In Loving Memory, Parliament Hill Farms Simon June 22, 2017 - August 28, 2020

It is with the saddest heart that I share the tragic news of the passing of Simon, a recent addition to our herd.  Although Simon was only with us a few short months, in that time he managed to steal the hearts of my entire team, and a great many of our visitors.  This special boy was very quickly becoming an integral member of my therapy herd, and he will be greatly missed by us all.
This past Wednesday, Simon began displaying symptoms of a condition called urinary calculi.  This is caused by a blockage, usually a urinary stone somewhere in the urethra stopping the flow of urine.  Treatment is a drench solution of ammonium chloride to help lower the acidity of their urine in hopes of helping to break down the stones, making them easier to pass.  This treatment is very effective and I've had great success in the past with many issues of this nature.  This condition can develop in both male and female goats, however it is much more common in the males due to the anatomy of their genitalia. There are occasions when a stone actually becomes lodged in the urethra and then surgical removal is required, as was in Simons case.   I am grateful to have had previous experience of a male goat on a friends farm with the same condition, and trusted my instincts and rushed into action Thursday morning, taking him to a vet clinic in Midland to undergo emergency surgery to remove the glans on the end of his penis, and the stone lodged in it.  Dr. Shauna O'Brien of the North Simcoe Veterinary Clinic was on her way out on an emergency call when we arrived, and she stayed to work on Simon.  I am so grateful to her and her team that did what they could, with the information we had at that time.  As a stone was found and Simon was able to pee, we hoped for the best that there were no more stones.  I took Simon home to rest and heal. 

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Photo by Jana Neps

Through the night, each time I would check in on him, it was apparent that Simon was still struggling.  He was unable to maintain his own body temperature, even with the assistance of a heat lamp and coat.  Friday morning saw us back on the road to Midland for some more tests and hopefully some answers.  This time it was Dr. Rose Rumney of the North Simcoe Veterinary Clinic who was there to assist and run multiple tests and procedures. After an ultrasound, bloodwork, x-rays, a secondary procedure, and many consultations with the OVC in Guelph, it was determined that the surgical options were not going to yield any success, and he would live a reduced quality of life if we proceeded further.  His kidneys were damaged and there were no other options to explore.  The hard decision was made to lay Simon to rest to end his pain and suffering.  Simon lived a very loved life in both of his homes and made a very big impact in his very short life.  Many hearts are broken and many will grieve his passing.  That is a pretty good legacy for such a sweet boy as Simon was.  In the short few months he lived here, he preferred to spend his evenings watching the sunset as opposed to browsing with the rest of the herd.  For this reason I chose his final resting place on a small hill where he will forever have the best view of the sunsetting over the farm.  Rest in Peace sweet Simon.  I am blessed to have known your beautiful soul <3

with love ~ Angee

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