For everyone who has had to put an animal through essential surgery, life seems to revolve around this personal drama, whether it's a highly prized horse or a budgy with a broken leg. Humans need to rationalize everything that happens in their lives and compare what is happening now against the potential results in the future. Animals appear to take every moment as it arrives. When the need arises to make an important decision for the animal, there is no easy path and no way to explain it to the animal.
......and thus it seems that Bella hates me for what has happened to her - but she'll get over it:)) Will I?
Five and a half hours of surgery yesterday means that her knee cap is now securely back in place with a carefully sutured ligament and a steel wire to take some of the strain. She has a full cast on the leg and spinal catheter administering painkiller.
This morning she was hoisted to her feet and took a few tentative steps - the first in almost a week. It took a minute or two to learn how to cush with one stiff leg, but she got there.
She was NOT pleased to see me, despite the offering of spruce twigs!... but then would she be any different if I approached her in the paddock? The guilt is all our own creation. Then again, our llamas don't usually display pleasure at our arrival in their field ....intent only on the food we bring.
The Next Stage?
Bella is being kept on a painkiller for a few days from which she will be weaned next week. A steel brace is being made to provide a semi-flexible support system to enable mobility whilst the knee ligament recovers. Without the brace, she will try to cush in the normal fashion, over-stretching the ligament and risk undoing all the surgery. Apparently the brace is commonly used for dogs, but the llama leg brace is somewhat of a novelty. Visions of Forrest Gump spring to mind, shedding his poorly contrived leg-irons as he runs down the road.
Hopefully, we will be able to make the journey back home next week - I am missing out on the garden harvest!
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