Rolling Dog Farm Blog

After 8 days at the vet clinic, I was finally able to bring our old mule Lonesome George home today.  He has started to eat again, and our equine vet Dr. Bill Brown thought it would be okay to take him back to the ranch.  We’re still not sure exactly what caused his lack of appetite, and he’s still not eating as much as he should, but he seems to have turned the corner.

In the photo with George is Bill’s vet tech, Vicky C.  She is holding George’s ears forward, because she knows we like to have our equines looking smartly at the camera with their ears forward!  Usually when the camera comes out the ears go in opposite directions.  (Someone please explain that to me.)

Of course, it took both of us to get George out of the paddock and headed towards the trailer.  Vicky pulled and steered from the front while I pushed from the rear.  The mule was strategically in the middle, doing exactly as he pleased.

When I got back to the ranch tonight and put him in his stall, George seemed genuinely happy to be home again … and promptly started eating the hay in his feeder.  That was a great sign.  Soon "George’s girls" — blind Lena and blind Nikki — stuck their heads over the wall from their adjoining stalls to welcome their Uncle George back.  George, however, seemed more interested in his hay than in greeting the girls, and that’s okay with us.

(Click on photo for larger image.)