Sweet, Sweet Caroline

Caroline is not doing well.  Her eye is healing but she is not eating.  That's not good.  It's been nine days since she came home from the vet on Friday the 18th.  Since then I have not observed her really eating.  Apparently the nerve damage on the injured side of her face is affecting her ability to eat.  I've tried tempting her with molasses and applesauce mixed in with her alpaca crumbles.  The other girls are quite taken with it as I feed it to them when she doesn't eat it.  I've been isolating her in a small pen I fenced inside the larger girl's paddock so she can eat (if she would) without having to compete with the other girls for food and she can take her time.  I've been giving her a slurry of water, alpaca crumbles and molasses.  I mix it all up and then draw the liquid into a large 60 ml syringe.  Then I put the syringe into her mouth on her left uninjured side and slowly squirt into her mouth.  She manages to swallow about 90% of it.  I will refill the syringe as many times as she will tolerate it.  To say she dislikes the process would be too obvious. 

Caroline's good side.

I'm still giving her 5 ml of antibiotic once a day.  Now I'm also giving her 2 ml of a steroid to help with the nerve damage.  The vet had wanted to hold off giving her steroids until her eye was healed further but he is afraid her liver will shut down if she isn't eating soon.  I don't know if Caroline is just running out of steam or she has gotten used to me sticking pointy needles into her.  She isn't even fighting me as much when I give her the slurry.  She is such a pretty girl and I'm finding even tempered despite all I'm doing to her.  I don't want to lose her.

Caroline's eye this morning.  Notice the drooping ear and lip compared to the above photo.  The swelling has definitely gone down on her eye, compared to the photo below from a few days ago.

Caroline's eye a few days ago.

I don't know what else I can do for her.  The vet wants me to call him 1st thing Monday to see if the steroids have helped at all.  I haven't noticed any improvement as of today.  If you pray I ask for prayers for healing for her and that God can bring her through this.  I hate to see her suffer and I feel she is slowly starving.  Her weight loss is becoming quite obvious.

The girls in the back of their pasture yesterday.  It was a beautiful day.  Caroline even joined them.  She is the fawn colored one in the center not grazing.