Yuri

July 9, 2012 - I came home to an unexpected sight - Yuri, my registered Toggenburg buck, was lying on his left side, dead, in his pasture. Only 5 years old, this was a shocking and sad surprise.  He'd been lethargic and not eating the evening before - not unusual, considering the heat we've had - and he was still drinking water. Early that morning, though, he was now also groaning in pain when I touched his somewhat distended abdomen.  I put a call in to the vet and left for court. Two hours later, it was too late.  Of course the usual thoughts were running through my mind:poisoned by noxious plants? something that blew into the pasture?  should I have called the vet the night before? instead of the next morning? would that have saved him? There are no answers to those questions. After consulting the vet, and based on the symptoms, the suspected culprit was that he ate something that perforated his stomach or intestine.  Something that would have happened days or a week previous - and that by the time the symptoms presented, it was likely already too late - that he had an abdominal infection that would have been pretty much untreatable by that time. I didn't have an autopsy done to confirm this - much too costly, I learned. Regardless, we are all quite saddened by this loss.  We miss your lumbering easy-going big self - despite your reputation of fence destroyer and escape artist. My biggest regret is that I only have one of your offspring left.  Rest in peace, Yuri-man.