

This first video was Rocky’s first day in his harness.

Within just a few days Rocky figured out exactly what needed to be done when his harness went on.  He immediately lit up and knew exactly where he was headed.  To his cart with the freedom wheels! We would take our time while I held him by a short leash attached to his harness.  I can tell you my shoulders had never received such a thorough daily work out in their life! I would constantly adjust the restraint on the leash, helping to balance Rocky just right against his tremors so he would not fall. By doing so I allowed his brain to compensate in the most natural way possible to help him find his center of gravity.  We would try to “walk” to as many different places possible.  I started to notice that when he became tired or extremely excited that he would exhibit the exact same motion of freezing as my myotonic (fainting) goats.  His body would go completely ridged except for his tail that would wave wildly.  No lasting effects and it was over quickly.  The vet agreed that this was what was going on and as with the fainting goats, as he ages, it will become more manageable.

Everyday for several hours, Rocky would get set up on his zip line.  I would often bring Ollie up for someone for Rocky to talk other than me of course!  Rocky began to master the cart quickly.  We have hay set up on both ends of the line so he could stop and graze and the swivel attachment we had allowed him to change directions.  The cart helped him greatly while he learned how to place his feet to turn around.  It is amazing how many different obstacles you have to learn in the whole concept of walking. Soon, Rocky was really starting to stretch his front legs out when he took each step.  When he would reach out his legs, his body was able to set up his next center of balance.  Rocky started going so fast that he when he would reach out with his front leg, he would place his foot on the break and literally skate in to the end of the rope. I call this cheating but it did look awful cute!

One evening I was adjusting the cart around Rocky so I had taken off the frame, well very quickly did he stop leaning against my leg and just took off on his harness down his line, cartless! We just made his cart 6 days ago…

Off he went, suspended on the zip line with his harness and swivel like he never needed the cart to begin with.  Again the excitement you could tell he had was probably as close as my own! I was so proud of him! I watched all of his moves so I knew how to adjust the harness accordingly.  It allowed just enough support so that if he tipped forward to fall he wouldn’t reach the ground but still allowed him to go through all of the motion of falling.  This was very important as his legs needed to start reacting to catch himself, which as we hoped, they did.  He started to bend his knees when he would sway forward too far and then lift himself back up into place.

It was an amazing week and we decided the following week after all of his line work to take a chance and try the walking outside, harness free in the plush spring grass.  Just like that, 2 weeks and 2 days after his arrival, Rocky walked on his own, without assistance!

So we all know there isn’t a huge demand for goat harnesses out there, especially ones designed to help neurologic goats learn to walk.  So we had to come up with something practical and get as close as possible to allowing Rocky to have natural movement.  I have seen a lot of different types of slings, mostly for dogs. A lot of these slings or harnesses put far too much pressure on a Goat’s rumen (stomach)  and the trachea (windpipe.) For the large amount of time Rocky will need to be in this harness daily, this was not going to work.  I tried a custom padded sling, a baby harness that the parents wear and just about anything that could comfortably carry weight, I tried or planned around.  I have to give the credit completely to my husband on pulling out our 12 year old Rottweiler Mix’s seatbelt.  It was everything we needed. All of the weight needed to be balanced could be done with this simple harness made for a big dog.  It would be put on the very same way as a dog, but has several areas you can adjust size along with where the center of gravity will be for the animal.  The weight on the front of the chest is supported over the shoulders and the lower chest is supported his underside.  My husband climbs trees for a living, so he is pretty good with life saving knots and fancy clips and ropes.  We had a hefty carabineer hooked to his harness and then to a knotted rope with a loop.  This made it so I could fully support Rocky and show him around or “hook him up” to an area where I can work with him free handed.

 

It all came together great and once again, Rocky showed us he was not content without doing it own his own.

So then I drew up a cart one that unlike a wheelchair with support underneath but instead suspend him and allow him to feel his own movements made by his very own decisions.  At 21lbs, Rocky wasn’t that heavy but have enough that we had to create a suspended support that could handle his weight while still allowing flexible motion especially with his growth.  At the farm Gratitude Gate is currently located we have the use of a large intact dairy barn. The isles that held the cow’s stanchions (stalls) were made of smoothly laid cement with large steel support beams that run vertically down the isle.  My husband, Don, took 2 4×4 posts and drilled holes in both, placing one at either end of an isle. He then rigged one of his tree climbing lines with a bunch of fancy things and cinched it very, very taught. We had gone to home depot and bought the supplies needed to create the cart I had drawn.

Put on castor wheels, it glided smoothly over the concrete. We placed a swivel on the center bar of the cart that allowed Rocky to turn around and go in both directions without needing assistance.  The very first time we set him he just blew us away.  A week before he couldn’t even stand on his own and is now grazing for 2 minutes at time and now actually going through all of he motions of walking!!! I don’t have human children but, I can tell you this was the equivalent to watching your child taking his very first steps.  We were just in awe again over his will to keep fighting to do more. Success was definitely in this little boy’s future!

Up until his arrival, Rocky had not walked more than a step without falling directly on his face.  His reaction time with his front legs was non existent.  The tremors associated with this condition are called Intention Tremors.  They start from a single focal location and ripple through his body.  When he gets excited they become more intense, when rested very mild and while sleeping none at all.  This makes rehabilitation very unique to the individual animal.  Even more unique than with a human because they can’t tell us a word of what they are experiencing.

