A Quiet Thanksgiving Day

Brett and I spent a quiet day at home today. We barbecued hamburgers for lunch and I'm making a pizza for dinner. We are having friends over for a potluck turkey dinner tomorrow so my bird is sleeping in its brine bath, out in the barn refrigerator.

We are a bit worried about Flash, though. He was lethargic and listless this morning. He was not interested in his bucket of carrots and vitamins, nor in his hay. I got the thermometer and, sure enough, he's running a temperature. Brett mixed up some bute with sweet feed (alfalfa and molasses) but Flash wouldn't even eat more than a bite of that.

We were happy to be home so that we could keep an eye on Flash. He ate a few bites of hay but mostly stood under the trees with one hind leg cocked, staring into space. We had beautiful weather with temperatures in the upper 60s this afternoon.

I took Flash's temperature again this evening and it had crept up some more. I mixed bute with water and put it in a syringe. Flash is a real pill to worm, he fights the syringe of worming paste, so I knew he wouldn't be thrilled with a syringe of bute.  But he needed it to bring the fever down.  Brett slipped the halter on and I showed Flash the bute; I don't believe in being sneaky. As expected, he flung his head around to avoid the syringe. I laid it against the side of his mouth, held onto to his halter, and just followed his flailing head with my hand -- and the syringe. Eventually, he gave up and allowed me to squirt it down his throat. I praised him and gave him a couple of cookies -- which he ate.

If he isn't feeling better in the morning, we will put a call into the vet. Poor boy.