ALERT: PAYPAL is disputing my use of their logo to have this 'raffle" because they say it violates their terms of use, in a nut shell, this is 'gambling'. Good grief. The raffle continues, but if you want to enter, you will have to mail me a check. A serious medical concern has arisen with old man Guinnias . A minimum of $350 in vet fees will be eaten up but could be double, depending on what the outcome of tests show.
So I am having an art raffle for the vet bills. I will keep this raffle up for at least two weeks. For each $10 you enter, your name will be entered that many times in the raffle jar [i.e. enter $30, your name goes in on 3 slips of paper]. Put in as many $10 entries as you want.
This is an archival print and is matted and framed. It recently hung in the Society of Illustrator show in NYC. The retail value of this framed print is $255.Actual image of 11.5" sits in 17" square frame. Black frame, teal green matt, signed on front. Ready to hang. Winner of raffle will pay shipping [estimated at $15 in USA].
About a week ago, I noticed Guinnias didn't look quite right in his rear end area. Sorry for the graphic talk, but basically, his rear end was swollen. I kept my eye on it. Within a few days, he had formed a hard lump the size of a grapefruit in his scrotum area. I immediately thought of kidney stones, common in neutered animals. But his stream was normal, and there was no straining. It could be cancer, it could be a thorn causing a harmless abscess. But the fact he is so old, and the fact he also developed a strange lump in his throat, made me call the vet.My worst fear is Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL), the dreaded, and very contagious disease seen mainly in goats, and some sheep - but it can be spread to equines and others. If he was the only pet, I could possibly wait for it to burst, or lance it on my own, and not be as concerned about it being CL. But with sheep to be bred, equines and 2 Boer goats [who were tested before coming to Apifera] , I have to be responsible. Many will tell you they keep CL infected animals without problems by keeping them separate if they develop an abscess. But CL is nasty in that an animal can have internal abscess, and if that animal coughs, spits, licks something, poops, it can shed the bacteria to non-infected animals.
I feared too that if I did my own lancing, I wouldn't adequately disinfect it due to it's size. This could be serious in an elderly animal. I'm no wussy, but felt a vet call was warranted.
And my vet was glad I called. He found the location of the growth very strange. Guinnias has been neutered for a long time, so it seemed odd for any issue from neutering to arise now, years later. Cancer is possible, and he'll know that after he goes in and examines it. For some reason he doesn't think it's cancer. But he felt I must know if it's CL, and gave me a kind lecture on doing blood work on future goat rescue missions [which helps screen, but isn't 100% sure thing - only tissue is].
It seems like a lot of money to spend on an old goat. Martyn was a bit agitated. But there are no healthy, or fair, alternatives. Some will say, "Put him down." I've thought this through, and it is not time to do that - the facts are not known yet. And that would be in opposition to what Donkey Dreams is all about, or what I'm about. I have to try my best now for Guinnias, and go forward once the facts are clearer.
So Guinnias will go in Wednesday, and be put under so the vet can thoroughly examine the scrotum lump, and the throat. It takes 5+ days to get he CL report, and the vet suggests he keep Guinnias since this large an abscess will take days to drain properly. I feel uncomfortable having him away from the place he calls home, but I will listen to my vet.Oddly, I was just starting to work on some writings, illustrations, and possible short movies documenting why some people, including myself, gravitate toward helping elderly animals. I hope Guinnias will be the star of that movie, and will be with me for many days and months to come.
Good luck in the raffle, and send some wishes to the old goat.
[Paypal button deleted - see note above.. If you want to enter, please mail me your entry. Make check to Katherine Dunn, 14710 NW Tupper RD, Yamhill, OR 97148.