With Rocky, his age works both for and against him.  His brain should respond more rapidly just as any young animal experiencing new situations every day.  This will help to speed up his reaction time to obstacles and positive reinforcement for successful attempts.  The down side is Rocky’s physical size will grow very quickly also.  Rocky’s breed is called a Boer goat.  Considered a meat breed, as apposed to dairy, they grow to be very large and heavy set with males closing in on 200lbs.  As Rocky’s body grows, his brain will have to adjust foot placement and center of balance.  With so many hurdles to overcome, the most incredible part of the animal world kicks in, lack of self-pity.  With a will for true survival, giving up is not an option.

My responsibility to Rocky is to be his ultimate guide and caretaker through this process. Not only providing the physical means to progress but also the mental ones. Encouragement based on positive reinforcement the brain wants to survive.  Food is the ultimate reward especially early in life.  The body needs it and the brain knows it so coaxing with food will render a strong response to the body’s hunger.  You can literally watch the connections being created from the moment the bottle or food is within view or heard. Signaling the body’s response to rise and legs to move towards the reward.  Of course there is the bond we create with them emotionally, one that often defies logic.  It has been proven in a recent study that goats do actually respond similar to dogs when they encounter a situation they can not solve, just by simply looking at us.

“What next?” They say.    

As a rehabber, our answer is “Let me help to show you.”

 

In many areas of the country it is said that a lot of veterinarians don’t know a whole lot about goats.  Some people say you either have a good vet or one that doesn’t have a clue.  We are so fortunate at Gratitude Gate to have some amazing veterinarians in our area that know their goat stuff! Working as a technician, I prided myself as being a sponge.  I was always working directly with our vets on diagnosis and treatments and asking all of the questions in between. I will never claim to know more than a veterinarian but instead find it a vital part in treatment and rehabilitation plans for all animals that come to the sanctuary.  Collaboration and information can go hand-in-hand to create a successful working relationship.

Rocky and Ollie both arrived at Gratitude Gate on a Saturday, we made that call to the vet Monday morning.  I had already assessed both of the boys were stable upon arrival and in separate quarantine areas.  While Rocky had already been seen by a vet several weeks before, we wanted to make sure we established his patient relationship right away.  Ollie’s experience on the other hand may not be as enjoyable but, there was no time to wait for his castration.  Both of the boys were put in the truck. Rock on the front seat in his little tub and Ollie behind my seat.  I am known around town for having silly goat faces looking out my windows.  They are too small for a trailer, of course they are in my truck!  Don’t worry, we tarp up to catch the unwanted excrement!

We arrived at the clinic and Dr. Jen and I discussed what may be going on with Rocky.  Sometimes I get a little proud when my diagnosis is the same as the vet’s.  To me it just means I have done my homework.  She agreed that Rocky’s overall healthy and body condition was excellent.  Miss Gloria did a fantastic job keeping up those muscles! Dr. Jen also noticed Rocky was not experiencing nystagma (rapid eye movement,) which can mean more serious issues in the brain.  He was not in pain, had full vision and hearing and seemed aware of his surroundings.  All very good signs that led to the belief that Rocky was born with a under developed cerebellum or a lesion on that area.  This area of the brain is responsible for coordination and balance.  The only two areas Rocky was having issues with.  She agreed that it was very much like a disorder seen in cats called Cerebella Hyposplasia. This was the best news as it fit with everything Rocky was exhibiting.  Cerebella Hypoplasia is a NON progressive, non contagious disorder that affects only one area of the brain, balance.  Cats generally will improve with time, learning to compensate as their brain helps to create new pathways for signals to travel.

There is no cure but there is learning to cope. 

After this great news about Rocky, we could turn to more routine matters of turning Ollie from a buck to a wether.  There are several ways this can be done.  All can be very successful or have there own problems.

• Burzzido – The clamp! The idea is to clamp this tool down on the spermatic cord and snap it, rendering the testicle useless.  The most important part it making sure to do TWO full clamps, one over each cord.  Always recommend pain medicine afterwards, especially on an older buck.  There is no incision and makes it less likely to have to worry about complications including tetanus.
• Banding- Many people use this method on very young bucks. A small “cheerio” looking rubber band is put around the scrotal sack that is tight enough to cut off blood supply.  Within 2 weeks the testicles and scrotal sack will shrivel, die and fall off.  Again most importantly make sure BOTH of those testicle are below the band!
• Surgical removal- Again, a sure way to solve intact male issue is just to get rid of those testes all together! This is a great method but not practical for every situation.  Depending on the time of year, maggots and infection pose a real threat.  Pain medicine again helps to ease the discomfort after surgery.

We chose to clamp Ollie, as he could be Ferdinand’s buddy in the dairy barn while we waited for his post castration probation period (4 weeks) to run its course.  2 Minutes and done, including his booster shot and pain medication injection.  Now we wait till he can join the rest of the herd without unwanted complications.

Our whole visit was good news all around and of course Rocky had to meet everyone and show off his absolutely heart melting personality.  Poor Ollie sulked in the back of my truck, somehow they just know that was more than a routine visit!