Caerwyn the goat has been on the sanctuary for a year now (as of May 4). How far he has come in that time! When he arrived at three weeks old, he was unable to walk or even sit up (see The Arrival of Caerwyn).
Caerwyn and Stephanie
He lived in the house for four months, getting over his numerous maladies, including a broken shoulder that required keeping movement to a minimum. You would think it would be difficult to restrict a baby goat’s activity, but Caerwyn did it on his own—sad to say, because it was due to him not feeling well.
With medical care, he began to make progress, able to sit up and then move around on his front knees.
Playing with gourd rattles
I knew he was healing when he began to roam the living room. Like Sunshine, the lamb who lived in the house before him, Caerwyn loved the basket of gourd rattles, rolling the gourds all around the living room floor. I think that was part of his physical therapy!
Knee pads
When Caerwyn was well enough to go outside, still walking on his front knees, I fashioned knee pads for him out of dog Mukluks.
I was hoping that him walking around on his knees would naturally progress to standing all the way up. I soon realized that he needed some further physical therapy to help him get there. K9 Carts gave the sanctuary a price break on a custom-made cart (it’s important that the cart be tailored to the animal so it doesn’t create more mobility problems).
Caerwyn in his cart
The cart opened up a new world for Caerwyn. Now he could nearly run in pastures he hadn’t set foot in before. Volunteers and I hurriedly cleared stones (very rocky soil here) along his routes to give him clear passage. The cart served to strengthen his back legs, but he still wasn’t using his front legs.
Time to get further veterinary consultation. Caerwyn and I made the trip to the UC Davis Large Animal Hospital.
Caerywn at UC Davis
Caerwyn’s vet there is Dr. Jamie Peyton, an amazing integrative medicine vet (check out how Dr. Peyton helped bears burned by wildfires in Californa) whose chiropractic and other care helped Caerwyn progress to the next stage of his healing. He was fitted for braces that would support his front legs and fully protect his knees. He got his tailor-made braces on Halloween and was much more comfortable after that, though still getting around on his knees.
In December he finally stood on all four feet and began to walk!
Caerwyn walks!
All the therapies and physical rehab efforts combined to produce this miracle. Just as important was all the energy medicine work I did with him, which included EFT tapping and Healing Touch for Animals, plus singing affirmation songs composed just for him, showering him with love, and designing physical therapy that used our connection. Added to that were the huge and interesting area where he spent his days, which motivated him in exploration (he was not kept in a pen except at night for his own safety), and the safety and companionship provided by his dog guardians and horse friend Perseus.
Daisy and Caerwyn
Caerwyn and Perseus
All of the animals on the sanctuary are part of Caerwyn’s healing: his interactions with the goats reminding him what it is to be a goat, his fellow bottle baby Sunshine the lamb showing him a special connection, his witnessing the joy and fun everyone is having, and his watching all the animals roam far inspiring him.
The latest piece in his healing journey is that he began to drop back on one of his front hoofs. As so often happens on the sanctuary, a creative solution was sent to me. I was inspired to go to the drugstore in search of a hand or other splint for humans. I found a formed soft plastic carpal tunnel brace and bought two. When I put them on Caerwyn’s legs, I laughed in delight. They were a perfect fit and just what he needed to support his legs further.
Standing tall at the feeder
Caerwyn is still building the strength in his front legs, but they seem to be getting stronger every day.
It has been an amazing year, this journey with Caerwyn the goat. When I wonder what the message of this journey is, the answer is always the same: the path to healing opens with love and connection.
Here are videos of Caerwyn’s healing journey:
