Tiny baby goat lost his back legs but not his zest for life
Sometimes all you need is determination and a friend to help you along the way.
Izzy is a baby goat residing in Colorado. He was born on a sub-25 degree day and suffered severe frostbite from the cold, ultimately resulting in the amputation of both back legs.
Rory Clow adopted Izzy from his original owners, who had planned to put Izzy to sleep due to his medical issues.
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"When I first met Izzy, I knew he was something special and had the desire to live from the moment I saw him," Clow told Mashable in an email.
Izzy's legs were amputated within two days of each other. The intense recovery required a little wheelchair and the use of some temporary prosthetics that take pressure off his raw legs.
Caring for Izzy is no easy feat, as he requires bottle feedings every four hours and continues to need plenty of rehabilitation and care.
Mobile and comfortable on his temporary prosthetics, Izzy has developed the personality of a regular baby goat, albeit a stronger-willed one.
"[H]e is bull headed when he wants something, and determined to keep trying," Clow said. "He also has a personality that many people don’t get to see in goats, because goats are rarely taken into the house and bonded with so closely. He loves cuddling and loves his best friend, [my dog] Piper. Now that he is on the move, I’m constantly chasing him around and removing things from his mouth that I didn’t even know existed. My hair is his favorite chew toy."
At nine weeks old, Izzy has challenges with his health due to being weaned from his mother so early. Clow hand milks a neighbor's goat twice per week because Izzy cannot have formula.
Clow says he no longer uses his wheelchair and that she's hoping to create more permanent, weight-bearing prosthetic legs for him soon.
The little goat's on the upswing, but the cost of care is great and Clow has set up a donation page to help with the financial burden.
Clow said it's all worth it, though.
"I try to make sure Izzy has fun in his life despite his loss of legs; he comes cross country skiing with me in a children’s sled and I carry him on three walks a day so he can watch the dog...," Clow explained. "Hopefully come spring, he will be able to walk the distance himself. He also loves visiting new people, so I try to bring him as many places as I can so he can spread his story and his inspiration."
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Topics Animals
