10/07/2026
Well this past week has been a whirlwind of emotions. Last Monday we had a miracle healing on our hands. Cecile was able to come home after 10 days at Purdue and was doing really well. On Wednesday Nate and I went to Des Moines for the annual National Valais Blacknose Sheep Show. We were looking forward to meeting up with fellow breeders and attending the educational classes they have. We've made several friends over the years that share our passion for this breed of sheep and it was great spending time with them and we also met so many new people.
While we were gone I was able to keep an eye on the sheep with our barn cameras and Cecile continued to do well.
We left Des Moines early on Sunday morning to drive the 7+ hours back home. About an hour into our drive our sons called to tell us something was wrong with Cecile. This was such a shock to hear after watching her about 12 hours earlier on the camera- and she had looked great.
Cecile was found on her side. My first concern was bloat. I was able to watch her and watch my sons follow my instructions carefully and they did everything I asked them to do.
They were able to get her laying in the correct position. They weren't able to tell if she was bloated but based on what I saw I didn't think that was the problem. My son Andrew did give a baking soda drench just as a precaution.
I contacted the local vet and we were consulting with them. Cecile was eating food, looking around, and chewing cud. We kept a close eye on her for the rest of the drive expecting her to eventually start walking around.
When we got home, Cecile was unable to stand. None of her legs worked. She would eat and drink but not stand. I talked to my local vet who suggested we contact Purdue again.
I called Purdue and discussed the symptoms and what might be going on.
Thankfully Dr Brooks, who had worked with Cecile several days during her long stay was on call that night. We drove the 2 hours to Purdue to be told her hematocrit was much improved, the ulcer was not an issue, maybe there was scar tissue, but the fact that she wasn't walking didn't make sense.
A lot of discussion regarding options was has with Dr Brooks, and she was so patient and answer all of our questions. She even told me that everyone there LOVED Cecile and called her Princess CC. We picked a treatment plan but Dr Brooks said not to get our hopes up, things didn't look good.
Monday morning Dr Brooks called to tell me Cecile had continued to deteriorate and there was nothing left for them to try. Her symptoms still didn't make sense, but it was time to end her suffering.
So I am heartbroken over this. Still lots of questions as to why did she have an ulcer? What just happened to her? Why wasn't she saved? These are questions I'll never have answers to. This is the really not fun part of raising animals- it makes cleaning the barn look like fun. I HATE this in regards to raising sheep and caring for animals. So many tears have been shed over the last few days. My poor coworkers today were taken by surprise when they asked how she was and I just started crying.
So tonight I sat in the barn a little longer, pet the dog, scratched the sheep, and I'll continue to learn and enjoy what I have because tomorrow is not guaranteed.
