Lolly may be our sweet old man now, but he definitely didn't arrive at the Sanctuary that way.
For years, he has kept us on our toes. This big Alpine goat with his impressive horns has always been equal parts lovable and mischievous. We've "Lolly-proofed" gates, added extra latches, and learned that life with Lolly is usually lived on Lolly's terms... or at the expense of another broken gate!
He has always been full of personality—and just a little bit stubborn.
Slowing Down
As Lolly has gotten older, we've adjusted right alongside him.
He receives two arthritis medications, a joint supplement, and a monthly injection to help keep him comfortable. He also gets eye drops twice a day for dry eyes and uses a daily inhaler to manage his asthma.
Despite all of that, something changed this spring.
Lolly's appetite dropped dramatically—something that was completely out of character for a goat who has never turned down a meal. He began losing weight and simply wasn't acting like himself, so we loaded him up and headed to Texas A&M Veterinary Hospital for a full workup.
Looking for Answers
After his evaluation, we made several changes to Lolly's care plan. We adjusted his medications, changed his diet, and added a daily inhaler to help his breathing.
Slowly, his appetite began to return.
But while he was feeling brighter, his mobility continued to decline.
Some days he barely wanted to get up, spending much of his time resting in his stall. Watching a goat who once loved to explore struggle to walk was heartbreaking.
Thinking Outside the Barn
Thankfully, Lolly has an incredible team behind him.
Dr. Avery and Dr. Metcalf worked together to come up with a new plan. X-rays revealed significant arthritis in both his knees and toes.
Treatment options for goats are limited, but one of the greatest blessings of our sanctuary is the network of veterinarians willing to think creatively for each individual animal.
While Dr. Metcalf's specialty is equine podiatry, he adapted a treatment commonly used for horses with arthritic knees—a combination of a steroid and hyaluronic acid—to help Lolly.
It's one more example of our veterinary "ecosystem" coming together, combining different specialties to give an animal the very best chance at comfort and healing.
We Got Our Lolly Back
The results have been nothing short of incredible.
Lolly is back to running around the track, playing with his friends, chasing the feed cart, and trying to steal everyone else's food—the very things that make him... well, Lolly.
Seeing him move comfortably again has been the greatest gift.
Every extra latch we've installed, every medication we've given, every creative solution our veterinary team has found has been worth it to watch this sweet old goat enjoy life again.
Welcome back, Lolly. We've missed your mischievous side!
