MissMincePie&Brandy
Well-Known Member
What a day we've had!
I rode early this morning, along a woodland bridlepath route, which was incredibly overgrown and quite difficult to pass in places. I decided that I would go back later in the day with the dog and some secateurs.
My OH was quite keen to help me with the bridlepath clearing, and we decided that we'd take the dog for a walk around the woods at the same time. It's quite a large wood, with several well trodden pathways through it, and a bridleway along one side. It's owned by the woodland trust, so you can walk (on foot) throughout the whole wood. We'd decided it would be fun to let our dog lead the way for the first half hour - she would lead us to new places!
We were well off the main walkways, and just 10 minutes in, my dog (an English Pointer) stopped dead and was pointing. As we approached, we saw that she was pointing at a fully grown female Muntjac, who was laying underneath some branches, and was in distress. She didn't appear to have any injuries, and we wondered whether she was trapped by the branches, so my OH tried to untangle her, and the secateurs I had on me came in handy! The muntjac was breathing and moving its head and neck, but making no attempt to get up. I thought we had probably petrified it, and we should leave it and come back in an hour or so, which we did. We completed the dogs walk, and cut back a lot of the overhanging branches along the bridlepath.
By this time it was nearly two hours since we'd left the muntjac, and we headed back to where we found her. I was expecting her either to have got up and be gone, or to be dead. When we arrived, she hadn't moved, but was looking up and occasionally making a weak attempt to kick out with her legs, and still unable to get up.
I phoned Tiggywinkles, (wildlife hospital) to ask for their advice, and they told me they'd come and collect her. My OH stayed with the deer, and I went back to wait for them at the road. Within half an hour two of their staff arrived, and I led them into the woods, which was not entirely easy, as we were off the main tracks! With the help of my strong OH, they carried the injured deer back to their vehicle, and rushed it to the hospital, who were now ready and waiting for its arrival. It had a good heartbeat, although was very cold because it had been laying exposed and motionless for a long time, but perhaps not colder than to be expected under those circumstances. It was moving all of its legs, so that would indicate its spine hasn't been broken. There was now evidence of grazes on the inside of one of the hind legs, and the Tiggywinkles staff said that it could have been hit by a car, and managed to get half a mile into the woods, before collapsing.
I have just had a phone call to say that they arrived safely at Tiggywinkles, and the superficial grazes on her legs have been cleaned up. She was given some pain killers and was put onto a drip to get some fluids into her. Her body temperature has warmed up, and she is looking around, and is a lot perkier than when they picked her up from the woods. She is now resting in the deer barn, and will be assessed fully tomorrow.
If we had not found her, she would still be laying there, suffering and in the process of a very long, agonising death. This beautiful creature is now safe and has a good chance of recovering, and its all because of my wonderful Pointer, who found her and pointed at her for us to see, but didnt touch her.
I've just become a member of Tiggywinkles, and sent a donation. What a fantastic organisation!
I rode early this morning, along a woodland bridlepath route, which was incredibly overgrown and quite difficult to pass in places. I decided that I would go back later in the day with the dog and some secateurs.
My OH was quite keen to help me with the bridlepath clearing, and we decided that we'd take the dog for a walk around the woods at the same time. It's quite a large wood, with several well trodden pathways through it, and a bridleway along one side. It's owned by the woodland trust, so you can walk (on foot) throughout the whole wood. We'd decided it would be fun to let our dog lead the way for the first half hour - she would lead us to new places!
We were well off the main walkways, and just 10 minutes in, my dog (an English Pointer) stopped dead and was pointing. As we approached, we saw that she was pointing at a fully grown female Muntjac, who was laying underneath some branches, and was in distress. She didn't appear to have any injuries, and we wondered whether she was trapped by the branches, so my OH tried to untangle her, and the secateurs I had on me came in handy! The muntjac was breathing and moving its head and neck, but making no attempt to get up. I thought we had probably petrified it, and we should leave it and come back in an hour or so, which we did. We completed the dogs walk, and cut back a lot of the overhanging branches along the bridlepath.
By this time it was nearly two hours since we'd left the muntjac, and we headed back to where we found her. I was expecting her either to have got up and be gone, or to be dead. When we arrived, she hadn't moved, but was looking up and occasionally making a weak attempt to kick out with her legs, and still unable to get up.
I phoned Tiggywinkles, (wildlife hospital) to ask for their advice, and they told me they'd come and collect her. My OH stayed with the deer, and I went back to wait for them at the road. Within half an hour two of their staff arrived, and I led them into the woods, which was not entirely easy, as we were off the main tracks! With the help of my strong OH, they carried the injured deer back to their vehicle, and rushed it to the hospital, who were now ready and waiting for its arrival. It had a good heartbeat, although was very cold because it had been laying exposed and motionless for a long time, but perhaps not colder than to be expected under those circumstances. It was moving all of its legs, so that would indicate its spine hasn't been broken. There was now evidence of grazes on the inside of one of the hind legs, and the Tiggywinkles staff said that it could have been hit by a car, and managed to get half a mile into the woods, before collapsing.
I have just had a phone call to say that they arrived safely at Tiggywinkles, and the superficial grazes on her legs have been cleaned up. She was given some pain killers and was put onto a drip to get some fluids into her. Her body temperature has warmed up, and she is looking around, and is a lot perkier than when they picked her up from the woods. She is now resting in the deer barn, and will be assessed fully tomorrow.
If we had not found her, she would still be laying there, suffering and in the process of a very long, agonising death. This beautiful creature is now safe and has a good chance of recovering, and its all because of my wonderful Pointer, who found her and pointed at her for us to see, but didnt touch her.
I've just become a member of Tiggywinkles, and sent a donation. What a fantastic organisation!
