Annie has been moving around well since she had surgery at AVC. If you’re new to us, Annie had a fracture in her ulna, just below the joint. 

She also had stem cells taken from her hip (where she’s been buzzed) and placed in her leg to encourage healing. 

Annie’s long recovery period has almost wrapped up. She’s finished “stall rest” and is on “barn rest” now. Barn rest means she can move around the barn, but isn’t quite ready to romp through the pasture. 

She’ll finish barn rest at the end of the month, perhaps when we’ve seen the last of winter 😉

What does this get-up Annie’s in have to do with her recovery? Well, nothing really! It’s a wrap to help Annie heal from a different problem. 

Annie has a wound on her sternum that is in a really hard-to-heal place. This isn’t the first time Annie has developed a sore in this spot. Years ago, when she was shorn for the first time, she was sliced by the shearer’s clippers. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Annie just naturally had more loose skin in that spot than the other sheep, which likely explains how the injury happened so quickly. 

It was a significant injury that resulted in a long scar. The skin along the scar’s middle is thin. If Annie continuously picks places to lie down that aren’t covered in deep bedding, or at the very least, where the stall mats are, the pressure can result in that scar tissue opening up again. Because of the way sheep are built, when Annie lies down, she lies on her sternum. 

The wound has been healing well, but the scab keeps getting straw embedded in it, getting caught, and then ripping off. Since wraps of any kind are notoriously hard to keep on, Bea can tell you all about that ;), it was time to get creative. 

Using an old pillow, a pair of scissors, and a lot of non-stick pads duct taped into the inside of the pillow case, Annie got this (unfortunate-looking!) make-shift sheep-sized band-aid! 

We’ll see if it’s still on by the morning!