Nutmeg’s First Week

My sister and I had long anticipated the birth of Cinnamon’s first calf. After difficulty breeding and rebreeding last year, we were holding our breath and counting down the days. Some misapplied math made us first believe it would be a lot sooner, but once we got our dates straight, we knew the actual day was imminent.

A few days before, Cinnamon started showing increasing signs. She had been showing more signs for weeks, but now they were on hyperdrive. She was getting more uncomfortable. Her rear end was loosening up. Her udder was getting really full.

So the middle of the night checks began. Fortunately for my circadian rhythm, I didn’t have to do too many of these. Early in the morning two days before her due date, about 1 am, I found Cinnamon standing apart from the herd, acting unusual. So I set my alarm for a couple hours later. When I checked then, she was still off by herself, and now she had loads of discharge. Surely baby was imminent!

When I checked again at about 4:30, success! Cinnamon had birthed the calf all by herself (so proud of my little heifer, now cow) and was working vigorously to clean up the baby, lowing softly all the while.

I was a bit concerned at first, as the calf was born covered in yellow. This happens when the calf passes the meconium (first poop) in the birth canal, and that can signal potential distress. Though I was worried, I didn’t want to jump in too soon if it wasn’t necessary. Baby was responsive, and Mama Cinnamon was doing everything like an old pro, so I stepped back and watched.

Well, not completely stepped back. I really wanted to know the sex of the calf, so I stepped in to check real quick. It was dark out, but I wore my headlamp, so I lifted the calf’s tail and took a peek. I was sure I only saw one hole, signaling a bull calf. I was a little sad, as I had really hoped for a heifer, but the calf was up and healthy! I thanked the Lord for that.

Cinnamon didn’t much care for me messing with her baby, so I retreated to let them bond. I watched from a distance as baby took toddling steps around and got a good first drink. Satisfied that baby had gotten the essential colostrum, I went back inside to get a little nap in before my next check.

I didn’t last long waiting. As soon as it was light enough, I went back outside to check. Baby was still getting up to eat, but the cool morning air was still a concern. Since baby was still shivering, I grabbed an old beach towel and helped Cinnamon with the task of drying off.

This gave me the chance for another closer look, and to my delight, I discovered the calf was actually a heifer! I thanked God for such a wonderful gift. Not only a heifer, but everything my sister and I had hoped for. White dexter with brown tips and the most beautiful big eyes I could imagine.

Thankfully, I already had that day off work (the most glorious Monday I could dream of), so I spent the day checking on newly christened Nutmeg and doting Cinnamon and napping in between. Cinnamon quickly became the best mom - gentle and attentive, protective but allowing her baby to explore.

Things went pretty smoothly for a couple days. I was keeping a close eye on Nutmeg, but she was hitting all the milestones. I had let my vet know about the arrival, and that both were doing well.

But then, Thursday night, I went out to check Nutmeg a little before 10, and she was breathing very heavily. This was new. So I ran in and grabbed my sister to help me with a temp check. Sure enough, she was running a fever.

My sister led Cinnamon while I carried Nutmeg up to the barn to get them out of the wind, then I reached out to my vet. She wasn’t available that night due to a speaking engagement, but her tech pointed me to a few alternate choices. I called up the first one on the list, and she was able to come out. Not only that, she lived close by!

I was praying a lot by this time. This precious gift… The one my sister and I had prayed for was very sick, and we could very well lose her.

The vet came out, and she was a Godsend. She jumped right to work, her manner both professional and encouraging, but I could tell she was concerned. Apart from the breathing, Nutmeg had also developed a toxic line in her gums, signaling a likely infection in her bloodstream. This was the most alarming. Baby Nutmeg was definitely in great distress, but Dr. Anna was willing to put in the hard work to get her well again.

At one point, she stopped and looked at me. “You look familiar . . . Have we met before?”

“I think so.” I saw the Rood and Riddle logo on her coveralls. I asked if we had met at the clinic in Wellington, FL. No, that wasn’t it. Then a lightbulb went off in my mind. “Were you a student of Dr. Holt?”

