Sad news at the vet

Our 9 yr old doe Tea Rose just hasn't been "right" for a few weeks. It started with her not really wanting to eat, having a hard time bringing up her cud, odd bloating. We were chalking it up to age, but still something bothered me. Bothered me enough that I brought her to the vet today where a thorough exam and XRays were done. The vet suspected some kind of growth or tumor in her chest based on what he saw and heard. When the XRays came back what was there shocked everyone.

Apparently some time ago (likely the several weeks ago when she started turning up her nose at her grain) her diaphragm ruptured. (I guess when everyone started going into heat and fighting) They did the XRAYS 4 times before they realized that it wasnt that they couldnt see the diaphragm because they were getting a bad picture angle but that basically she HAS no diaphragm LEFT. Much of what is supposed to be in the abdomen is in her chest. Her lung capacity is at 1/3 of what it was due to all the free fluid in her chest cavity, there are granulomas of infection all throughout her chest. Even if we could do surgery to fix the 'hernia' there really isnt an antibiotic out there that would handle the pockets of infection seen and if there wasn't that then there is putting a doe with such diminished lung capacity under and even if that wasn't a problem then there is the fact that she is nine years old.

It is unfathomable that she is even on her feet. There is no prognosis other than continued and rapid decline.

We brought her home rather than have the vet put her down then because I knew that I had children who would be devastated due to not having warning. Dh is at a movie with a friend. When he gets home we will decide if we go back to the vet or just take care of it here.

Tea was a birthday gift to me in 2005. She is a finished champion with her milk star, our herd queen and just a wonderfully patient and gentle animal.

This means that since the first of the year we will have lost our 4 best lamanchas.