10/13/2025
LILO UPDATE:
Saturday evening Lilo took a major decline. I was really hopeless and started to believe she wasn't going to make it. I've seen many animals get to this point and not recover.
She stopped eating and was contracting every few minutes for the entire day, but the placenta never passed.
Sunday was the same. She was exhausted and was passing only liquids but no solid placenta. She spiked a high fever and had the rancid "smell." (If you've ever been around a mammal with retained placenta you KNOW what I'm taking about!)
Thanks to a family member, we were able to use some antibiotics they had on hand to help her until we could get her to the vet on Monday.
This morning, her fever was down and she was a bit perkier, but still refused to eat. I loaded her up before the vet even opened and transported her there to wait for an appointment.
This morning, the vet flushed out her uterus and what was left of the placenta (she had passed some but not all) and she got a stronger dose of antibiotics to help with the infection.
It was nice hearing "you know your cows very well and you got her here at the right times." So often as farmers, you worry if you're making the right decision quick enough, and I'm glad we did that for Lilo.
While we are holistic at our core, we are NOT anti-conventional medicine, especially in these life saving situations. Lilo's milk will continue to be dumped until enough time has passed, ensuring the antibiotics have left her system before our family personally consumes it.
She will also get all the holistic support we have in our arsenal to build her immune system back up again.
We have meds on hand in case she takes a turn for the worse again, but I am incredibly positive after the appointment today.
The prayer now is that she EATS! 🙏
Members, friends, thank you for kind messages and the prayers for our beloved cows!
The Bible is full of accounts and words of wisdom on farming, shepherding, gardening, and living off the land, and I believe that to be more purposeful than we may understand.
This lifestyle gets intricately woven into your spirit. There is a unique and loving eco-system built between the farmer and the animals he stewards. We deeply feel that devotion and duty to their care every day.
Thank you for whatever time you have taken to pray for Lilo, a cherished piece of our eco-system.
We appreciate you!
🩵🐄
