* PUNKY UPDATE*

Punky has been with us since 2020, and we originally requested a vet appointment this week because she was breathing heavily, even though it wasn’t hot. Punky always struggles in the heat, but this was unusual for her.

On Tuesday, when the sheep were coming in from the pasture, Punky and Sid were side by side. Sid is nicknamed “step-dad Sid” because he raised Punky and Annie when they arrived at the sanctuary at 8 and 10 weeks old.

When the rest of the sheep had passed the far pasture gate on their way back to the barn, Punky was walking extra slowly and lay down at the gate. Sid nudged her up, and she continued to the closer gate, but lay down again.

Sid stayed with Punky while I came out to see what was up. This was really concerning and definitely unusual. I’ve never seen Punky not come back from the pasture with the rest.

Thankfully, Punky got up and finished the trek to the barn. She lay down in front of the fans with Sid, and we checked Punky over.

We administered medication in case of pneumonia, monitored her for the rest of the day and also booked an appointment for the vet to come out.

On Thursday, when the vet listened to her lungs, they didn’t sound great. So, Punky received additional medication and is undergoing further testing, including rechecking her for meidi visna (despite a negative test result in the past) and mycoplasm.

Those who have been following us for a long time will remember that we lost Betty (Gracie’s mom) to meidi visna and sweet Nancy to mycoplasm.

Punky isn’t just close with Sid. She’s also Annie’s best friend and is never far from Gracie. Punky, from day one, has been a sweet, aloof gal who never bothers anyone.

The barn wouldn’t be the same without sweet Punky girl, so hopefully, this was just a minor blip, though the test results will tell us more.

Thankfully, she’s been responding well to the medication, is breathing normally, and hasn’t had any more concerning episodes since the vet treated her. Needless to say, we’re keeping a very close eye on Punky in case that changes!

📸 Bonded friends Punky in front, then Annie, and Sid at the back.