Sam's Weight

I wanted to do a post on Sam since he struggles to keep weight on. It'll be more of a post in pics.

The following two posts are when we first brought Sam home. He had a very thin neck, could see ribs, and what I call the "table" was showing (aka, his spine was sticking out). The first two pics are after we'd had Sam for one month.



The following two pictures are of Sam the following spring (2010). The previous fall (2009) he caught a cold (from who knows where). AND his ulcers flared up. I didn't even know he had ulcers. I was very worried because he dropped weight FAST. But we put him on a grain mash and that seemed to help some but not as much as I'd wanted.



Here's Sam so far this winter. His ulcers did flare up this fall but I started him on soaked alfalfa pellets and Tums. Surprisingly that did the trick. I did read that alfalfa has calcium (and so do Tums) and the lack of calcium is what causes some of the ulcers (or something to that affect). After awhile Sam didn't want his Tums any more and I knew it was a sign that he was feeling better. We still have him on a grain mash but he seems to be doing better. His neck is HUGE compared to when we first got him or even from last spring (after a winter recovering).

I wish I would have had a camera yesterday. Sam doesn't typically cock a leg and snooze. But yesterday he was standing in the sun with a cocked leg, snoozing away. He looked at the proper weight and happy, and that's all that matters!

I'll try to get better pictures but he's wrapped up in his blanket to ward off the coming storm.