Her eyes lit up. “Yes!” She had come with the incomparable Dr. Holt (he deserves his own post soon) to the barn I was working at. I felt instantly relieved. I trust Dr. Holt implicitly; if Anna was one of his regarded students, I knew I could trust her as well.

The rest of the treatment went by fairly smoothly. Only problem was Nutmeg’s tiny veins. She kept moving, so giving her IV medication in her neck was not successful. Dr. Anna finally stuck the vein in her leg, and it was a team effort. Her tech - her husband - lamented getting peed on, but we all laughed. At least the pee looked normal!

I kept a close eye on Nutmeg throughout the night, monitoring her temp, behavior, and fecal/urine output. Everything was stable except her high fever and rapid respiration. But morning came, and with the dawn came more decisions to be made.

After consulting with Dr. Anna and my regular cow vet, Dr. Heather, I decided the best course of action would be to take Nutmeg in for treatment. Unfortunately, there were no overnight clinics available, but Dr. Anna came through again. She was subbing at a clinic about an hour away, and they would be able to see us this afternoon! I made the appointment and preparations and anxiously waited for the time to leave.

The hours ticked by slowly, but when the time came, I loaded up Cinnamon and Nutmeg in the horse trailer and pulled away. I gritted my teeth going over every bump, but we made it without incident. Nutmeg was even standing the whole time, showing off her grit and determination.

Leaving Cinnamon in the trailer, we got right to work. Though the clinic services some equine clients, it mainly functions as a small animal clinic. Nutmeg’s tiny size certainly qualified her, so Dr. Anna carried her into the exam room with quite the entourage falling in behind.

Nutmeg became an instant celebrity. Calves were not a common sight in the clinic, so everyone wanted to meet her. It was a joy to see everyone doting on her - vets, techs, office staff, and even one of the doggy daycare workers that was a part of the clinic. Everyone jumped to work to diagnose what was wrong with Nutmeg.

While waiting in the hall for Nutmeg to get chest radiographs, I studied the signs on the wall and laughed. Each team member had a Bingo card with work related tasks and goals to accomplish. Fun to see the camaraderie the staff had.

When diagnostics were done, the results were puzzlingly inconclusive. Her lungs were clear (thankfully no pneumonia). Her heart looked a bit odd, but a consult with Dr. Holt alleviated any fear surrounding that. Blood results were good too. So we treated with oxygen, another kind of antibiotic to complement the one she had been given the night before, more Banamine to control the fever, and a B12 shot at an immune-centered acupuncture point.

With final goodbyes and cheers for Nutmeg, we loaded her back up to waiting Cinnamon. Thankfully, Mama was quite calm and just munching on her hay as she waited for her baby to return.

When we got home, the close monitoring resumed, and little by little, I began to see improvements. The toxic line in her gums slowly faded, replaced by healthy pink. I gave her and Cinnamon probiotics at home and also dipped Nutmeg’s dried umbilical in iodine. I was most encouraged when Nutmeg began running and leaping. She turned into a wild child, leaping through the stall door and head butting her mother. We weren’t out of the woods yet, but we were on our way!

When I felt confident enough in Nutmeg’s improved breathing, I started leaving the stall door open overnight instead of just during the warm daylight hours. A week of that and normal behavior and symptoms, and Nutmeg was ready to rejoin the herd. Good timing too, as Cinnamon was getting loud and demanding!

The reunion was joyous, with the whole herd leaping and playing together. Even Chonk the hefty bull was kicking his heels up, though mindful of the calves. Cinnamon forgot for a bit that she had a baby, she was so excited to be with her friends again, but Nutmeg held her own, running around the corral like mad.

Weeks have passed, and Nutmeg has only gotten stronger. Dr. Anna said - and I agree - she’s the most beautiful calf she’s seen. I’m so thankful for the Lord’s gifts - not only in helping Nutmeg to recover, but also in sending the right people for the right time. I cherish this blessing every day, every time I bend down and get a sloppy little kiss from sweet Nutmeg.