I dreaded going to see Vitamin today. If she hadn’t improved, I was going to seriously think about our next step for her.

So I steeled myself up, took the bucket (deciding to keep it “normal”, ie food Vitamin had been eating before all this started rather than trying out new things).  I didn’t try to catch her. I just called her to her little shed, put the bucket down and walked away leaving her to herself. Like I used to.

So she ate…….. and I cried with relief.

I was standing guard at the door where I had visitors.

Floss was guarding Fivla from marauders.

She also had the bag of carrots, carefully chopped into edible shapes for old ladies.  The marauders were then happy.

After Vitamin finished (there was only a tiny bit left), Vitamin walked to the door where I was standing and I offered her the carrot which she happily scoffed, caught her (there really was no escape), and quickly gave her the injection, which she hated.  Luckily Storm had barged in to finish the bucket and I used him as safety while she threatened to kick (that injection must sting). I washed out her mouth (literally and physically!) and gave her the painkillers.

You know how relieved I feel.  I think we have bought ourselves a little more time.

We are worried about Vitamin. I’m not going to lie to you. She won’t eat and is very depressed.  She has barely any energy and no interest in anything.  This morning we decided to go for make or break…..

We took her and Fivla back to Leradale to join their herd in the hope that this will inspire Vitamin to start eating again.  We have nothing to lose at this point.  The next choice will be to put her to sleep if she doesn’t pick up soon.  It is not fair on Vitamin to keep on like this.

So we brought Fivla and Vitamin across, having given Vitamin all her medication for the day (painkillers and antibiotics), loaded them up and drove very carefully over to Leradale (only a couple of miles).

Everyone rushed up to greet their old friends.  It was nice to see the Minions excited too. They had missed their ladies.

The “hay park” had been opened a few days ago and there is grass there.

Vitamin immediately put her head down and I think I saw tentative chewing.

We left them to it but popped back this afternoon with more water.  Vitamin did go up to Floss, who had the carrots, and asked for one.  She managed with a little difficulty to eat it but she was much brighter in herself.  More like Vitamin.

Obviously she won’t talk to me – possiby because I am giving her the injections.

There was a spare carrot piece, so it was thrown to Vitamin and she walked up and ate it.

I am hoping we are taking little steps to get better.  I remember when Vitamin lost her foal, she was very depressed for a long time.  She thinks and she minds.  Please keep this old lady in your thoughts.  We love her.

A few photos from my phone today….

Edna was having her second breakfast with “help” from Pepper.  Edna always has another breakfast as she has never forgotten that, when she was thin, two breakfasts were a good amount.  She will not give this routine up….. not ever. She also only has one tooth so I like to give her extra privately.

Neither seem to mind each other, which is good.  Pepper is such a parasite!

She snuffled around the feed shed and then discovered the mixing spoon.  Happy days.

Indoors there is also a competition.  Ted was trying to be first. I was trying to take nice photo of Monster to send to OH who is outwith Shetland working south.  He misses his boy.

Pepper tried a different approach.

Ted kept on smiling (*note-to-self, I must clean his whiskers – hello, revolting).

Working the room!

How could anyone resist?

Pepper sitting on my knee dishing out filthy looks.

But today Ted wins.

And this was the photo I sent to OH.

We got up an hour early to get our chores done as soon as we could.  Then we went to catch Fivla and Vitamin to take them over to the stable to eat their breakfast.

They had to walk past Taktur who managed to look particularly dishy.  Fivla politely wuffled at him in appreciation. ❤️

While Vitamin just wasn’t really into eating, Fivla was.

So we put Fivla in a separate stable (as she was beginning to pick of Vitamin) and gave Vitamin anything she wanted.  She liked the idea of beet nuts (soaked). We left them to it and grabbed a quick breakfast ourselves.

Then, driving very carefully, we went to the vet surgery.

We let the ladies out early as there was a nice patch of grass. I wanted to see if Vitamin could manage any.

Again, she liked the idea but didn’t eat. I told myself she was probably full from the sugar beet.

And so the dentist did her best.  Cars and lorries drove past. Vitamin and Fivla coped admirably.  Not a flicker.

After some initial dental work, our vet ended up giving Vitamin light sedation as it was painful for her – she is strong for an old lady!

A tooth fell out while being rasped and the vet said there was a sharp one digging into the gum above.

Afterwards, we waited for 30 minutes and Vitamin had a IV painkiller injection and IM antibiotics.  We were sent home with more too.

While we waited, Floss posted carrots into Fivla who waited for her friend very patiently (probably worried she would be next) and then we went to the shop to buy our supper leaving Vitamin to recover in the horsevan.

When we considered it safe to travel, we drove very slowly home.

Everything crossed for Vitamin please. She is eating now even less and I tell myself that no one eats after a painful trip to the vet/dentist.  Tomorrow is another day.

It’s been vicious all day – a constant gale. Floss and I felt battered and sand blasted while we dished out food, haynets, carted water, etc.

I took the girls a mid-morning snack of a grassibix to see if they wanted to have a casual munch.  As you can see from their noses, that lick bucket has also had heavy use.

You can’t see Vitamin’s nose as well, but she is all sugary and crunchy too!

It was no weather to walk dogs in.  We had had enough of being blown sideways so Floss and I entertained Ted and Pepper in the shed by throwing tennis balls for them.

As they are rubbish retrievers, the pair of them, we decided to see if Pepper loved “the Evil Pole” which was previously beloved of BeAnne. She had spent many hours running after it.  We found this out when the trotting pole was dragged along to be placed back on the wall and BeAnne chased it all the way.

So what you do is hold the pole at one end with the other on the ground while spinning round and round.  Pepper thought this was the Best Game Ever.

Ted feigned some interest too.

But really it was Pepper who ran in large circles trying to kill it.  We found this was the best way to tire out a small unexhaustable terrier.

Some more ball throwing for Ted who ran and ran straight past, but enthusiastically.

So that was the dogs walked!

And then back to the endless rounds of feeding.

Just after this photo, I found Monster licking Pepper’s head clean.  I shouldn’t have to see that!