Wednesday, April 25th 2018, 5:42 pm
Ranchers in northwest Oklahoma are starting the long process of cleaning up after massive wildfires. That also means tending to animals that were wounded and are still struggling to survive.
More than a thousand head of cattle have died, but many others are still clinging to life after being singed by the flames. Dr. Jeff Pollock has been so busy trying to save dozens of cows and calves that much of his other veterinary work has fallen by the wayside.
Pollock's patients do not just belong to his neighbors, though. Many of his own cattle fell victim to the fire, despite jumping off of an embankment to reach a creek as the flames raced towards them. The survivors are now suffering from burnt hooves, udders and hides.
"It’s just bad burns of one kind or another," Pollock said. "That's the majority of it, and I don’t know psychologically. I don't think these cows are the same because they don't act the same as they were, so I think it really scared them."
Some of the animals will survive but others likely will not. Pollock advises other ranchers to pay attention to their livestock in the coming weeks to look for signs of exhaustion or injury, and seek medical attention if they do not improve.
April 25th, 2018
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